THE PRIME MINISTER

Southland Times, Issue 16888, 13 November 1911, Page 2

THE PRIME MINISTER

A VISIT TO BEtTPr. CORDIALLY RECEIVED. On arrival at Bluff on Saturday Sir Joseph and Lady Ward met with a most enthusiastic reception from a large crowd which had assembled at the railway station to greet him. There was also a display of bunting, and on stepping from the train Lady Ward was presented with a bouquet by Mrs E. A. Nichol, on behalf of the ladles of the Bluff. The Mayor (Mr E. A. Nichol) officially welcomed Sir Joseph and Lady Ward to the Bluff. He said that since Sir Joseph had been with them last he had ably represented the Dominion at the Imperial Conference and the Coronation of the King. On behalf of the citizens of the Bluff he complimented Sir Joseph Ward upon the efficient manner in which he had represented the country. (Applause). The people of the Bluff desired to congratulate Sir Joseph on the honour Which had been conferred upon him by Hla Majesty the King, an honour which they considered had been thoroughly deserved. (Applause). They regretted that Sir Joseph and Lady Ward could not make their visit a longer one; but It was realised that, as it was election time. Sir Joseph was a very busy man Indeed. However, Bluff hoped to have them back for the regatta at New Year. (Applause). He felt sure that a week at Bluff at Now Year would be so invigorating that Sir Joseph Ward would be fresh and well for the rest of the year. (Applause). THE PRIME MINISTER’S RESPONSE. Sir Joseph Ward was received with Cheers. He thanked the Mayor for the very cordial welcome to himself and Lady Ward upon their return to Old Bluff. During his absence some persons had been trying to talk him out (laughter)—but they" had not a hope (laughter)—thanks to the hearty cooperation of his friends throughout the country. (Applause). He thanked the Mayor for his references to the visit he had made on behalf of New Zealand to the Old Country. The events there marked an epoch in the history of the British Empire. He ■ also thanked the Mayor for his reference to the distinction that had been accorded him' personally, and he wished to say that he regarded the title as much theirs as it was his. (Applause). Some of his opponents were trying to make political capital out of it but they had not succeeded. The general election came round every three years, and he had to do a little more than his ordinary share of work on account of the position he had the honour of filling. He might mention that in a week’s time he would be in Mr Massey’s district while Mr Massey would be speaking in Winton (laughter), and he might do Mr Massey a good, turn there. (Laughter). Sir Joseph referred to the large number of New Zealanders he had met )n the Old Country, actually 300 on one occasion, and he also alluded to the Maori troupe In which a Bluff girl was a member. It had reminded him more of New Zealand than of England. He referred humourously to the estate which his opponents bad alleged he had bought In England for which. It was said, he had paid £30,000. He had’ never had £30,000. (Laughter), they said that he was never coming back, and that when he did come back he was going to return to England to assume the office of High Commissioner. When he was away they wanted Mm back, and when he was back they wanted him to go away. (Laughter). But with the assistance of Bluff he Would stay. (Applause). It had been said that Sir Wilfrid Laurier had gone down, and that he (Sir Joseph) would also go down. Sir Wilfrid Laurier had been Premier of Canada for fifteen years, while he (Sir Joseph) had been Prime Minister of New Zealand for only five. When he had been Prime Minister for fifteen years he would not mind. (Laughter). He said that the Opposition party were going to get a good beating. He had spoken at thirteen places In Awarua and had been most cordially and enthusiastically received. It was as warm as he could have wished' for. (Applause). He thanked them again for their warm welcome to himself and Lady Ward. They were pleased to be back again in the place of their early youth. He was proud to be their representative and grateful for their assistance In the past. He asked them not ,to pay too much attention to the statements of the .Opposition because the statements were turned out of a speech manufactory in Wellington—like a great Chicago meat factory. (Laughter). It gave him great pleasure to see so many present and he again thanked them for their enthusiastic reception. (Cheers). .Sir Joseph moved a vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding which was carried by acclamation. .Mr G. A. Whealler moved a hearty vote of thanks to Sir Joseph Ward, and In doing so said that Sir Joseph Ward’s title was an honour to the Dominion, and he thought that It was a right and proper thing for Sir Joseph to have accepted it. (Applause). Sir Joseph Ward briefly returned thanks. ' WELCOME TO LADY WARD. On Saturday afternoon Lady Ward was the guest