Banquet to the Minister for Lands.

Temuka Leader, Issue 3834, 21 December 1901, Page 3

Banquet to the Minister for Lands.

SPEECH BY SIR J. G. WARD. Oamaru, Dec 19. I At the complimentary banquet to the ' Hon. T. Y. Duncan tonight, Sir J. G Ward, in responding to the toast of the Ministry, shared in the desire to do honour to a member who had climbed to a position as administrator of a great department which had been presided over by a man who had made his numo known far and wide. It was a credit to Oamaru that they should have as a member a Minister who was called upon to carry on the great work of land administration. Around Oamaru he had seen the effect of the policy of lands for settlement. That policy must be continued while there were women and children for whom homes were needed, and while there were large estates. He defended borrowing so long as there were settlers who required means of communication. He referred to what had been done in Japan in the way of providing means of communication and defence, which had raised Japan to the rank of a Great Power. As trustees they were bound to follow her example, and provide for the complete defence of the colony. When they sent men across the sea to the assistance of the Mother Country they took upon themselvea a serious responsibility. The eyes of the world were directed to the colony. Should the Mother Country become involved they were bound to make provision for a complete defence. Unless they were prepared to say that they would have no more roads or railways, that no means should be given to settlers to get their produce to the seaboard, they would have to continue to borrow. The Minister of Lands had received last year applicationsfor£i,ooo,ooo for roads and bridges, and had been compelled to cut down his votes to the lowest possible limits. They must have money so long as progressive settlement was going on. Referring to the talk of the increase of debt and taxation, he defiled anyone to point out a single statute since the introduction of the graduated land tax, which imposed additional taxation on the people. On the other hand they had granted remissions amounting to £300,000. Though there had been an increase in the amount of receipts from Customs, this was not due to the increase in taxation imposed, but to the larger importations and purchases, which indicated that the incomes of the people were higher and the purchasing power greater. Though the public debt had been increased, no additional burden had been put upon the people for the rate of interest per head had been reduced. Though the debt was £49,000,000, not a farmer, a business man, or a mechanic could say that a single penny of additional taxation had been put upon him, because of the additions which had been made to the debt. Referring to the allegation that the legislation of the Ministry was injurious to the colony, and set class against class, he said that people were so well informed that no Government would risk their reputation by proposing any such thing 3. He had been told that the Government were against the farmers, but the Government had given the farmers .£238,000 annually by way of railway concessions alone. Then, storage had been provided for farmers' produce at a cost of £IO,OOO a year. They had free grading of produce, and £50,000 had been placed on the Estimates for providing cold storage in South Africa. As to the statement that they were against farmers, sought to be based upon the Workers' Compensation Act, he went into details to show that the Act, placed farmers in a better position than that they previously occupied under cemmon law. It was the duty of every man to check any attempt to set town against country, or country against town. They must all unite in doing what was for the good of the colony in a spirit of moderation. In view of the Federal tariff they were bound to find new markets, and the Government were fully determined to do so with the aid of the people. The time would come when the great Commonwealth would find it to their advantage to reciprocate with New Zealand in order to gain a share in our trade. Canada was anxious to reciprocate with us, and there would be a market for us in South Africa. He reforred to the fact that notwithstanding remissions of revenue, there was now £103,000 more than at the same period last year, and to the success of the million and a half loan. He had no fear as to th<3 future of New Zealand. They might have troublous times before them, but there was no present signs of their coming.