SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15972, 14 November 1919, Page 5

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

SPEECH AT WINTON. COUNTRY'S STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION, PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMME OUTLINED. (Per Uaited Press Association.) WINTON, November 13. Sir Joseph Ward opined the campaign in his constituency to-night. JJe was heartily welcomed on his arrival at Winton and was entertained by the Borough Council at dinner. The Winton Band played him to the hall, where a very large audience gave him a very cordial reception. Sir Joseph Ward referred to the fact ithat 33 years had elapsed since he first stood before a Winton audience, and he was proud of the fact that his friends in Awarua had stood by him through good repute and ill repute all that time. Passing from local questions to general politics, Sir Josepli Ward said it wa9 absolutely contrary to fact that lid and the Liberal members had joined the Reform Party. He never was a member of > the Reform Party. After peace was .signed he, as leader of the Liberal Party, with his colleagues, left in accordance with" agreement. He would have been a traitor to the liberals had he stayed in. THE FINANCIAL POSITION. Discussing finances. Sir Jaseph Ward said lie had carried out his duties as Minister of Finance through fchcl mo* difficult period of the war. He hadraited 443/70 1,000 in New Zealand at 4£ per cent. The cosft of raising this sum was at the unprecedentedly low rate of onehalf per cent. For the purpose of safety he had renewed short-dated loans falling due in New Zealand for a period of 26 years. He had paid off 41,950,000 Treasury bills, in addition, to which he had arranged for the extension of all short-dated war loans that had been obtained in Fngland for long periods, and )2 rov ided an accumulated ne& surplus for the period he was in office of 4 15,246,000, and although there had been an increase in expenditure, including interest, sinking funds, war pensions, etc., under the annual appropriations of .£3,653,311 during the last year, they had all been provided for, and there had been a- net surplus at the end of the year of .£3,679,000. He had Ihe satisfaction of knowing that financially New Zealand occupied the strongest position in proportion to population of any counky that had taken part in the war. WHERE THE PARTIES CLASHED. He had proposed that the whole surplus should be invested in a sinking fund for the repayment of war expenditure, and that it should all be paid off :n 63 years. His successor was adopting a different course of using the accumulated surpluses for immediate payments. He considered that most Unsatisfactory. He held that the Government was forcing too much expenditure. He held th.it where it was proposed to put increased settlers, including soldiers, on iand it was their bounden duty to have railways and road facilities made ahead. Within a year the total amount asked for under all headings amounted to the enormous sum of .£60,203,000, or 420,000,000 more than the year during the war. The result was that votes for railways, roads, bridges and hydro-elec-tric developments were most inadequately provided for. A STATE BANK. He ur*ed the establishment of State banks, from which ttoey should get, within a comparatively short period, a revenue of at least' .£500,000 a year, and a careful estimate of the revenue from hydro-electric forces would amount to 4600,000. For these reasons, he urged That the two should be provided without unavoidable delay. NATIONALISATION OF COAL MINES. He urged t*at the best of the coal mines should be nationalised. The con- ' ditions of the men, both as to housing, sanitation, and a superannuation should be put upon a proper basis with a new of helping to reduce the price of coal. He was in favour of some State colleriee being provided to help to carry on this work at the lowest prioe possible. He could not understand anyone supporting the "go-slow" policy. It was hurtthe wage-earners, .traders, business people, and the best interests of tho Dominion. WORKERS* HOMES. He held the view strongly that one million a year for four years should be expended to provide workers' homes, and that these could be provided for a rental of 10s 6d per week for a live-roomed house. He wftuld provide a sinking fund of a half per cent, of 66 years, which would repay tho whole cost of the loan in that period. There was no reason why half the balance of Post Office Savings Bank deposits should not be used for this purpose. LAND SETTLEMENT. He was in favour of increasing land settlement for soldiers and civilians. All Crown and native lands which had been acquired by the Government should be made available for settlement, and small farms from individual farmers should not be purchased, as it brought the land into immediate competition with soldiers for fresh land. HELPING RETURNED SOLDIERS. . He was sincerely in favour of helping returned soldiers and dependents in every way. He would sooner err on the side of liberality and proper treatment than for the sake of a million or two | leave them in a discontented position. He opposed hastening the discharge of soldiers who were not wholly fit to reenter into civil employment. The sooner a soldier was physically fit to enter civilian activity the better for him, but in reading of recent matters, he was exceedingly sorry to sec that there was cause for the complaint made that men had been discharged while sttll unfit for ordinary work. AGAINST MILITARISM. He was opposed to any attempt to build up a large military force in this country, because it wasn't necessary. The cadet system -gave an excellent foundation for discipline, and the territorial system in operation before the war should be continued. He opposed men being called upon to serve four months at a time. It was not necessary, and it.would be most injurious to farmers and business people. The complete demobilisation of Expeditionary Forces should be carried into effect without delay. % COST, OF LIVING. The cist of living had been felt by every section of the community, and to help to in eot what was a great

