SIR JOSEPH WARD AT AUCKLAND.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 72, 26 March 1914, Page 5

SIR JOSEPH WARD AT AUCKLAND.

AN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION

_ AUCKLAND, March 26. bir .Joseph Ward addressed a packed audience last" night; and when he rose was greeted with loud and continued cheering. . xi.Si?-^os^l>h' OP6ll^ by referring to .the; difficulty the Liberal party had in .getting fan- reports,*, since the other ;side hadi bought up many papers. He commented on the fact that though the Prime- Minister and Treasurer -had for years contended that his Jmancial policy was wrong, yet they WW& now proving it right by proposing it m connc&tion with the floating - ob the recent loan. He con&astedi •the progress made: during the Liberal /.regune with the difficulty of obtaining money for public purposes under the" present Government: The latter condition was due to the money market •tK^g against the Government and the Poat Office having no balance to carry the Treasurer oh. He agreed that the question of defence should be kept out of tihe realm of party politics as far as probable, but he contended Uiat the country of New Zealand did not want a local navy. The authorities we.r» not in favor of the Australian scheme, which would soon involve the Commonwealth in an expenditure of £10,000,000 per. annum. He maintained: that New Zealand could not stand such an expense. , Dealing with the -strike, Sir Joseph said that he had been grossly misrepresented. He believed that without doing anything unusual he could have settled the strike in two days. . He justified the stonewall oil the Second Ballot Repeal BilL When the Liberal Government wanted to bring ao.wn proposals similar to the Govern > mentis Arbitration Act of last session j the present Ministers were the first to oppose them. Now they had swallowJed^ their convictions. He had'been. ; challenged to disclose his policy, but , the Reform party had been in Opposii toon for twenty years, and had not ! enunciated anypolicy, 1 Shaving in the : end to steal that of the Liberals; = ; Concluding Sir Joseph said that j Australia had no superannuation fund ; for civil servants, no advances to workers* no State insurance, no ; 'nationar..endowinente for old age pensionsi no national provident fund, no pensions,, no nationalisation of water, powers, and no Parliamentary franchise for the election of borough and pity councils. All these things had been given New Zealand hy a Liberal--Government. Let the people judge the Liberal party p n its past work. Whatever the decision he would be prepared to abide by it, provided a majority of the people de^ jewed at the polls. ;-^ j A motion \ thanking Sir. Joseph Ward for his address, and conveying to him the meeting's unswerving: kyater and undivided support, was ■.carried by a large majority.