SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 27 February 1914, Page 5

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

DINEDIN. {.Uyf 2 l-friyr—Ptua Amociaiion.) ~ > > r/T\", Last Night. _ t-u jo • mh' lit hvered a political Afi'li. . > < id Hall this {, { < t \«;v large audience. The add.- ' - ■! !m tao hours, and wag iJt-iii 'Hj, , in.' Muted, with applause. THE DEFENCES. After referring to the criticism levelled at him by the Conservative •press, Sir-J.- «-ph Ward went on to apeak of tho nm-al policy, and said if the present. Government's proposals were carried owl it. would mean disaster. He r-h:o said ho was not in favour of imprisoning youths for noncompliance wiM) the Territorial regulations. Hf» said that though it waa possible lognHy. he Lad not thought the punishment weald be given effect to. BINANCE. He then wont on to refute the allegations made against the financial transactions of his Government, and said that in the matter of loan renewals, when his Government went out of office it had less loans to renew than the Commonwealth of Australia, N<ew South Wales, or Tasmania. Ho quoted an. extract from a prospectus issued in London by the Government when issuing its loan of 3} millions, to show that the present Government admitted there had been a surplus at tho end of each year over a number of years during his term of office, and that his Government had paid several millions into the Public Works Funds. GENERAL. Sir Joseph defended the action he took in connection with the strike. Ho criticised the Government for not bringing down another system of voting when repealing the second ballot. He stated that there was absolutely no truth in the stateent that he was losing the sympathy and support of the farmers. He asserted that the cost of the Dreadnought was not being put on to the people, and stated that the present Government had not decreased the tax per head of the population, but had increased it. He said that the Opposition, through its leader, did not intend to formulate a policy for the Government to steal, as it had stolen it before. VOTE OF THANKS.

The following motion was carried with cheers, only a few hands being held up apainst it: "That this meeting thanks Sir Joseph Ward for his able and statesmanlike address. It desires to convey to him its high appreciation of the great public services he has rendered'to the Dominion, and assures him of its hearty good wishes for his future success, and that of his party.