THE PRIME MINISTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 225, 16 June 1908, Page 8

THE PRIME MINISTER.

AT GISBORNE. (by telegraph—press association.) Cisburno, Juno 14. Sir Joseph Ward paid his promised visit to Gisborno yesterday. The morning was spent discussing local matters with representatives of local bodies, arid then the journey was made from Gisborne to tho railway terminus at Willows Crossing, where tho Premier declared open the three-mile section which had been mado available for traffic on Empire Day. ; Sir Joseph Ward said the line had got to a stage which would justify its continuation at a more rapid pace, and this would be the case. He promised that next year's vote would bo larger than it had been the year before. In tho ovening tho Promier addressed a large 'audience in the Gisborno Theatre. Tho Mayor, Mr. W. D. Lysnar, presided. Sir Joseph was in excellent speaking form, and received a decidodly sympathetic hearing. His address was chiefly devoted to an answer to Mr. Massey's speeches as well as to criticisms of his financial policy.. Referring to tho contention of tho Opposition that it was entitled to the credit of .having removed tho sheep-tax from the statute-book, Sir Joseph retorted that the only power which could move for any remission of taxation in Parliament was the Ministry. Rogarding Native lands, ho declared that by.tho end of the presont year there would bo one and a half millions of acres available for sottlement, and it would be found that tho Government had provided a fair solution of a great problem. Referring to tho white Now Zealand policy, ho invited his hearers to look over tho map of the world, and there they would find the shadow of China hanging over Australia and Now Zealand. "Wo must," ho declared, "show in our day and generation that wo are ablo to do something'towards tho defence of our country."