THE OPPOSITION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2297, 3 November 1914, Page 7

THE OPPOSITION

I LIBERAL PARTY'S INTENTIONS SPEECH BY SIR JOSEPH WARD BEFORE WOMEN'S'SOCnrt. AND ' POLITICAL LEACUE. Speaking at a meeting of tlie Women's Social and. Political League in the Tiffin Rooms last ~evening, .Sir Joseph Ward, r said: "We are approaching the timewhen the general election will take' place, and it may be of interest to tlie people of the country to have air idea from me of the intentions of the Liboral Party should they come hack to office as the result of the forthcoming appeal to tho country—as I firmly believe they will."

Continuing, Sir Joseph Ward said'he had waited patiently for the-Prime Minister to disclose his policy. So far it had not been forthcoming, and it appeared that 'one was likely to wait m vain. , "It may be," he added,. "that lie is waiting for*a lead, from me. One of the weaknesses; of the present Government iva« that . they, showed definite tendencies to wait with a view to seeing: how the political cat jumps, and were slow to lead in . anything. Ho therefore proposed now to outline what lie considered the policy calculated to promote' the best interests : of tho people.

He was not going to in detail with 'the work of the past except to say that the Liberal Party's record since 1891 was one of which'any party in the world might be justly proud.' '.After enumerating'some"of the mea-, stires for which the Liberal JParty has been \ responsible, he claimed that all their efforts had been in the; directionof improving and settling .the country, the uplifting of humanity, and the betterment of the condition of th^.masses. ■

' War Tax. . ' _ /"• Referring to a war tax, Sir Joseph •Ward said it was impossible! for anyone to say 'what the. cost , to New Zealand ivould finally be'for our part in the present war, and at this juncture it would obviously be somewhat inopportune _to suggest that a war tax should be imposed. He did riot think it'would, be necessary at all, but in any case until the country knows the_ actual -amount that it requires to provide for the war it would , bo premature .for anyone to talk of imposing a war tax. Moreover, at the i conclusion of the war it is not possible for us to predict that, out of the,lndemnity which our enemy will bis called upon to pay, Now Zealand willnot participate. It_ seemed to him that in all probability it would. ) So this matter, must be deferred.

If a tax was necessary, he would be quite, prepared to have it placed upon the. shoulders of those best- able to bear it. It would be remembered that he pursued ,a similar course in connection with tlie Dreadnought gift.

Electoral Laws. ' ' He felt that the present, system, in connection with the .enrolment of electors would prevent many from voting; people who believed they : were' on, tho. rolls .and entitled to vote.-would-find on, election day they, were deprived of that right:': He took the of warning the public of* tho necessity of seeing they are on 'tlie rolls, and urged them to give the matter; their immediate atteution.'. The .present /condition of .the l electoral laws. was : "so unsatisfactory /that a change must'-,be made,; and 1 ho pledged tlie Liberal Party, should they bo returned to power, to establish - a system of • proportional representation ; for, the .House of. jvitfr .'reasonable groups of : electorates' "&d preservation of the country quota. Those ■who want, proportional \ representation the country quota must remember .that the country, quota' existed now,, and - had. done so for over' a' quarter .or ia century, and there,was,'no possibility of obtaining proportional , representation without the country quota; . He would also alter the present, law to' ensure that under 'proper safeguards every person of 21 years of age should have the right .to exercise his or. her vote.

I Land Settlement. He regarded the extension of land, settlement ;in -reasonably small areas of tho utmost importance, and 'all existing legislation' would -be overhauled with the intention of providing for- genuine settlement-'- by occupying owners. Especial .caro would be taken' t'to provide access : by' means .of roads and railways, and his object, would be to ' assist'men with families,' but with limite'd capital, to make homes on lands - now not profitably occupied; Especially would he "seek to re-establish on better . conditions the .Village settlement system, which had proved so beneficial in past days. .. . • Land for the Workers. Under the system of increased gradur ated taxation upon large estates he. would; expect the working of "it would to a considerable extent ' relieve the financial requirements for the ■ purchase. :of, landed estates, -and out of this 'aimount a considerable portion should'be utilised for tho .acquiring of lands near towns throughout' New Zealand to be cut up into areas of from an , aero to. five acres —aCcprdinc; to the quality of the land—upon which workers' homes should be erected. The right of purchase of both land and home should be provided for the worker. To prevent such land and homes getting into tho hands of those for whom they were not intended, it would be necessary' to-. provide that, if tho owners decided to'sell at any t ! mo they should first offer the properties to the State.

