POLITICAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11030, 19 March 1914, Page 3

POLITICAL.

SIR JOSEPH WARD ON FINANCE. A REPLY TO MR MASSEV. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, March IS. Sir Joseph Wiird, speaking at a social tendered to Lady Ward by the Women's Social and Political League, dealt briefly with financial matters. Ho said that Mr Massey's statement at Nelson, that any oF the settlors present could finance the country better than the Liberals did, was ridiculous. Sir Joseph said ho believed the country's position was financially strong today, and it was so when.the Liberals left office. No Treasurer of the dominion had boon loft in a stronger position than the present Minister of Finance. They had never found Liberals injuring the credit of tho country. Tho Liberals had norer done anything to discredit a Treasurer leaving these shores for Homo to obtain a loan. Tho last loan was 'well subscribed, but how did the Reform Government account for the fact that the Russian loan was subscribed, not four-fold, but seventy-two-fold? Liberal finance had never failed to givo sufficient money for the country's needs. Renewals of loans were going on during tho wholo period the Liberals were in office, but tho Liberals had not been so foolish as to talk about them on the platform until they ivere completed. While in Opposition tho Reformers endeavoured to discredit the Liberal Administration, yet as soon as they got into office they used the Liberals' successes as aids to obtain their own loans.