A POLICY SPEECH.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 72, 8 November 1911, Page 5

A POLICY SPEECH.

THE PREMIER AT WINTON

cPer Press Association.)

"Winton, November 7

Sir Joseph Ward opened his campaign to-night. By special train from Invercargill a very large number of citizens came out co Winton with the Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Lady Ward. On arrival at the railway station the party was welcomed by the local band and a very large assemblage of cheering people. Such a large crowd had gathered in Winton lo hoar the Prime Minister’s address that the hall originally engaged was not nearly large enough to accommodate them, and an adjournment was made to a larger hall, where fully iSOU people were soon packed in. Sir J osepu was loudly cheered as, with liis party, he made his way through the crowded hall to the platform. The Mayor of Winton (Mr J. P. McWilliams) presided, anil at the conclusion of (his introductory remarks three rousing cheers were given for the Premier.

Sir Joseph Ward, in his opening remarks, made sympathetic reference to the death of Mr Massey’s father, and went on to say that in his remarks with - reference to matters in his electorate he was not going to allow any feeling of bitterness to influence him towards his opponent in the contest for the Awarua seat.' Sir Joseph spoke first of what ho termed the ‘‘policy of misrepresenting and distortion of facts,” and referred scathingly to the machine-made speeches of innocent dupes of the Opposition Party, which were putting many a good man wrong in New Zea--1 ind. Ho quoted Mr Fowlds on his retirement from the Ministry, in confirmation of the contention that no charge of Tammanyism or corruption could bo levelled against the present Government. Ho quoted also the Jato Mr T. E. Taylor and his successor, Mr Isitt, in the same connection.

Ho had a good dealrto say about the increase in the public debt, and quoted masses of figures to show that most of the works constructed with borrowed money were interest-bearing. Ho also submitted records to show what comparatively little opposition had been shown by members of the Opposition to the different loan proposals. His remarks in justification of the Dreadnought loan were received with cheers.

Ho referred in detail to the benefits to settlers from the Advances to Settlcrs Department, and the financial soundness of that department. Last year the sum of £2,400,000 was loaned to the settlers of New Zealand, and for the first six months of this year tiis settlers had received about £lj--400,000 from the Advances to Settlors Department. Sir Joseph spoke also of the success of the Government Annuities Act, and gave particulars of the various classes of unemployment and the increased cost of living. He resented very strenuously the unfounded statements that the present Government had no land policy, and claimed that at the present time there was a choice of no less than eight different kinds of tenure. In the course of his remarks in this connection he claimed that in the amount of land settled lie had beaten Lis predecessors by over a hundred thousand acres. It had been said that as Minister for Lauds lie had not been a success; that ha Icucav nothing about lends. But lie claimed that ho had put more vigour into the Lands I) 1 partmout than had any other Minister m the past 15 or 20 years, and the results showed this Avas so. Ho referred to some results of the Avorking of the State Guaranteed Advances Act, and criticised'in passing the attitude of members of the Opposition .in this regard when the Bill Wasybofore the House and at. the pre■sentgtune. •’ ; ; ’ ■The'’.whole story of the Mokau land transaction was dealt with fully.

.LSpealviug of the Gaming Laws, Sir viosSph’said that lie was not sorry for NnytliTng he had done in this connection. All sensible people recognised that the gambling laws had run riot. The amendments made confined betting to racecourses, did away with tote, shops, abolished the telegraph to racecourses, and made, the calling of the bookmaker illegal/ He was not and never had been against horseracing. Hg believed that, as a inert, it deserved encouragement, but as a public man lie. did not approve of the former state of affairs, and maintained that there were abuses that had to lie tackled. The abuses

had all been removed, and rightly so, ,in his opinion. With regard to licensing luavs, he said the hiAV as uoav amended should bo given a trial. If there were any further change it ought to be in lieu of a 55 per cent, majority for national prohibition and a three-fifths majority for district no-liccnse. In the event of prohibition being carried he did not think the revenue should be made up altogether from a tax on land, and certainly not from a tax on small land holders.

Numerous instances Avore given of

the incidence of death duties in support of the contention that this form of taxation was just-gnd equitable.

The Prime Minister mentioned in the course of his speech that the earnings from ten public departments created by the present Government, and most of them by himself, amounted to nearly one and a half millions.

Ho spoke at length and with some degree of indignation regarding the Opposition’s criticism of the five millions loan, and declared that Opposition members were in possession of all the information that members of the Government possessed. He had read the cables in the House. The net rotiii'n was £96 6s. Full details could not he obtained from the High Commissioner until the sale of the remaining £142,000 of stock was completed. The expense of the loan amounted to £110,480. The Opposition pursued a method not followed anywhere else in the world of adding tiic discount to the expenses of the loan and calling the total thus obtained the expenses of raising the loan.

Sir Joseph Ward stated that ho had been informed by Sir Jus. A 1 ills that the Union Company had given instructions for the construction of a vessel similar to the Maori, hut larger and flatter, to replace the Mararoa on the Lyttc-Iton-Wellingtqn ferry service within the next 12 months. It would then he possible for a person to travel from Invercargill and lie in Wellington next morning.

The speech contained comprehensive reference to all the legislation undertaken by the Liberal Government. In answer to the allegations of public money having been spent on private lard in Awarna, Sir Joseph declared that he had not at any time to his knowledge authorised any public money to be spent on private land. Ho was instituting enquiries, and if there were cases where money had unwittingly

been so spent, then refunds would ho insisted upon. At the conclusion of •in address of two and a half hours, the Premier was accorded a vote of thanks urd unabated confidence in the Gov--nimont of which ho was the distinguished head.