SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 634, 11 October 1909, Page 8

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

BANQUETEDkBy Clf IZENS. : . ,; NAVAL''SCHEME DEFENDED.; '. , : WHY A LOCAL-:fLEET IS ,NOT; WANTED. A complimentary .dirineriwas: given tho:Primo Minister (Sir. Joseph Ward) by about one hundred prommeiit'l'titizens at the" Grand.Hotel-.on Saturda-y opening.'! The :fnnction,'!which was highly cnjfirable,:was attended-..by representatives of bankingj 'commercial, aßd professional circles, and -■ a / jaYge' number.; 'of. Government oHicials Airipng.'those .prfesoht.vrere'also the other Ministers; <>f' fhe.',.:Crowa. : it.- was mentioned that qiiitera; sheaf-of-apdlogies had b'e'en; received Str. 'Jv.'Q; ■HarknessV'president of .the Chamber of Commerce, ocCupie4':the chair. * . Following those...present Harold Beauchanip,' T. : W. Bruce,' Hon. D. Buddo, Mesfts.-It.' 4 0. Bol'ton,' J. Campbell, Col. Collins, Hon.j. ; pr.'' ColliHs,' Hon.-" J. Carroll, Messrs J. B. CoStes, W,.Callender, Dr! Cahill, Lieut F. CoopV.r,"B:N.R;, 'Messrs.-A. C.'Corrigan, James Dykes, Dalziell, Hon. Dr- Findlay, Mr. W A l'lav;ell,.Dr.l!'itchett, Messrs. D. M FincUay.'W.! Ferguson, Hon. Geo. Fowlds, Mr W. C Gasquoine, : Hon. -Hamilton Gilmer, Messrs E Gallichan.vA; Gatilter, Petal HeVes, 1 W Halos,. J. :8.-'Harcoiirt, James Hislop, Dr Herbert,; Messrs. -B. E. Hayes,-Yung-Liang Hwang, A £. VHislop,-E.'j>-Hill, Hutchison, Houghton, j;:.G.-Harkness,,C. 5V- Jones, W. C. Kensington,/Martin-Kennedy, J. : K. Logan, E. J Lo Grove, 1 , Hop': Loughnan; Messrs. .B. M. Litchfield, E. : ::C.'-''Levvey, J. Mandel,' James Marchbanks, W. R; Morris, Hon. J. A. Millar, Messrs C M.iMontefiore, J. A.Murdooh, F W. Mansheld, Mf Myers, Neil McLean, Hon. J. M'Gowan, Mr.; Allan M'Guire, Dr. M r Arthur, Hon T Kcniiedy Macdonald, Hon.-R. M'Kenzie Uon T MacWiizie, Messrs. W. M'Laohlan, J. M'Cluggage, :D. : J.. Nathan,- Walter Nathan, Hon A T Ngata; Messrs. W. A.'Palmer, C. Pulley, Judge:Paliner, Messrs. J.W. Poynton, A E Pear.c6,'E.,J.:PaTkes,W..H. Quick, T. Ronajno, C H..8.-Russell, E. T. Robertson, D. Robertson,.Ti.Rapley.C. P.'Skerrett, Stewart, Stafford, F. Waldegrave, T.: S.' Weston, H. b Wardell, T. M.' Wilford, M.P., Geo. Winder, and\Webster.. .-.- .'..-. ; .: ■