•pittdi for a largo number of people* a, higher basis of pay was not crtlf essential but unavoidable. UNITY OF THE EMPIRE. He was a strong 1 supporter of anything that would <nake for the unity of the position of the British Empire. He opposed any local navy scheme, and was glad to find Lord Jelliooe did not encourage such a system, but advocated one Jinked up with the British Navy. Ho supported the removal of restrictions -upon trade from New 7xtt.la.nd.' Wo wore an exporting- country, and w* wanted trade witu the world. Commercial rcprcsentatires to help' trade both to and from New Zealand alionld Iki appointed in some of the important countries. Ho supported preferential trade within the Empire, and was against giving facilities for enemy trade with countries that had been our enemies. SUPPORT FOR PROGRESSIVE • MEASURE. He supported finaicial assietanen to local industries, aerial aervioes for postal work. A ltui.dred thousand a year could be provided, with good advantage to the people. To restore and provide educational buildings three millions could bo expended for three year?. More experimental farms should be provided, and the dairying: industry shoukl lx> given all the awkteuoe po»sible. The ferry services between the two islands should Ire State-owned, All freezing works throughout ih<- country should be controlled permanently by State licenses, and no outeide corporation should be aJlowed to buiid or control freezing works within lie Dominion.: Motor lorries should be provided for transporting purposes for settlers and oth-jrs wliero railways did not extend. Chassis should bo imported and bodies built in this country. The system of conducting elections" should be altered to prevent a minority ruling. Prospecting for new gold and coal mines sbonld be encouraged and assisted financially. Tho same with oil-boring. The price of imported oil ehoitld l>e controlled to prevent unfair prices being charged. The further reform of old age pewooas and the pensions of widows and orphan* was necessary, and the National Provident Fund should be extended to make it more universal. A readjustment on improved terrafl for widows under the superannuation system was necessary. Aggregation of land should not be allowed to continue. Land was being sold to the country for soldiers' settlement at a price that was, in hia opinion, without justification. He solicited the co-operation of the moderate and progressive people of all classes to promote the well-being of tho country, and leave it in every re*«pect better than it was to-day. THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. A vote of thanks and confidence hi Sir Joseph Ward and an expression of appreciation of the long and valuable services lie had rendered to the Dominion and to the Empire was moved by Dr. Gow and seconded by Mr C. D. Moore and carried by acclamation and! with unanimity, there being no dissentient voice wh'en the Mayor asked for the "'Noes" Sir Joseph Ward made an appropriate and humourous response, and the meeting closed with hearty cheers for Sir Joseph Ward and Lady Ward. MR MASSEY AT WAIUKIT. WAIUKU, November 13. Mr Massey addressed a meeting of his constituent's h?re to-night, 'lhere was a good attendance, and he was accorded a favourable hearing. I'lsplaining that it was tho opening of his campaign, the Premier described the work he had done in connection with the war and Peace Treaty, claiming that bus absence from the Dominion was justified. He said it. was impossible to say how much the Dominion's share of repatriation from Germany would be, but would bo some share of tho first payment of one thousand million to be made next year. He said taking over of Samoa had been the duty of the Dominion, while th» share of Nauru would -mean millions to the producers of the country. It h.id been necessary to take over Samoa whore Germany left off, hence indentured labour was necessary for the present. Ho hoped that in the near future it would-be possible to carry ou with free labour. Mr Massey said when tho National Government broke up, he was not surprised, and wan not disappointed. His parly had wiggested the session before last, that there, should he a fusion of parties, but the other side had rejected this. Consequently when the disruption ol the National Government came he reconstructed his programme and carried on. He had to acknowledge the assistance- of the other side in nutting through much of legislation of the past session. Ho criticised the action of the Opposition regarding soldiers' gratuities, railwayr/:en's wages, and the proposals to take Post Office funds for housing. He fij'id it was putting tho public affairs of the cmntry up to auction. He alao criticised Sir Joseph Ward's naturalisation proposals, which he said were nation-i-lrsation gone mad. Dealing with taxation, he said the system needed revision, but there had been, no possibility of dealing with it during the past cession. . In regard to the cost of living, Mr Mawwy believed the inflation of tb« currency was largely responsible for this everywhere. He hoped that tliisi would disappear without any depression. H« said that much had been done here t» keep pric?s down. Instancing butter, lie said the payment to the equalisation fund had boon made to save the producer from being taxed when the ex- ' porter should have been. Fresh energy must be infused into development work. I There had be>n too much of the pick I and shovel method in the past, and new nethods must be devised. In regard to railways, roads and hydro-plectrio power, vigotous development would be the' main feature of the Government's! programme. . Mr Massey was accorded a vote tit. thanks and 'renewed confidence THE PATE A SEAT. MR MORRISON'S CANDIDATURE. Mr W. Morrison, tho Liberal candSdate for the Patoa seat., is to deliver an address at Westmere to-nigbrt. Tha chair will be taken at 8 o'clock.