THE PRIME MINISTER'S TOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14212, 13 May 1908, Page 5

THE PRIME MINISTER'S TOUR

ADDRESSES AND DEPUTATIONS. (Pm United Press Association.) WESTPORT, May 12. Sir Joseph Ward came down tho Bulief road from Recftou on Sunday by motor mr—tile first timo the journey has been made by motor. Yesterday ho received deputations on local matters, and officially , oiwncd the now hospital in the afternoon. DENNISTuN, May 12. ; Tho Prime Minister to-day ' visited Seddonvillc, whero ho delivered a , short, political address, mainly on the' lmee of addresses deliverer 1 in the other parts of the Coast, Referring to tho Settdonvillo Stalo mine, ho said so jar it had not been a success, but tho Oovernment, had no intention of abandoni ing it. He was in hopes that in a short time it wonkl rank with the other successful mmes on the Coast. At the conclusion of Jus address the Premier was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and confidence in tho Government, on tho motion of Mr Quinn, president of the Seddonvillo Miners' Union. v ' J} n ''». to and from Seddonvillo tho l*nmo Minister was interviewed by numerous ■. deputations about local matters. Ho 1 reached Dcnnistoii at 6.15 p.m., and was welcomed by Mr Foster, president of tho Dcnniston Miners' Union, and a largo concourse of people. Tho Cadets wero also present.- Sir Joseph received further deputations on local wants this evening, and follows with a political address. He leaves for Nelson overland to-morrow morning, ilio Tutanekai will pick him up at Nelson, ; ADDRESS AT DBNNISTON. DENA'ISTON, May 12. , tno Prime Minister addressed one of tho , largest gathering!, that lias ever assembled/ , in Donmston at tho Volunteer Hall. Mr, Jioster was in tho chair. The Prime Minister announced, amid cheers, tho settlement of the Blackball 1 , k °u H ,° , WM S lad for «ll concerned, . and hoped that tho mino would cow bo put into continuous and prosperous workThe Prime Minister lengthily contrasted tho conditions in the Old Country audi America and in New Zealand, showing how, , much better off in many ways people were t here, both because of tho Government land ( for settlements policy and because tho railways wero in tho bands of tho Government' and not of private companies. Ho laid stress on the groat advantage derived im connection with tho unlocking of Nativa • lands in the, North" Island. Ho said the mam object of tho Government was to give the pool- man a chance to settle on the. land. People in one breath asked tho ( Government to lationafoo the whole o£ the- land, steamers, butcheries, bakeries, etc, and in anotlior said they must nob borrow. Tho people in tho Dominion had t paid, £70,000,000; to do what waa 1 asked it would bo necessary to borrow ; £175,000,000. It -would be financial ruin for any Government to attempt this, and ( his Government was not going to make the attempt. It was no use scrambling s for the moon. The Government must bo . practical. As shown by tho overage earn- , inga and savings of the people, .this country, ) was not'inferior to any other in the world; .Tho cost of living had increased, but that was because much of the sweating so prevalent in the past was now abolished. Ho did not believe the workers were willmg to go back to tho oldi conditions. It waa better to pay a little more rather thau continuo tho sweating system. The Government was endeavouring to givo the i best possible education to tho young and , to fit thorn for life's duties. All could not be, equal. If 20 horses were turned loose in. 1 a paddock, one would in, time become tlie leader, and it waa not possible to r make men equal. Somo wero quicker and surer than others. They could not raako | them equal, but they could do something j towards giving them an equal opportunity, and tho Government's legislation was in r that direction. The Arbitration Act should f not be ropealed, but amended,. and tho' j Government proposed to do that next sesl Bion, and a bank-to-bank clause would be . enacted. The Prime Minister referred to 1 tho large remissions in Customs duties, 5 and the benefits to the, workers. The j Government proposed to, introduce legisla--5 tion next session to give annuities to those . outsido the Government service. Referonco ( was mado to the breaking down of usurious j rates of interest by the Government loans c to settlors and workers. Tho Prime , Minister stated that his prediction that ; the country would be able to borrow money > cheaper iu March than immediately before the crisis was fulfilled. This country had escaped unscathed. New Zealand should \ Realise its' obligations to the Old Country, t and should also remember that a navy was required to protect our produco in transs port from New Zealand to markets in 3 tho Old Country. Ho thought something r more than £40,000 per annum" should be i paid. Germany, Franco, and Italy were > building navies; to capture British trade. Now Zealand ehould assist Britain in Ivor i efforts to retain her ground imd position. • Tho Primo Minister dwelt on Ae ad- ' vantages which preferential trade would i confer. 1 At tho conclusion of his address tho Prime Minister was asked a numbor of ' questions, chiefly by local Socialists. In i his replies ho scored heavily, and finally received a hearty vote of thank 9 and con--1 fidenco in tho Government, with but few, ' dissentients.