■■REMARKS BY THE CHAIRMAN. ;"••■• ■ The'chairman;.in proposing the Health of the Prime , Minister,: said that the company, had . honour Sir Joseph for this-reason: that at the Imperial • Council of • the great British nation he hid'maintained with dignity, the prestige of'the Dominion to which he'belonged. More,than:that,'.he (the speaker) believed that, with, the other statesmen present at the! conference, Sir Joseph had relaid the foundations of the Empire, on what it was hoped would /prove , a solid .and- lasting basis. (Applause.) He thought that it 'must .be appareht.to.overy. thoughtful man who could rise above. the parochial environment .in ■ which he lived that the world had undergone a marvellous'change during tho past twenty-five years, both commercially and politically.'-.One of the now developments which was needed'to. meet the altered conditions was.the,consolidation of tho Empire—a welding together of the British people '.into one great, mass 'standing for what Britishers had ;stood in the. past—liberty, freedom,', °andv justice.'. (Applause.) As the oversea dominions-had basked from /infancy -to- manhtiqd it was. only . right-rand the / Old:' Country had conceded the ..privilege •to; , them—that they should :be consulted , , in- regard to'all matters which-made 'fSrVthe' welfare of .the Empire.- It was,-imperative.'that the British Navy',sho,uld be strengthened, 'and .-the time had ".arrived when the'oversea Dominions should'bear a heavier .burden in , v conneption with it. (Applause.).- .-•■ ;'':.'., ..: :•' .-■• ':;:: - ; »■•:■, .. ,

; ;;V;W)iy ' theuTrip ' Home,. Wasi'Desirabte. > ' ', ..WhatvNew'i'ZeaiAn'd'hadigiven'.'in that'direo-' tibn.-in,\ thepasf.-was a'beggarly] pittance com- , pared, .with; what .(the-.British "Navy"' had donofor it. 'Xβ it',,wduld ' mean' stagnation ■to • the colonial '; industries: if.the highways to the Motherland- were cut off : for month, 1 ■the .avenues of.trade-would' have to'bo maintained at all costs. ; (Applause.) 'They nil predated the attitude; which" Sir Joseph, had taken up in regard to atrengthenirig.tho great British' Navy.': .To-day New- Zealand; was not an appendage but an ."attachment to 'the .Empire, and ,iti Navy, which wae the, , finest that had s ever 'Ewepi:the seas. ; (Applau'seJ 'Then; again, if, daring-his visit," Sir . Joseph-had done nothine more than he-had done in'con-: nection •; with; finance, whioh' ■ would; greatly assist fn the.development of the Dominion, it would have justified his journey... Hβ (tlip speaker) : had. Trip hesitation, in ' saying that .everybody ..required capital....' 1 . ■■ ■A voice: We all know it. (laughter.) . Mr. Hnrkness added that local bodies should got what capital'they required, from England, leaving the local financial institutions to find the ;capitaT which 'was neccssary : .'.for- the ordinary channels' 'of commerce and industry, and agricultural-and pastoral pursuits.. ■ ■

/PRIME' MINISTER'S REPLY'.. V ; v ,';Upon"'nsm6'"td'."reply,-.' the; Prime 'Ministerwas greeted, with cheers .;and" applause,', accom-' panied by. the eraging of 'TPor he's a Jolly Good.'T.eliow."..;'Sir Joseph,. in acknowledging the ' complimentj ; faid that, he , had always known that vhe'.had many' sterling: friends, here.' Their : - .welcome., 'even eurpassed the send-off, -wfiich they tendered . him at .the . farewellcibaaquet.v..' The.- conference which 'he .had" lattendeaV was an epoch-making assemblage, the"outcome of which no one could at the moment ioiesee. With regard, to what had , been done'rat it no representative at futnreV conferences would.: be ..able -to tuII-. out any'; of tho ;: pegs,•■!but rather would have .to drive,more, pegsi,in. ;.'(Applause.) If they wanted justificatioh for the view which' he :had taken,) vizi, 'that it was better .to add "to the strength'of'the l British Navy, than to.build-a local: fleet.lthey,'had , only to look -at"what -it ■was'.expected that-Canada would .have to ,pay for. its local::navy'.',. A.',cablegram'., that day stated'.that" five million' pounds would-be -yequired 'as' the initial outlay'in connection with :the-proposed-Canadian:'Navy.,;He.had no hesi-. tation. in saying'-that': that sum,.would, prove tp be ordy. a •drqp..in. , ,the buqket compared with whatit'was:gdihg'to edst that country-to provide' and maintain a local navy;-' Then again, ithad been reported that , the undertaking was going to cost Canada v£600,000 per annum from the very.start.-. New Zealand could not,undertake the-building-of a local 'navy, for less than five millions,: aud,.in his-opinion, the,outlay wonld v prove ; .to'.'-bo'' considerably '.more .-than -yearly.v.i/-..:;;, . ■ \ :..'.;

