REPLY TO SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1991, 23 February 1914, Page 6

REPLY TO SIR JOSEPH WARD.

BY THE FINAEE UOQST&B.

POINTS FOR THE PUBLIC TO REMEMBER.

A BROADSIDE FOR THE OPPOSITION.

Some of tho statements".'made by Sir J. Ward in the course of his speech at Winton on Friday evening were.criticised by tho Hon. Jas.. Alien (Minister of "Finance) when lie was interviewed on Saturday. "I am very, sorry," remarked Mr. Allen, "that Sir Joseph Ward should .continue to draw. attention to that which is, in my opinion, s,o discreditable to him and to his Ministry, name* ly, that in the year 1915 ho advanced to settlers £2,336,000; when h* docs know that that was an abjnsrmal amount to advance; that the law only authorised tho borrowing of <mo million and & half a year for advances to settlers; that had it not been for the opportunity the law gave him to go back en the unraised portions of previous years, ,hcnever could have got that money in (mi year; and that it could ite!> possibly continue at that rate, fcs tie law would not allow it.

What tho Country ought to Know. "I think the country ought to know, that- this thing was , done in an election year, and I have no.'hesitation in say- 1 ing that it was done to influence the electors. I .want to repeat it; that the law would not permit that amount to continue, because the madroum ,«'e could borrow by law w&s a i&ilßojt and a,: halt. And I also want the,country to understand how the lendtfi.j out of 'this very large amount Jn election year landed us in difficulties with regard ts: our loan moneys. "The policy of the present Government is not to plunge with the public money in that way, but to go steadily on, and, as we strengthen oiir fina-nee", opening our hands botli to settlers and to local authorities. And 1 hopo I shall never be brought to the day when I shall have to cut down tlio aioniits that may bo loaned out either to settlors, to workers, or to local authorities.,, It will be my attempt, at any rate, to 'feep tho State-guaranteed advances 'sound; and I "am certain if _ the Wsictian- financeof 1912 had continued, it never could : ■have- been kept sound,., I am Sorry, teo.j that Sir Joeeph -Ward slwuid attempt to discredit the revenue of the country by alluding to the drop in the Custom's of £102,000. He knew perfectly w-eii that during .the months, of November and. 1 December the strike wa& oil, nud trade was paralysed,, and the Custom? ; revenue was not coining iij. ■ And he ought to know that since the strike ended the Customs Tevenue has been re-. covering. And I hay<s already told the public that it is beyond tho estimate.

The Strike—and Sir JosspSi. "Nor do I know •why he should refer to the drop in tho railway reroute. Ho has been' Minister of Railways, nM he must know tlio effect of smallpox and strike upon the railway rowsnuo. It is ludicrous to attenipt to m.ike tlio people believe that tho fall in the revonfio is duo to tho Govcrnmeflt et #><} maaiigcment of tho present Minister of Railways. It was due, to a. very large oxtent to tho disastrous strike, ami to tho long continuation of it. And lam certain that there ma many people who believe, as I do, that the strike would have been ended votv inueh quiolwr bist for the unhappy interference of Sit Joseph Ward jii Parliament, in- the buoying up of the hopes of thoso wlm were on strike, aucl tliat there wenltt be somo way found otit for them through tho medium of ParfianMsni—thus indue*ing them, to continue tta witli tho stritee. I am sorry to liave to say it, tnit 1 think that the Opposition and their leader are, to a considerable extent, responsible for the contimied dTop_ in the railway revenue, through, not helping the Government at a difßciilt titii-o. Mid not assisting them to end tho strike as rapidly ae possible. "I think also that Sir Joseph' Wajd has been trying to discredit the postal revenue. thero is a ln.is> print, or else his caloufetion is wrong. The postal revenue- for tho quarter shows an increase of 182,692, and not £73,000, as stated in the iseport of his speech, which evidently lias oecn very carefully given to the "New Zealand Time'sV'

Pertinent Quo3t!on3. "It is perfectly true that there lias been an increase in the quarter's cS* pendituro over the previous .year of £245,375—n0t £243.575, as lie J3 reported to have £a.iij. But I advise people not to calculate-,.their expends* turo upon tho quarter, but iipoa tlie full year, because the quarter's-accounts are very misleading. Anyhow, £107,000 of the increases are due to increases undfer the permanent appropriations; tlio increases in interest a«f sinking fund amounting to £118,000, The widows' pensions have increased by £1100, ami military pensions by £$778. of these increases does Sir Joseph Ward object to? A very large proportion of the increase in tiio Biinwal appropriations, ior the quartor, Wits dtie to tho Working Railways Department, namely, £94,000 of it. r efy touch of this is diio to increase in salariea and better conditions for.tlto railway servants. I ask tho late Minister of Railways whether lie intends to eontiiiue to criticise this better provision for the railway servants of .the country?".