THE PRIME MINISTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 23

THE PRIME MINISTER.

CIVIC RECEPTION AT GISBORNE. GISBORNE, March 3.

The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) arrived in Gisborne on Saturday and was accorded an enthusiastic welcome The Prime Minister on arrival was greeted with the singing of “ For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” Sir Joseph Ward had fine weather for the 150-mile motor trip from Napier, and on several occasions was enthusiastically cheered by gangs of workmen as the Ministerial car passed along the road. After arrival a deputation of leading Maoris attending the hui welcomed Sir Joseph Ward, and said they were gratified at his presence to do honour to one so dear to the Maori and to the pakeha—Sir James Carroll. Later the Prime Minister was accorded a civic reception. The speakers, in addition to the Mayor (Mr D. W. Coleman), represented all the local bodies in the district, and also the chairmen of the United and the Reform Parties.

The Prime Minister, in the course of his reply, said he was present for a special purpose, and for that purpose would have come from any part of the Dominion. After speaking on the railway policy, Sir Joseph Ward thanked all the speakers, especially the chairmen of the United and the Reform Parties, and expressed the hope that the United Party in the next 14 or 15 years would do all it had set out to do in its programme.

In the evening Sir Joseph Ward was the guest at a banquet tendered by the United Party, at- which all shades of public opinion were present. In reply to the toast of his health, Sir Joseph Ward recalled that he entered the House in 1887 and was now the only member of those times left. He was imbued with a desire on his present visit to pay tribute to a very dear gentleman. Sir James Carroll, who came into the House at the same time as he (Sir Joseph) had. He said Great Britain had a population of 55.000,000, yet despite the disparity in population the size of New Zealand and Britain were practically equal. Though 12,000 miles away from the Home market. New Zealand stood pre-eminently as the producing country of the world. The value of New Zealand’s production per head per year was higher than that of any other country. Worked out in money terms, every New Zealander was earning £6OO per annum, though unfortunately all did not have au income of that size. It would be seen, therefore, that we were much wealthier than the Motherland. New Zealand had had bad times like other countries. The evils of the Great War, so far as New Zealand was concerned, were disappearing, and now things were going better. It would be a long time before Britain won her way back to the state of affairs that existed in pre-war days. He did not believe it would be possible for America to oust London from the position of the centre of the world. Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Newfoundland were all progressing, but not to the same degree as was New Zealand. Our progress was much faster. New Zealand depended for her prosperity on the produce sent to other lands. Therefore nothing should be done which in any way might injure our industries. Let all do all they could to help the town industries, but the competition between town and country should be avoided, and clashes between labour and capital should also be avoided. The welfare of the country should be studied as a whole.

Gisborne, said Sir Joseph, had had a surfeit of Ministers of late (four Ministerial visits in the past fortnight, not including that of the Prime Minister). He approved of such visits because Ministers got into touch with the people and obtained a better understanding of the problems of each district.

After referring to the railways, Sir Joseph Ward said that in these times all must put their shoulders to the wheel and they would win out in the end in spite of all who tried to stop them. In the, course of the civic reception, Sir Joseph Ward referred to the position in the present Parliament. There were, he said, three strong parties, but they all had common sense and none wanted anotlier general election in a hurry. His own party had been out for 16 years, but now its turn had come again. He asked only that they should be judged on results. Still, what they really wanted was to pull together, to have cooperation and mutual trust The Reform p.nd United Parties were working together for the common grod, and the case was similar for labour and capital. They should not be flying at each other’s throats, but should be pulling together and working for their common good. “One speaker said I was old,” concluded Sir. Joseph. “Well, I expect to live for another 40 or 50 years. How much longer do you want us in power? ”