SIR JOSEPH WARD

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2167, 4 June 1914, Page 6

SIR JOSEPH WARD

, APDBEBS AX DEYONPORf - (By ' Teles-ratth,— Pjeee Ae«ic|at!o9.i ' Auckland, Jnue a, ' Tho Leader of fto Opposition (Sir J«sejrli \Vard.s tlelivm-ed a political attdress in _ the- I'ttrist lia-H> 'Itewmport, tiiis evening. All ilio seatin.g ftccoiume«ation of tit-0 hall was oeenj>icd, aaid many lifld te ha content witn standing room. Mr. AV..J. Na.per presided, anct anioHg thoso on file platform, too i».essi-s. A. 31. Myers ami A. Jβ. ©lover, M.tVs. Tte speakei- was awarded a» ©seplleiit hearing, j.viid was subjes-k-il W Very ftjW jjiteMiipt-rons.

At the oUisset'. of Jiis ; remnrks. Sir ' Joseph Ward. Saitl that it Ijad Jjoeji stated that the farmers were against the i Liberal Party, but ho claimed- ihat- oiily ■'mm of the fss-reim werg agaiftst UlO part}*} fof formers .and bussnpes uwh, ' and especially rct-ailcrsj had ii(jt teti tlwt the' System <if tasatjoa had . been changed, ty the Hbei-als in 1892., and ike .land tax aael graduiited land tax* was iutredueedi which placed the bpnlen iipoii i-ho big la»cte\viie,i% These big laiKteffncrs weto t-ho jreo-plo [ who were how tryiiTg to keep- the Liberal ' i'ariy out of o'fijec. said t4io ' speakerj "tliey do ns ; S> Hte> the system of taK.atiiJE we 'brought into operation." Ward ttaen detailed'what tlia Literal Adniinistraiteii had dene in taking, over big Mtates. A total sjf £7,000.000 steriiug had been spent by fto 3Ara-l Government- -011 the aeijwfet t-ioji of estfl-t-'cs. Thftfc j>a.rty Wa-s rO" sfionsiblo far plaaing 130,000 -people en tile laltd, Itt any eai-witry that wohl3 liav-o been, looked ttpcin as- a g.v.eat performance, heoiWse , p&fre-fful interests kid to be- opiJoscd- The Ad-v-a-n.ees to So-tttefs Act, wt-ich ffee Libwat Party had introcjueed, had beett bi-tt-crlv posed by those who wsjfo now tentrrtl' tug tfco cowrtry'e affaifs, Iwt profits to tho amount of.. £348,1500 had been made frott it. frovisipn \vas ittado fw a re-ssrvo fiui-tl ef £80. #0 aitd a sum flf £15,500,000 lijt-d- boon l<*t to settlers, inferring to , the Rrfertn iParty's critic cisins of the liberal itgimo. telj-ftn te wont out of-oßieb Sir J&sepb Ward, ga-kl tho linauciiil position o-J this Domvrtip.n at t-hattimo was sounder than tfeit_«;f each of tilio States of the ' Atisteaiuih-Cowmen-weaWi. There fferO'-a-mtteritie.s foft by llini suS«ient to provMo for ft)) the cemnvitiiients of iiis Atoinistratioii.. lii-s, answer to- his critics 'who taUseti ii-bo-iit Ms financial pnsitian was, "Let tbcfli equal it." Coniffiijiftg., Sir Joseph Ward -said that he had been bl-amedfor having Ijeeii guilty of o-tei-'borrwvfcg; and &■{; bo was. ffla'ki.ug the caaditioii ©£ tlio eowitfy nwsatfeJaetary; yet figures showed tliat, daring tlie tin* tl-iat- tho LiberaJ Gftrwiißicnt tvns tB power 'Now Zealand hoA .mad* pHenejinffKa.l progress, both In point of pejwilatio.ll aad ekpori-s. Tho Goye. ; ninJeitt ha-rt xnoroaaed the lio-rrowius of fcoe ccuntry' enormously, ami it ha®, onorlnsusly increased tlw cafuntry's espondrtnfe.

In cßiitimrfag. the- speaker 'refenrcd to tli© qitestwv of the reauc*«Mi of the- cost ■<kf KvShc. Tho Liberal Party. liad fOdufted tfo fhltie-s oil thg necessaries of life, and the people ]sad benefited to the' wtcirt of £6,300,000. What had tiro present GoveriMMmt doho? It had .in oiw year increased the Customs distjpe by 3.93 per cent. Itt eamteofoii with tho reform of tlie Legislative Geiwvml, the (jevemmftni! had proposed to. toahethe Council elective, hn.£ in the. tseafttime.r it was stuffing tho Chamber with jiomimees. "When is the etectson going to tako place?" lie asftcd. "Wo will be. in afiico after OeceiftliM , iwxt. , ' (Laughter ansl applause.) tho speaker said that tlw Govetntus-ut had promised to king in aai fflWanoe scheme to provicto against wewpteyment. "The tjovotfltfteftt," ho said, "lias hot tiro slightest inteation to bring ahwi any sncli sclicme." . With rrforenoe » defenefc. Sir Joseph Watd said that tho Liberal Party bred not, made tWs a pai-t,y questiofi; the rcspniKt!)v.lit.y fe-r a cteavago n'f npitoii oil tho defence matters wsted with, tho present Sovernaieirt, wiieh ji atl Altered, witii&trt aJ!t mnncWte from tho peopla., the Act j»rflviding fof the .paymctit of; £100,000 a scar to the British Ateifalty. The settters of tike tactcliod upon the attwtg nglifc nrni. of ftq Kavj* for their prbtect&fi, .mid,. ififchia tlvo lj(.sit few weeliSj tha First Lerd of tho Adtnil-nltv had OEMidctolietl tlio priiicipte of a local Nhvy, A. top of thanks to thn ana i.fio Liberal tisxly vatr-ieil almost wmHiraoiisiy, 4iiiHd entkistnSin.