PREMIER’S TRIUMPHAL TOUR OF HAWKE’S BAY

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6849, 2 March 1929, Page 9

PREMIER’S TRIUMPHAL TOUR OF HAWKE’S BAY

Financial Stability £1,600,000 AVAILABLE BY ADVANCES OFFICE TACKLING LAND SETTLEMENT

Times Special. NAPIER, Last Night. A particularly enthusiastic reception was accorded the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) during his journey to-day from Wellington to Napier. Special reference was mado by speakers and others to tho halo and hearty appearance of the Premier. The interest shown in the Prime Minister's presence by the rising generation was amazing. Large-eyed girls and sharpeyed boys gazed with admiration at tho head of the government and in one ease, a proud father fought his way through the crowd to find a vantage point for two sturdy young New Zealanders, whose excitement passed all bounds when, catching sight of them, the Prime Minister smiled and beckoned them forward.

Immediately tho Prime Minister emerged from the Napier station, he was greeted by a large, cheering crowd, which punctuated every third utterance with loud "hear hears.” Tho Prime Minister said that although his position as head of the government was an honourable one, it was at the same time a difficult one, particularly in view of tho fact that New Zealand was bounding ahead in various ways. The Dominion had responded in splondid fashion to tho need for tho provision of public utilities and froift tho ghastly world upheaval, had emerged with a country unsullied and free from foreign domination (applause). What New Zealand had now to solve was tho difficulty of effecting closer co-operation between the different sections which comprised its population. It had to try to create a system which would prevent the occurrence of unemployment and promote such closer land settlement as would enable men and women to make their homes and work out their own destiny, so that New Zealand would become sufficiently attractive to- invite settlement from overseas of those people who would not become a burden on tbo population. Already the government had made one purchase of a holding for subdivision and the Minister of Lands was making personal investigations with respect to others. Although the government had been in office only two and a half months, it had already put life into the town and country dwellers. Over that period, financial provision had been made through tho State Advances department for 480 settlers and 500 workers and tho sum of £1,600,200 was still available for those who wanted to improve their holdings or build homes. . , The policy of the government had been clearly enumerated and all ho asked was what every Britisher conceded as “fair play” to put it into operation. Of course, the government would Temain in power only so long as the people decided it should but he was of the opinion that tho vast majority of the public wanted the United government to Temain in office. When the £70,000,060 loan was first mooted, many had said the money could not be raised but tho first instalment of the £70,000,000 had been raised —and at 4$ per cent. A leading London financial authority has described the feat as the most wonderful on the London market for a long time.