Cheap Money. He. proposed an ' extension of the pheap money scheme on several lines, and to enable this to- be done effectively and with greater advantage' to settlors, workers and local' public bodies, he proposes that we should' establish , farmers' banks to bo known as the Bank of Agriculture; and through that bank to work the whole of the advances for settlors, workers and local bodies. He was prepared at the right time to'-submit a full, complete, and safe ..scheme to enable this great work to be accomplished.

Monopolies and Food Supplies. _ Ho thought that injurious monopolies in connection with food supplies should be dealt with promptly and .effectively. In connection with the cost of living, ho was prepared to submit a scheme of,a practical nature for a cheap and more efficient pure supply of milk in tho cities and towns without, adversely interfering with those engaged in tho business. A similar scheme could be applied to both bread and meat, but to show the practicability of what he pro' posed, he would first apply it to milk. To enable tho cost of living to be reduced, lie would abolish all dutios upon all articles that 110 termed necessaries of life upon which duties still remain. Difficulties had arisen in the administration' by trade unions of their business, and in order to' prevent tho continuance of a position that was iiuleiensible, power would bo taken by him to prevent the executive of a union overriding tho will of the union •■itself. The repeal of Section 20 of the Factories Act, 1908,' would also be carried out to ensure a forty-live hours' week for women workers in woollen mills. Humanitarian legislation should bo taken in hand where left off by the Liberal Party. A system of assisting cripnlos. permanent invalids, and other do-

serving cases of this character could be provided out of the ordinary finances of tho country without imposing additional burdens upon the-people of the country. If returned, he would introduce an invalidity Bill for these purposes. .

The Liberal Party had helped the fruit- industry materially in the past, aiid would do so again, should it come into power.

Railway Concessions. Children up to live years of ago Should be carried upon tlie railways free, and those up to 14 years of age at half rates. Those ovor 'five and under fourteen were entitled to a reasonable concession. as in most cases up to that age they aro earning nothing, or comparatively little, and these concessions would not be felt bv the country and could with advantage lie given.

„ Provision for Working Railways. Referring to _ working railways Sir Joseph Ward said the making of proper yard extensions, tho duplication of lines and the widening of tunnels so as to ensure the effective carrying on of the traffic at the points at which it is most urgently needed were, in his opinion, very necessary works, and for this purpose he would spend'something in tho vicinity of £500,000 a year, and when the reconstruction of yards and the making of proper facilities for. ingress and- egress;wero completed, then, the building of the railway stations, except where absolutely necessary, could be taken in hand.

It is utterly impossible, in ray opinion, for this country to .do everything, comparatively speaking, at once, ana commonsense suggests that a vigorous and practical programme should be car- : ried out without attempting to achieve that which is financially impossible. Tlie Auckland, Wellington, and Christ-church works, especially in regard railway yards, should be put in hand at once; and the requisite facilities for the building idf additional rolling stock, "includinc; engines, should be immediately-pro-, 'vided T>y an extension of workshops, and the whole of ibis work kept within •tho Dominion. ,

Borrowing, • He believed in on . . the lines of safety. He ivas satisfied . that tho active prosecution of railway* construction providing; for roads, bridges, public buildings, telegraphs, telephones, lighthouses, etc., should .'be maintained but ,wild' and extravagant borrowing should in tW truest and best interests of the country be limited. - The present Government's >, borrowing .proposals this year, together with'the 'loan authorities already authorised, amount to the enormous, sium of £12,425,000. He held a decided opinion that our public. borrowing for railway construction and public works should be limited to £3,000,000 per annum at the very outside until our principal public- works, many of them reproductive,, are completed, and a most vigorous,' effective and valuable . yearly constructive _ policy can_ be carried out: safely ( within this limit.

