THE PRIME MINISTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14855, 5 December 1911, Page 8

THE PRIME MINISTER.

SPEECH AT WINTON. MEETING ENDS IN UPROAR. . [BT TELEGRAPH. — ASSOCIATION.] - Win'tox, Monday. The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) addressed a meeting at Winton to-night, which was attended by about 1500 people. On entering the Prime Minister .was accorded a hearty reception, and on rising' to speak was greeted with loud cheering. Sir Joseph said • lie was able to bring good news with regard to the principal items of revenue. For the eight months ended November 30 the total revenue for 1911 was £5,991,860, as compared with £5,463,301 for the same eight months in 1910. The principal increases were : Customs, £167,547; stamps, £191,711; post and telegraphs, £10,531; beer duty, £2990; railways, £534,894 ; registration fees, £13,623; marine, £1723; miscellaneous, £18.019 ; territorial, £3096. The decrease of £15.575 in land and income tax was 'attributable to later payments this .year. , " _:' The Prime Minister then gave a comparison of the •revenue for the years ending November '30, 1910 and 1911, showing the various increases. He said that the Customs revenue for November exceeded that for the corresponding period of List year by £62,000. The total Customs revenue for the eight months of the present •financial year was , £2,126,100, being £126,000 over the mate. Tho - buoyancy of the revenue placed the country in a better position by nearly £1,000,000 than for the preceding ,12 months' ended November 30. 1 '• :■

' Sir Joseph went "on to criticise the Opposition Leader's speeches. No blunders had been committed in the Financial Statement, as stated by Mr. Allen. He dealt with appointments in the public service,and said that if it was true that wrong appointments had been made then the names should be supplied. This the Opposition had failed to do. In regard to tho Mokau transaction, the Prime Minister read the letter sent to Mr. McNab from the Reform party supporters protesting against the attitude twit the party had taken regarding the deal. He traversed the whole transaction, as in previous speeches. A malicious slander, he said, was being made use of in tho Northern parts of this country, but which would reooil on the heads of those responsible for it.

Speaking of the totalisator, Sir Joseph Ward mentioned the two Gaming Acts which had been brought into effect. He had never been against horse racing, but the old law had been the cause of thousands of people being ruined.- He had himself ordered the dismissal of 500 or 600 youths in the public service who had been degraded by acquiring the betting habit.' It rested with the people now running sport to see that another reaction was nob created by it. . • ' Towards the conclusion the meeting got completely out of hand, cheers and groans, and counter cheers for Mr. Massey, being given. The opposing forces seemed equally divided. A number of questions were risked, some of the answers to which pleased and others did not please the audience. The lights were turned out, but were relighted, and. the Prime Minister resumed his seat. v . , \ ; • The noise was now terrific.'' ' A motion of confidence was read by tho chairman and declared ' carried, but it was impossible to say 'exactly how it went. ; Cheering and counter cheering, mingled with groans and hoots, were given with gusto, and the meeting broke up in anything but ail orderly fashion. . "AN HONOUR TO AWARUA." [BT telegraph.—press association.] . Invercargill, Monday. Tho Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) addressed a crowded meeting of electors at Oreti on Saturday evening, the schoolhouse being packed, while a number were unable to gam admittance. He spoke for two hours, and received a most attentive hearing, his remarks being frequently punctuated with applause. At the conclusion of tho address' Mr. Joseph' Sharp proposed a vote of thanks to the Primo Minister, and renewed confidence in him and his Administration. In seconding the resolution, Mr. W. Ryan ' said that, after the very doleful tales they had been hearing for some time from the Opposition, it was very refreshing to hear such an interesting exposition of political subjects from Sir Joseph. - Ho would ask those present to; remember that/ as' electors:-of 'Awarua, they occupied a position of belonging to 'the "most envied electorate in New Zealand, as they were represented by a man. who -was recognised to 'bo the .most brilliant and able statesman in the southern hemisphere. (Hear, hear.) He felt sure : that on election day there would be con-, fcinued confidence in - the . Prime Minister, and ■ they .would - show -to other electorates , throughout the Dominion tha*4hey. apl • - "J* ■ • '• ■ i-'" 1 ■ ...

predated the honour and distinction of tiding ■ represented by ; Sir Joseph Ward. (Applause.) ■ t ' ■ The motion was carried with cheers for, the candidate.

VITUPERATION IN POLITICS.

THE PREMIER IN AN ANGRY

MOOD.

According to the report of' Sir Joseph Ward's speech at Dannovirke, published in the local News, the Premier was inj> particularly angry mood, and chastised his opponents with verbal lashes of an extraordinary character. Here are some extracts from tho local paper's account ol the proceedings :— At one point it is stated that an interrupter gained the wrath of Sir Joseph Ward, who said : I do not know whether that gentleman over ' therel suppose he is a gentleman come to hear me. It ho has not he should go out and let others hear me. A grunt like that such as you gave just now is no credit to you. (Applause and ironical laughter. At a later stage one interjector provoked the following angry retort: "If you are going to act the part of the fool, go out. Go out," ho yelled. The person so addressed did not go out. "You Must be Drunk." After some more exchanges, the Prime Minister stated that the Opposition went about the country "like a man who had been kicked by a horse with his face in - a sling," whining about the money borrowed and never explaining how it had been spent. Sir Joseph Ward said that the Government, of whom he was tho head, had had to fight the large land-ownera on behalf of the mass of men and women. ; Mr. - Monteith: What about .the brewer? ? Sir Joseph Ward: Well, I think you must bo drank already. If you are nob in the ordinary sense you are intoxicated in some other'direction. A Blasted Lyre. After this the Prime Minister seems to have got on better for a while, until another trouble provoked him. The News reports the outburst as follows :"Sir Joseph Ward : You, my friend, remind me of the iEolian harp struck by lightning. I will explain the remark. The jEolian harp is a lyre, and being struck by lightning is a blasted lyre, and 'that is what you are. (Cries of disgust)." " Ought to be Pole-axed." Concluding his speech, the - Prime Minister asked why tho present Administration should bo put out of office. A Voice : They are suffering from senile decay.' '• The Prime Minister : Men like you should be pole-axed. The Mayor, Mr. E. A. Ransom, did not ask for an amendment, but put the motion to the meeting. A large volume of "ayes" responded, but was counterbalanced by the volume of "noes." The Mayor declared the motion carried, but his remarks were practically drowned in uproar. - ■' / Replying at the finish, Sir Joseph Ward said he wanted to thank them very heartily for the way, in which they had carried the motion—(A voice: It was-nofc carried.) to. ask them to join with him in carrying a vote of thanks to the chairman. . V' This was done, and the meeting • concluded with cheers for the Prime Minister, and counter-cheers.