SIR J.G. WARD AT CHEVIOT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2505, 26 March 1902, Page 44

SIR J. G. WARD AT CHEVIOT.

(From: Ova Own Cokrespoxdekt.) MEMORIAL TO THE LATE SIR JOHN M'KENZIE. CHKISTCHURCH, March 21. On the occasion of the show at Cheviot Sir J. G. Ward and Lady Ward visited the district, and were entertained at a banquet. In the course of a speech Sir J. G. Ward assured the settlers that work on the railway would be continued after March 31, and that the real cause of the stoppage \va6 not want of funds, but the fact that the whole of the money voted by Parliament had been spent. Reviewing the finances of the colony, he said many people considered the socialistic policy initiated in 1691 was a mistake. A great argument against the policy had been the addition of £10,600,000 to the public debt and the huge indebtedness of 49 millions odd. -The general taxpayer did not pay interest on £2,700,000 borrowed since 1691 to the present time for the purchase of lands for settlement, or £1,485,000 advanced as loans to local bodies, or £2,943.000 advanced to settlers. Of the £10,700,000 borrowed during the past 10 years, £1.409,000 had been paid into a sinking fund for the redemption of loans. Thi3 had been paid out of borrowed money, because to have provided it by extra taxation would have been placing a burden en tinpeople they were not able to bear. Last year the total income tax, land tax, and graduated land tax totalled £465,000. The concessions on railways amounted to £420,000. Concessions had been made in the customs duties of about £130,000. The interest per head of population had decreased from £2 10s 3d in 1895 to £2 5s 6d in 1901. This was due partly to the conversion operations and partly to the increased population. The total increase in land values during the past five year,' had been £16,566,329. This was au indication that the country was prosperous and a majority of the people doing well. Referring to the Commonwealth tariff, he stated that the colony should not take retaliatory measures until moral suasion had been exhausted. Nevertheless, they ought to do their utmost to extend the markets of the colony by reciprocal treaties. He suggested that we might allow American tobacco in free if America removed the duty on our wool. In speaking of Mr Seddon, Sir J. G. Ward said the Premier would go to the coronation as the representative of all the people, and he had no hesitation in saying he would discharge those duties as well as the representative of any other colony. The good work done by New Zcalanders in South Africa had shown that with our volunteers there was very little probability of- any foe succeeding in case Britain should be involved, in war with foreign Powers. They should now advocate that the colony should have some representation in the House of Lords or the House of Commons, so that their opinions might be voiced on such matters as wars with foreign Powers, or on great social question 1 ;. Coiicluding his speech, he said the colony was in the happy position, owing to the accumulated savings of the people, to withstand any f.oancml crisis which might arise from outside the colony. A RECEPTION. At ihe reception to Sir Joseph Ward some very flattering references to the success of the Cheviot settlement were made by some opponents of the Government. The manager of the local branch of the Loan and Mercantile Agency (Mr E G. Staveley) paid his first a isit to Cheviot since he was there in connection with the sale of etock when the estate was resumed by the Government. He told those at the reception that he had been one of those distinctly opposed to the idea that Cheviot conld be a success if cut into small section-?. Time had proved that I -lie had made a mistake, and he freely admitted it. He was converted after what he had seen, and he was thoroughly convinced of the success of tho settlement and the certainty of future progress. UNVEILING A MEMORIAL. The ume-iliug of the memorial to the late Sir John M'Kenzie was a most impressive ! function. The ceremony was performed by | Sir Joseph Ward and Lady Ward, and there ! was a lai-RO attendance of residents and ! settlers of the surrounding districts. In the course of a lengthy eulogy of the late Minister of Lands, Sir Joseph referred to the which the late Sir John had led the House to n.ake a revolution in the land laws of the colony. H« rlso quoted statistics showing thp result of the operation of those laws, which werenow recognised a? 'being the most liberal in the civilised world. The man who Iwst left such a splendid record behind him-»Be-served the memorial the Cheviot settlers had erected. He (Sir J. G. Ward) had litt c doubt that people of all shades of opinion in the colony, when they realised the stupendous task the late Minister had before him, would agree that no name could stand out brighter on the records of the colony than that of his late esteemed friend. He wa« glad to be able to say, on the present occasion, that when the proposal to acquire Cheviot was under consideration he had heartily supported it. and he read a memorandum he .sent in reply to Mr Ba lance ; who had asked for hia opinion and that o. the other members of the Cabinet on the proposal. It was gratifying to the speaker to know that Sir John M'Kenzie had .had his hearty support and warmest co-operation from the very start in this great work. Lady Ward then unveiled the memorial, and in response to calls from Sir Joseph, cheers were given for the late Sir John M'Kenzie and for Lady M'Kenzio and the Cheviot settlers, and to calls by Mr Robinson for Sir Joseph and Lady Ward ; Messrs Meredith and Laurenson, M.H.K. s, alf-o spoke, and the proceedings terminated. The function was a brief but meet impressive one.