at a reception held in her honour by the ladies of Bluff. The Mayoress (Mrs E. A Nlcholl), on behalf of the ladies of Bluff, extended to Lady Ward a very hearty welcome. They knew that she had a very warm corner in her heart for Bluff, where she had lived for so many years, and they were all very pleased to have her amongst them again. They asked her to convey to Sir Joseph their congratulations upon the honour conferred upon him at the King’s hands, and trusted that they would be favoured by a longer Visit during the coming holidays. During the afternoon a programme of vocal and instrumental items was carried out. Songs were contributed by Mrs F. J. Tipping. Miss L. Nlcholl, Miss D. Waddel, and Misses E. and C. Metzger ; and pianoforte solos by Miss Nichol CGlenfoyle) and Miss D. Lovett. the evebtwo addbebs. There was an audience of about 700 people In the Drill Hall in the evening when the Prime Minister delivered a political address to his constituents. The large attendance was all the more remarkable in consideration of the very rough weather that prevailed on Saturday night. The Mayor (Mr E. A. Nichol) presided. He remarked that it Was quite unnecessary to introduce Sir Joseph Ward, who was known to every man, woman and child in the electorate, and, for the matter of that, in the Dominion. Sir Joseph had had the honour to represent the electorate of Awarua for the last 24 years. The Prime Minister, on rising to speak, was greeted with cordial applause. He thanked the Mayor for his kindly introduction to a very large gathering of people whom he (Sir Joseph) knew very well. He expressed gratification that there was such a large gathering and stated that it was a good thing to see so many take an Interest In public affairs. It was a good thing, also, that a man should go before those whom he had the honour to represent to say a word or two on matters of interest to the people and in reply to criticism. He explained that anything he had to say in the latter connection would bo said impersonally. He would speak of critics purely as public men. He knew public men who thought that they were badly used when they were criticised. But what about himself ? Criticism was not the word. There were probably 150 aspirants for political honours talking about him that night Just as if he were the greatest fiend in the land. (A voice : “That is correct.” Sir Joseph : “Well, you are a good Judge of fiends ; I can see that.”) Continuing, Sir Joseph facetiously explained that the probable state of affairs to which he had Just alluded accounted for his looking so sad. — (Laughter.) He commented severely on the type of politician known as the ‘■political rat.” For the first time in New Zealand men were going about advocating a non-party system of government. There were three men in Canterbury like that and he would lay heavy odds (if he were a betting man) that such men would support the most Tory administration. In Southland there were men who advocated non-party government. and the Leader of the Opposition was coming down to assist them. Sir Joseph declared that no one could drive a coach and horses through the parties in this country. The only country in the world that had done any good was the United Kingdom, where the legislation by party Government. He com-

pared Britain with Switzerland, where government was by elective executive. The only thing known about Switzerland, outside of what Providence had done for it, was that it produced Swiss milk. Switzerland was never heard of in the councils of the world. Government in New Zealand was a replica of that which obtained in the United Kingdom, and here to-day they had the richest and most remarkable country in the world. He was not referring to its natural advantages, which were great, but to the recognised fact that Hew Zealanders were living under the most advanced laws the world had ever known. And yet men were going round crying “Stinking fish” and trying to discredit the Government that had done so much for the people as a whole. The various points referred to by Sir Joseph In the course of his address, which lasted for two hours, were covered in his Winton speech and were dealt with on similar lines. An amplification of his remarks on the internal and naval defence of New Zealand is, however, given below. Sir Joseph contended, as at Winton, that the controllers of the Opposition had a “speech-making manufactory,” in Wellington and supplied machine-made speeches wholesale to Opposition candidates, some of whom did not know enough about the subjects dealt with to give essential explanations. He related Mr Isltt’s story of his dog Fldo as told by Mr Isitt In condemnation of the vague generalisation which constituted Opposition criticism. Mr Isltt’s dog, like other dogs, gnawed all the meat off its bone and buried it. The following day Fido disinterred the bone, worried it some more, and buried it again. The next day Fido once more unearthed the bone and went in for some more worrying before planting the treasure for further exercise. And, Sir Joseph said, Mr Isitt had declared his intention of changing the name of his dog from “Fido” to “Opposition.”