SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14388, 2 January 1911, Page 2

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

CALL AT TUUBV* The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) passed through Timaru.on bis way south by tlie first express oh Saturday morning. He was met at the station here by Air J.' Craigte. M.P., Councillor Hartley, Mr H. B. Kirk, Mr William Hunt, and others, and was jj.ven a cordial welcome, xte chatted ircdy during the time the train stopped here on general topics, and appeared as cherry ana optimistic as et sHe said that the country was very prosperous, that money was cheap," and that there was little or no room for fault finding, .Mr Craigie mentioned that there was a;good deal of enquiry in Timani concerning the time when the new regulations- affecting workers' homes would' become operative. ..nd asked whether tiie Premier oouki *ay anything on the point. Sir. Joseph replied that the new regulations would become operative very shortly. He ozpected they would boframed within a fortnight.' Under these regulations a worker will be able to procure a piece of land and buii-1 on it, and the Government will finance the whole thing provided the prices of the land and the building are approved. All that the worker will require to find w 11 be a deposit r.f £lO. Mr Craigie suggested that the Government should have some set plans for the buildings, and the Prime M.nister said this would be considered. The conversation next turned on the five million loan, Mr Craigie rrmarkig that some people were representing that the loan was bad business and a failure. Sir Joseph said that such people must have very little to do. As a matter of fact it was neither bad business nor a failure. The loan had been successfully floated and it was good business. As a matter of fact some of the underwriters of the loan had fold at a premium. Everybody knew that the money market fluctuated in most unaccountable ways sometimes; th? elections at Home had probably had something to do with the fluctuation in this case, but the fact remained that the loan bad been floated on gond terms; the country bad aeenred the money, and there was nothing to cavil at or worrv about- Thoaft who were making: all the fuss were no friends of the Dominion. As tlie train was about to start, Sir JosepTi was given a hearty rhe*r. and in a little spcocli 'f p"knnwledpni o nt he referred to the pood offices of the j member for Timaru. whom be described as "a- wrfect Eormandiser" in looking sfter bis electorate.