SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8833, 21 January 1907, Page 4

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

THE LAND CRUSADE

Sir Joseph Ward arrived from Dunedin by the first' express on Saturday night, and was entertained later in the evening at a representative gathering of citzens at Freeman's, prior to his departure by the late boat for Wellington. When seen by a " Lyttelton limes reporter prior to the banquet, Sir Joseph, in answer to a question upon the subject, stated that the allegation bade that the Government was leaving the support of the Land Bill entirely to Mr M'Nab was quite without fouiir dation. A review of the circumstances would show that such an assumption was not borne- out by facts. The House did not rise till the last day of October, and, the opening of the Exhibition necessitated the immediate attendance of Ministers in Christbhurch, and subsequently three or four Ministers had been laid aside through illness or illness in their families. This necessitated his attendance at Wellmgtato, and had prevented him from personally going from end to end of the colony, as he had intended when the House rose. Then there had been the Christmas holidays, when his colleagues naturally wished to visit their homes. The suggestion that any member of the Government had acted unfairly to the Minister of Lands was contrary to fact. By arrangement, Mr M'Nab had been placing various points of the Land Bill before the country, and had been doing it very well. Other Ministers would, between now and the meeting or £**sliament, do their part in putting before the country the policy of the administration. Speaking of "the Point Elizabeth Harbour, the< Premier said that he would bring the question J the harbour from, an ImperiaS standpoint before the authorities when in England. In view of the importance of the harbour for coaling inenation'e warships,, it was a question of whether there should not be mutual in making provision tor #jch an extensive undertaking. Unxii tfhe completion of the soundings which $he Government had put vigorously in hand, he could not, of course, commit the colony to a work of such magnitude, frit the whole matter had been receiving the closest consideration of the Government for some time, and it was one, from both Imperial and colonial standpoints, worthy of mature consideration.. ,

< Sir Joseph stated, further, that he had been advised by . Mr Deakin of the intention of the. Commonwealth Government to send four representatives to the Maritime Conference. Under these circumstances New Zealand will probably send an additional sdelegate, and in this way the representations of the officers and engineers would be met-.' _ 'The High Commissioner has cabled to the Premier that the Colonial Office has received information from the Governor of Jamaica confirming the serious situation at Kingstoni. • Sir Joseph will leave Wellington for London on Saturday, journeyingby the Maheno to' Sydney, and there joining the Mongolia. He will be accompanied by Lady Ward and Miss Eileen Ward. Tne Conference of. Premiers, he has been advised, will open on April 15, and will probably last three weeks ,or a month. On the conclusion, of the Conference he will represent the colony at the Conference on shipping Laws, which will open on March 16. When that is finished he will leave again for New Zealand, and expects to arrive here on June 28, not in time for the opening of Parliament, but within two ot three days of that function.