'" SPEECH BY MINISTER FOR . EDtfeA^ION. 1

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 1350, 12 June 1907, Page 7

SPEECH BY MINISTER FOR EDUCATION.

AUCKLAND, June 11. Addressing rhisixjanstitucnts- at Gt^3?Lynn to-nigK;£ tlie"Hon k G. Foulds sa^d the people had a right to be proud of tho way Sir J. G. Ward had represented th«m at t^ie- Imperial Conference, ite had occasibri recently to criticise certain other delegates, and he had nothing to vf egret, and nothing to take back. He i wanted to see, the British Enipire con'iabfidated, for it was- the greatest force in the world to-day, making for peace : and" justice, liberty and progress. We had to see that we maintained unimpaired otir own independence in the colonies, and m doing" that- we must grant the same freedom" of action tor the pcojle of the Old Country. (Applause.) #:pref erred' to - the regrettable illness fion. Mr Hall- Jones. Among the reforms carried out by the Government was provision for sinking funds for some of the. old andy unproductive loans, and last year,, out of ordinary revenue, '£395)50...was pVptided. Then there wtfs- an* "item irhat ;nad stood for years before the -present party I ' came into power, £700,000 on debentures, arid £35O;OOp r was paid off that. The Leader of^ the' 6ppositi qn claimed credit for a lo&.tfil' -reforms ' l I#i!eJJjSovernment had carried out, . but ~Mx; "Fowlds^ opinion r ai f J mat.!if.tJle devil himself was Lead(^^of ihiei ; Opposition he would be found \ pjreja^fh.iug righteousness. Referring to eduqation-, he said, gi'ea^b strides had l)oo»m»de,,aßd he was^ very pleased the House. had agreed to free education :fr«hi,>pri^ai?y. school to nniversity. The scfyoo^ were no .l^n^eryi^hyi preseryes of tfi©- Wealthy. 1 1 The technical' G&hkti&Kfn.

system and 'vote had also been t&frpt* .too ugly expended, arid the nuriioerlof si»idents hbl'ffitig free places in the technical .schools last yea;: was 15,Q51. The v Gdvernmeflt' expected- great advantage ; to-, to. jthe; colony from the visit : of. its- QenerajU Inspector of Education •to otiier "ttountries. ViJHe defended the #fett»s»fo /tici^^i^'ij^r^wld 'be accompaniecj byNe^enHVe- benefits.,' "R^feSeiJrihg ib'the ou'tbreaS or plague in : Auckland,. he.said the manner, in Tvhich 1 the Health" Department set about com1 batting' it justified the! existence of that department. As to the Land? Bill, he i denied Mr Massey's" Assertion that he 1 (Mi;..Fbwlds) tlie- real? author of it. {Mr'3Sfassey had called him a Socialist , among, other names. He wasn't-a SoJciaHst, but would* rather be one than ! uphold the 'present system. Mr Massey - thrMtJen^d • that: tlie l LWI, Bill . would .'not.be passod xinlesg Jie wag first car;ried; out "of the House. -That was the threat of an anarchist parliament, and 1 the Government would do its duty,, even to, the extent pf carrying Mr Massey out «on a stretcher:/ (Laughter.) J There -was fa good' deal 0$ genuim? opposition- in 'Auckland- to Bill^ bul; much of that was due to misrepresentation. There { was" 'not' ihe, slightest justification for 1 the assertion that the Bill was an* atJtact'Qß fr^liSl4'alreatly^3asting. '