Railways. The. progress of our railways under construction was, in his opinion, , altogether too slow. It would; pay the country handsomely to. put. these/railways in'hand to complete them within a period of four years. The following are the larger and most extensive rail-; way, undertakings that the .'country has" in hand Stratford/ Main Think,' ,£BOO,OOO ; North Auckland Main Trunk,, £1,260,000; 'Blenheim,,; sduthwards," £1,500,000; Nelson-Inangahua, £1,000,000; ; Otira-Bealoy, £400,000; ■\Yaihi-Tauranga, £400,000; TaurangaOpotiki, . £500,000;. Opotiki-Motu, £750,000 ; '.Gisborno-Napier, £1,500,000; Total," £8,110,000; ' Ho would not hesitate, considering the asset these railways create, to complete the whole of them in four-years from. the'- date of the raising . of tlio •loan; It would ' mean an expenditure, of approximately £2,000,000 per aniium. He was also of opinion that £300,000 per -'annum - should. bo expended on district railways already authorised, and hp would bo prepared: to .increase the amount if necessity required for tliese railways—apart.'from, those he had already given—and they also with this expenditure would be ■ completed in about four'years, and Bpme of tihem much ' earlier. ' , ■

He had already said that the borrowing of the country should. be limited to £3,0.00,000. a year for public works at the outside, and if £2,300,000 per year was expended ,on railways it would leave £700,000 of borrowed money for other ipublic- works purposes.. He was-dealing solely . with ,loans<'for public j\'orks, independent of what was necessary for settlers, workers, and local authorities.

' The War Loan. Tlio war loan requirements stand alone, and- must bo treated quite separately. The fact of the Imperial Government guaranteeing and undertaking to include them later in their, own Joan renders it of no 1 worry to the Minister of Finance., ' With 6uch a policy of concentration and vigorous prosecution the reaction of • trade and commerce • and building operations in the towns, cities, and couhtry would create an active revival in every branch'of trade. It would, at- the ;same time, keep our borrowing within. definite bounds, and the recognition of 1 the fact that the London investors knew the limits of the country's development policy for a period of years, and chiefly of reproductive works, would inspire confidence: and he was certain that, in normal times, no difficulty would be experienced in carrying out loans on the basis lie had named. , .

State Ownership of Ferry Steamers ,on Completion of Trunk Lines, The completion of the trunk linesin both Islands must call for .an alteration in the system of steamer' services between the two islands. He had no desire to interfere with 'the existing steamers trading between Wellington and Lyttolton, which liavo done their, work well alia were magnificently appointed and up-to-date Boats, but he was satisfied that once the trunk lines we're completed it would be in the best interests of th& country that a fast State-owned'' steamer service between Wellington and Picton should be established. Development, of Trade. The present was an opportune time for going into the whole question of trade preference. It should be applied to the British Isles, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. America had in recent years removed the duties .upon some of the principal articles produced in'this country, and tho_ time has arrived when somo recognition or this is desirable. The appointment of two Trade Commissioners, one to Liuiacta and one to America, would bo m tile best interests of this country. '

The Building Vote. The vote for buildings out of loan moneys had assumed proportions altogether too largo for the yearly expenditure of this country. The votes for buildings should be reduced by at least one-l;alf, and tho difference should be voted for the construction of railways, roads, and bridges, particularly in regard to backblocks. All requisite public buildings should be provided for gradually by a reasonable sum yearly.