—(Laughter.) Sir Joseph declared that the same questions came up at every election, explanations were made, and the questions were burled until the next election, when they were unearthed to be worried again. DEFENCE. The Prime Minister referred to the statement that had been made by his opponent that the Defence Department was compelling boys and cadets to go into camp with men. This was worse than untrue because the Opposition Party knew that under the Territorial system cadets were not under the Jurisdiction of the Defence Department, but were controlled by the Education authorities. Their own teachers were their officers. It had also been said that senior cadets (from the ages of 15 to 18 years) should not be allowed to go into camp with the men. This was a remarkable statement. As Minister of Defence he had himself Introduced the Bill, and such a proposal as to have boys go into camp was not Included In it and had never been contemplated. These statements were a colossal attempt to snatch votes from the mothers of the boys. The Commandant of the Forces and the speaker himself had given assurances that It was not proposed to send cadets Into camp, yet they found men declaring that the Prime Minister should prevent somet(jjtog that was never proposed to be doBR The present defence system had been supported by every member of the Opposition. It had been supported by the Trades and Labour Councils of the Dominion and was the law of the country now. But had any member of the Opposition published a line iff support, of it? Not one of them! He asked the reason why. It was because they believed that a small section of the community was against it. It was a question which should be placed above party tactics, and wherever he went Be would call attention to the men who were sheltering themselves under a covering of pre-arranged silence. Referring to THE DREADNOUGHT the Prime Minister spoke of Mr Massey’s statement that he (Sir Joseph) had been autocratic, that he did whatever he liked and defied Parliament, and that he was so strong that he ought to be removed. There were 60 or 70 Opposition candidates at the present moment, saying that he ought to be put out of office on account of his action regarding the Dreadnought. He had consulted Parliament and his colleagues In the Ministry, and the presentation of the Dreadnought had been made subject to the ratification of Parliament. The Opposition now stated that they objected to the way in which the-proposal had been made, that the honour and prestige of the country would have been Jeopardised if they had voted against It. ..Sir Joseph declared that every member of Parliament could have voted against the proposal (without loss of prestige to the country), had he so desired, because he had left the way open. The members of the Opposition voted for the proposal because in their own hearts they knew what a grand thing it was for the country and for the Empire and wanted to have a share In the kudos of passing it. Sir Joseph explained that if the offer had been postponed until Parliament sat the effect would have been lost. Being made when it was it caused other nations to realise that for the first time in the history of Great Britain the dominions beyond the seas’ were knit firmly together with the Mother Land. He wished to point out, particularly to the workers, that in regard to the amount spent on internal defence and on the British Navy—said to be too much—the Labour Government of Australia had established universal military training and had decided to build a fleet of its own. According to an expert the capital cost of the Navy would be twenty or thirty millions of money and internal defence would cost two millions a year. If the Labour Government of Australia had done that should not New Zealand be willing to pay £400,000 a year for internal defence and £150,000 per year for naval defence. So far as Australia was concerned it would take a 16-knot steamer six weeks to circumnavigate the Continent. The same steamer could sail round New Zealand in about a week. The coast line of Australia had nothing like the number of harbours that there were in New Zealand. From that point of view New Zealand was more vulnerable than Australia was. Sir Joseph went on to speak of the proximity of Australia and New Zealand to China, of the awakening in that country, and of the Imminent danger of THE YELLOW PERIL. The Pacific squadron had been recalled to Home waters. The shadow of the great coloured nation was looming over our country, and if we were not reasonably well equipped within our own borders, and had not the protection of the British Navy we would find ourselves at the mercy of China which had been equipping itself during the last ten years, and which was expected by authorities to be, within the next ten years, even greater than Japan. Would any man contend that if China were as well equipped as Japan there was no danger to New Zealand. It was the bounden duty of every man in this Dominion to be as well trained as the trained men who were likely to come and attempt to take the country from them. To-day in New Zealand there was the purest race in the world. This was admitted and was owing to the strict laws that were enforced with regard to the immigration of aliens. Would they have it said that in the event of trouble arising ten men in a street would volunteer for active service. while twenty men in the same street would refuse to do anything of the kind. This would mean that the brand of coward v.’