REFORM ADMINISTRATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 15091, 13 December 1919, Page 2

REFORM ADMINISTRATION.

DENOUNCED BY SIR JOSEPH ' WARD. SEVERE CRITICISM. (Special tome UeralcJ.) j AUCKLAND, this day. ■ Reform iadxiiiniatratioii was sttb- ' jected tt> a stinging ' criticism by Sir Joseph Ward, ■'•■the leader of the Liberal party, at the Town' Hall yesterday. In referring to immigration Siv Joseph said that although the Prime Minister had spoken enthusiastically about ihi& matter, it was -disappointing to find that, only £25,000 had been placed on fclio public works estimates this year for development work of this nature. To do any good £50*000 would he required. •New Zealand -was short of 17,000 of. its , manhood [ compared the period be- ; fore the war. We required -20,000 more men thai we have now, m order to carry on, the ordinary, requirements of , tho county. Thousands of people had to be setled on the jand: m Ifew Zealand, including between 6000 and 7000 soldiers. 'Little was being done to prepare- for; tins' progressive land policy. Railways: and "roads' should be.. provided iav o^Hiei'.,tp transport tho . produce . from tho country to the towns and ports. ' There was stagnation of public w.9 r fc3 m New . Zealand. ' " Tlie .to)al;,.yot,e ■ on •.the .estjnJiaJrQs for tb,e moat important .r^ail-jay line m, the Auckland " district : TTorild! hot : make fi\_j miles : of : raUjnray iin ¥& months. The sum provided for j.Bomo ,of ithe, other railways would not ' permit ope mile of Iline to be- construot- 1 | cd . in.l2j months, yet v the- Prime -cMinisi ter ■ ;spj6ke of : the public i works vgf, the Doihiiiion:; " ■■...■■.- \ \ Sir; Joseph Said vihat when : he •■. came in^o offico tho Auckland-Wellington' main trunk Hile -was being constructed at a snails' pace/ ' He •suc'ceexi&d 1 ' m having t}ie lino finished m twp yearns fr^m the : tijnk » 'of iSkfnff. oftlc6;V',.(^-'---;ipjaft§oi)' :• If : *tlio ; - Aup^iand: prpvinco'' Syas tp'fio developed,? if ■;tte,\eity i "6f'; t A)u'ckland vrak to" be I . nj^dd^sS^h""' greatfer 1 in'' importance, -T^ujd .haVe to return a Gdvigr^ih.ietit to". 'power 'wlii<?lt would complete' "thje . railways m ..three ycaYs. It could bo dorie. ' All the'railway : works jn Kevr Zealand could, bo ■ comnleteat; -for £oVOQp,,GQO .'without iii.cre^Mi' taxation. 1 It would ' pay -New Zealand to .complete the railway ;tem '■;■■ aiid the hydvg^eld^no ,pawev .schemes'- in three .yeiijsr Ijpminion shoiiia have an ■laij'va^ce"-rpadin^Vsys-tem, the raa.ds tp^ iT c6nstr.uQt«d r ;b^fpre the setlers we,rit 'into tlie -back ..country. The trouble was that the Reform . party //proposed'.' an "gd^lo'w" polfcy. The provision of are adequate railway system anjdl. sufficient..; roads and- bridges 1 to nxeet , the ,neacjds of the 'eojmtTy tvas part - ; 6f the policy of the .Liberal party.- (Ap- j plause.)' ... • , There had* been more land aggrega- • tion m New. Zealand 'during redentyears than a . great " man,y ; people imagined, continued the speaker. The men' who were securing, jailer arid 'still '■■.larger' areas of land were*" those .who already held, from '100 a* to %50,000. The -Priino ■Minister -4iad .claimed; that" the -vLartcl r^.av?s Ameildirientr'Act' of last; session was the finest measure enacted to' prevent land: aggregation-. Sir Joseph' Ward said the only Way to prevent land aggregation i ; was io i appoint a separate tribunal, -arid if "pne^man Vanned! \ to buy land- frpihv another both shbuid go before r the' tribfjnal." /If it were Ibund that the prospective -.buyer "had more I than, an average hpldinff he ; should be refused! a' traajsfer. In '.addition 'to preventing landi' v ag^regaiioh;- • the '- Liberal -party.: proposed to' take ■= step¥ to cause >the subdivision of large estates. To Vensuro thia the'.gradiiiated' land " tix on the - veiy t large -'estates ; would have* jto be increased. I