Defence. The internal defence of tho country must be maintained, but we must keep before us the important fact that a limitation of tho cost of internal defence is tho paramount duty of tho State, and the amount should bo limited to £450,000 yearly. Ho was responsible for the establishment of uni-versal-military trajnini* in this coun-' try, This nju&t be maintained, but in the interests of tho country every class

should steadily guard against anything in the shape of militarism. Water-power. The Lake Waikaremoana waterpower scheme should bo started, and the advantages of tho great power going to waste there ' given to the people. Public Service. It was his intention, in the event of being returned, to introduce an amendment to the Public Service Act, providing for the creation, of"-a portfolio of Public Service, and restoring direct Parliamentary, but not political, control.

The Birth-rate, and Thrift. ■Tlie decline in tl.j birth-rate in New Zpaland is a question that requires serious- consideration. He . proposed- that on the registration of the birth of every child in New Zealand £5 should be placed to the credit of tho child in tlie Post Officc Savings Bank, and that the amount should remain in for a period of fourteen years, carrying compound interest at the rate of 3 per cent., assessed annually. Every child born in the Dominion would' automatically become a depositor in the Post Of- ? e Savings Bank, and the investment of this £5 from tho point of view of the Savings Bank itself is an excellent ono. The State would have the use of the money for the full period of fourteen years, and this scheme should not only have an effect upon the birth-rate, but should be a direct incentive .to thrift.

Education. Tlie policy of the Liberal Party is to stand Dy the present system of free secular and compulsory education with adequate provision for free access to the universities or technical schools for the poorest in the land.- Teachers throughout the Dominion should be, graded and the salary should be paid according to the grade;of the teacher and. not on vthe avera'ge attendance of the school. Tho boards should be compelled \to .make appointments , from the graded list of teacners. Pupil, teachers should be paid at least as miicji as carets in the Public Service. The number of probationers should be increased, and the salaries of probationers and trajning college students,-should be materially increased;- k T propose-to, extend and perfect the primary system of education.'

Mining. Mining should be encouraged by. pre vision of monies to enable prospecting to be carried out with a view to discovering the hidden wealth that must still remain, and' relieve mining taxaso as to give greater encouragement to the investment of money in this important - industry. i"

Agricultural Education. / _ One of the planks of, 'the Liberal Party would be the establishment-of up-to-date agricultural, colleges in both Islands and the improvement of agricultural education generally. Officers would be appointed to enable agricultural education to be more, effectively and thoroughly taught throughout the Dominion. Afforestation: •

,^ emov fl of . stariding ' timber throughout the Dominion has reached a point where replacement.: demands tno lmmfediate attention of the country.' lo enable re-planting to be undertaken to make provision for the future, he would have a system created by which this work would go on yearly, in' : selected areas ,in various. parts' "of"; the Dominion. ■■ > . ■

In going, to tho country at ah early date he did so, with .confidence, bejievmg that the people were hot ungrateful or unmindful of the great services rendered over a lone period of years in their interests. The policy was one of vigorous prosecution of public works of providing' money at low rates of interest for settlers,; workers,, and public bodies;- of maintaining a strong finance; of active land settlement; of helping the weak ; ; r 'and of holding tight the .cord,'that bin'ds. us to the Mother Country by. stariding by arid helping as far as our finance's will permit the old British Navy,-Iwliich had achieved so much for the Overseas Dominions not' only, in 'th©".past,'>i)ui..'at the present, time of unparallelled • war operations,, by' keeping open "the sea routes and enabling, our produce,' which was the basis of our prosperity, to reach the Home markets..

Mrs. E. Moore (secretary) moved the following .resolution: "We, the members of the. Women's Social -fand Political League, desire to thank Sir Joseph Ward most heartily for-his-'address.. We recognise' the honour ho has done the women of New Zealand in us. We have, every confidence in Sir Joseph, Ward as leader of 'our : party, as we feel.'sure the'vast majority of the women throughout Ndw Zealand; have. I have much pleasure in moving to accord Sir Joseph. Ward' our heartiest thanks." ' ■ ■. ■■ : Mrs. Keay-Brown (vice-president) seconded the motion,' which- was, c.vricd with cheers.