-uld be stamped on the foreheads oZ the people of New Zealand. He did not believe that there was a man in the country who would like this to be said. There were men who believed that a great danger was imminent, and that it was worth while to do a little towards protecting the future of what we regarded as the white race —the Maoris and the white people—of New Zealand. To establish a New Zealand Navy was financially impracticable for a country of a million people. Every vessel in the British Navy was at the service of New Zealand in time of trouble, and we were doing very little towards its support. Everyone desired that peace should be perpetuated, and In another generation the spread of education might this about. In the meantime to preserve THE PEACE OP THE WOBED and the Empire, the British nation must lead in armaments and Navy. The question of defence was above party, and he appealed to the people to give the present defence scheme a fair trial. Only 30,000 men were required under the system in operation. None of them was over 21 years of age, except the members of the old volunteer companies who had transferred to the Territorials. Give the system a year or two of trial.

and then the system could be reviewed and anomalies and incongruities removed. Political party passion should not be introduced. CONCLUSION. In conclusion Sir Joseph said that he appealed to those present as to whether he had done his duty to the province of Southland and to the country during the time he had been in Parliament. He had made mistakes ; no man had been born who had not made mistakes, except those of the speech-manufactory in Wellington. He realised that he had tremendous responsibilities which were never-ending. Criticisms which were made against him he never took as being offensive. He had tried to do his duty, and on December 7, if they had weighed him in the scales and not found him wanting, ,he would ask for a renewal of that generous support which had always been accorded him previously. If they thought fit to do so he would continue as hitherto trying to do his duty for all classes of the community.—(Prolonged applause.) QUESTIONS. At the conclusion of the address the chairman intimated that the Prime Minister was prepared to answer any questions that might be submitted. The Rev. Lalshley asked if there had been any alteration in the law which required twelve months’ residence in the Dominion to entitle an Inhabitant of the country to a vote. Sir Joseph stated that there had not been any alteration in the law. He would look up the point before committing himself to a definite statement and would communicate further with the questioner, Mr Lalshley also asked if the Parliamentary return of October 7th, 1910, was correct gave the consumption of liquor as 12 gallons per head in license districts and 2 gallons per head in no-license districts. Sir Joseph replied that if the return had been laid on the table of the House it would be correct. THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. Mr S. Nlcholl moved that the meeting record its thanks to the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward for his able and instructive address and express its continued confidence in him as representative for Awarua, and in the Government of which he is the distinguished head. Mr Wixon seconded the motion. There was' no amendment, and the motion was carried with enthusiasm. A suggestion Was made by a member of the audience that the meeting pledge itself to secure every available vote in Bluff to ensure the return of Sir Joseph Ward.—Sir Joseph intimated that such a resolution was not usual, and that he preferred that things be left as they were. He expressed appreciation of the vote of thanks and confidence. His early political struggles arose when he went forth from Bluff and his late ones when he came back. He had every reason to believe that, although there had been an attempt to create an impression that he was going to have the run of his life this election, those who sent that impression out had been misinformed.—(Applause.) At his request a vote of thanks was accorded to the Mayor for presiding. Before dispersing, the audience gave three cheers for Sir Joseph Ward and sang "For he’s a Jolly good fellow.”