SIR JOSEPH WARD AT DEVONPORT.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14985, 4 June 1914, Page 11

SIR JOSEPH WARD AT DEVONPORT.

(KtBSS ASSOCIATION TEXEGBAM.) ": AUC_-_I_AND, June 3.. The Leader, of the Opposition (Sir Jo-eph 'Ward) delivered a political address in the parish halll at Devonport this-evening. All the seating accommodation of' the hall, was "occupied, and n.j* n y. people, had to be content,'with standing, room. 'Mr :W..Napier presided. . Among those seated, on the platform-were Messrs A~. M. Myers and A. E. Gloyer, M.l..'_. . V . The Loadpr of ihe. Opposition, was accorded.. ait -excellent .hearing, and was subjected .to very, few interruptions..,; Sir Joseph,, at the outset of his remarks, said it ha,d .been stated that the fanners were against .the Liberal Party, but he.claimed that only some of the.farmers were against,the party, for-the'farm.ra and 'business men, especially the .retailers/ had "not forgotten ..that tho; system of taxation had been changed >by •; the Liberals i n 1892 and* a land" tax and-graduated land tax introduced which'relieved thousands of people -from undue taxation and placed __?' *> u £. en «Pon; the big landowners. Ihese big landowners; were ihe rpeoplo whowero jiow tryins. to keep the Liberal: Party 'out. : of .officeY*' % "Eor," said the speaker,.. i"th"ey do not like the system ■of taxation ;we'.brought- into operation."■- J -.'■■■'•.:.. \ ••.-... |>ir Joseph-detailed, what the .Liberal Administration had done in takine "aver b J had been^ billed "The.Seven:Devils- bf bociahsm"-because it had, tried to place people on the land and make thousands of ; people, independent arid hanny. - A *, 0f Iv •'-?.ia»»«00.--. had' * been spent by.tha-lateral Government on the _acquisitiqn - o,f estates. ."■ When ho he^rd-people^asking what, the "Liberal he reminded them ?_ "V - *i?- ' fact ' ' and " he ' *0W; them fiat .,.- his party • was resoonsible for.plawng 130,000 people on.tjie land, in-any; country that would have been looked.upon as a ereat performance, becanse powerful interests had to be opposed. The-advances to' settlers system , which. the Liberal Party had introdticed. had been.bitterly -opposed by those -who were now controlling the country's affairs*, add disaster -was predicted. , They;all knew how these predictions had .resulted.. .Profit- to the amount of. £548,000 hadbeen.made from the Act, and it had orovided a reserve fund_ of-:' £50,000.; and • the, sum of £15.500,000 had'Keon lent -under: it to settlers.V " .'. V •-.'. = ■ *. *

.Referring to the Reform criticisms of the Liberal regime. Sir Joseph said: that the financial position of the Dominion when he'-went'out of offico was sounder than that of each of the-States of the Antitralian Commonwealth. Ho was now being subjected to all kinds' of unfair criticism,-which was not justified by the facts. There'were authorities'left by him sufficient to provide for al] the commitments of hi. Administration. His answer to his critics who talked about his financial position was, "Let them equal it."

Continuing, Sir Joseph Ward "said that ho had been blamed"for baring been guilty of over-borrowing and making the condition of the country unsatisfactory. Yet the figures showed that during tho time: the Liberal Govern- | ment' was in power, New Zealand had j made phenomenal progress, both in point 'of population and exports. The Government had increased the borrowing of the country enormously, and it had enormously increased the country's expenditure. Sir Joseph referred to the question of- reduction of the cost of living. The Liberal Party, he said had reduced the duties' on necessaries of life, and the people had benefited to the extent of £6,500,000. What had the present Government done? It had in one year increased tho Customs duties by 3.93 per cent. . ■ ■ In connexion with reform of the Legislative Council, the Government had proposed to mako the Council elective, but in the meantime it was stuffing tho Chamber with nominees. "When is the election going to take place?" he asked. "Wo will be in office after December next." (Laughter and applause.) Proceeding, tho Leader of tho Opposition said the Government had promised to bring in an insurance scheme to provide against unemployment. "The Government,'' he said, "has not the slightest intention to bring about any such scheme." With reference to defence, Sir Joseph Ward said the Liberal Party had not" made this a party quesrtion. The responsibility for the cleavage of .opinion on defence, matters rested with the present Government, which had altered, without a mandate from the people, the Act providing for the ■payment" of £100,000' a year to the British ..dmiralty. The settlers of the past had Telied noon the strong right arm of the Navyfor their protection. Within the : last few weeks the First Lord of the Ac__iiralty had condemned the Drinciole of a local , navy. Sir Joseph' Ward said it' would" be useless having a local navy to .defend New -Zealand unless it was sufficient. If it —ero not efficient, then they must.stand by the great British Navy, which, undeniably was efficient. ' A Vote of confidence in Sir Joseph Ward and the Liberal Party, was carried almost unanimously, amidst great enthusiasm., "• . ■