if New'Zealand'Buiit'a Navy-? Apart froiu the question of;cost, if New Zealand were foolish'enough to. commence to build -a local navy, it would be. one of the maddest things which-she could do, with the .object of helping the;-Empire. ■; They all" knew: that ■wherever the 'British Navy -had been.: in. these seas local , jealousies had not arisen as'to where j • theboatsshoulirbo.built, nor friction had not come into existence as. to how -long the men should.serve. :But;if.any/Administration which 'happened to be in-power in' Now .Zealand< em■.barked on a local,navy'policy what pen ?;' The -would require to; be built in one place, and. the'question as to. where that .should be' w.b'ul'4 be; the commencement; of ■-.'a lot'of strife in'an' institution which should be above'.that' sort of: thing. ' ror-all that' was 'known, one of the. other; Powers might (prior to the -conference)' have been anxious for a trial.of strength;-with Great Britain,■ or,"mirtt have made upits'mind'td try conclusions .with ■ the Old'land before'so many years. As a result- of 'the 'oversea Dominions-co-operat-ing -;with- "Gteat, Britain - foreign 'nations had now become awaro that any- trial-of strengthwith her would'have to be widespread to be successful.;"'(Applause.) As a -co-partner New Zealand was now going, , to 'do.her duty in the matter: bf:defence.; (Hear,/hear.) If , the annual , subsidy were.added to the'interest and sinking r fund in • connection . with the gift ; Dreadnought it would ■ be: found that the total ;was far bolow'what New/Zealand was entitled tn contribute. on..th'e'basis, of popnlation , for the,defence.of. their' hearths^and .homes. (Ap:planse.).V ■...;.,;,>■V: .■■'[: .','-..'■' -->'.■•.. ■ -,-■ ■■ Experts. Apprbyo His' Scheme- '■'■' '-.. ;

"•To -those .■analyticnily : crjtical : people; who'-dc-.clarod' that what -.New ZoalHnd propbsed .to ida was'offensive to Australia, he would liko: to say 'a word ' or: tWo. : : ;r As -■ a people :\vho wanted 'to dowhat -was'-rigHt'Ncw Zealandrcould not'be 'influenced by- .the fact that' its'action might bo'antiigonieti6-'to •the:'.people. ■ of .Australia/ (A.ppla.use;);New Zealand should'-assist to mako tho Britieh Navy-so strong that, no ;oombination; would be'able to break, it at the centre. Somo-of ithe greatest nien in the British Navy knew that tho' course which .he had • supported was the. best; that New Zealand could adopt in the interests of >tho Empire. , (ApplaueeJ 'Thao would- bo. n'9 '.interference -not even -from the Old'Oountry-intho'raatter, for;al! thoßritishstatesmen asked was that New Zealand and .the other Dominions should do just , what :they thoueat best in tho direotlon■. of strengthening, the British Navy,. (toud applause, followed by' Tor ho's a Jolly Good ■Fellow.") ,:■':. . ;,'-,; ..-'. .'... .. . Tho Horli'-Dr. Findlay, subsequently proposed the health! of the , chairman, Mi , . Harkness:responding.'--'. •.■..::-, •'. '.;.-'. •-.-• :■: During-; tho .p.roceediriss,., which concluded with ,the Einginj r ;of'■T.iile. ,'Britannia", and' "Qod Savo tlie-Ifing.' songs werp.contributed by. Messrs.- PavMs.-Hill, 'and Hobsrtsou, «nd » duet by Messrs.'Patkss-BJid'HilU