SIR JOSEPH WARD

Otago Witness, Issue 3331, 16 January 1918, Page 20

SIR JOSEPH WARD

FURTHER DOCAL LOANS FORESHADOWED.

CHRISTCHUROH, January 13.Speaking at 'tho post and telegrapb officers' reunion last night, Sir Joseph Ward 9aid tho Government within the last three years, as an outcome of conditions the watf had created, had to provide for a number of employees (soldiers) 10 times numerically greater than the whole of the public service, or nearly six 'times greater than the number in the Railway Department. It was idle and futile for anyone to believe that in view of this the public service, as it existed in normal times, could be carried on as easily by tho Government as some people imagined. It could not, and that was so for 'the reason that the men and women from end to end of the dominion wanted to win the war. They wanted to win tho war before everything else. .For that reason the Government was not undertaking the construction of any public buildings in any portion of the country that could possibly be put off till after the war.

As to the postponement of the classification of the Post and Telegraph Department. Sir Joseph Ward said it could not' be done separately. If it were to be done the wholo of the public service would have to bo reclassified. That could not bo done except on one condition —one that would not bo agreeable to them, —and that was the withholding of the bonuses. He, believed it was better for them to have the present condition of affairs rather than' the introduction of a state of affairs whichf might result in heavy retrenchment and large reductions. Ho said in all sincerity that they must not try to drive things. If they did try to drive things, then he fon one would not field unless he could see that it was sale. It was because the Government wanted to get this country straight and right for tho people that some of the things they had been pressed to dp had not been done.

"In the course of a short time," continued Sir Joseph, " the people of this country will be called upon to provide another 10 millions to enable our war payments to be made during June or July next at the longest. Then if this war 13 unhappily going on after that period we will have to ask this country to provide many more millions than it will have pro*' video this year. The telegraph mossengejr and 'the humblest man in the service is qM much concerned in the preservation of this country after the war is over as the oldest! and most responsible man in New Zealand*. It is the after-war conditions that havo t§ be looked forward to by the Government and Parliament. Those conditions will b& without na.rallel as far a» this country ia concerned", and yoxi men in the public &eg% vice who are sharing your portion of thd responsibility have got to be ready itf face it with a view to seeing that the pro&« perity of the country continues." Sir Joseph Ward went on to say thait this country had got to havo small lan<| settlement and an enormously increased value of exports to bring an enormously; increased amount of monev into the coujs« try so as to meet our obligations without having to resort tp. crushing taxation.