SIR JOSEPH WARD AT PUKEKOHE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2323, 3 December 1914, Page 6

SIR JOSEPH WARD AT PUKEKOHE

A LIVELY GATHERING MANY INTERJEGTIONS-AND THE REPLIES. (By Telegrap.h.-Speoiel Correspondent.) Pukekohe, December 2. Sir Joseph Ward delivered a political address at the Premier Hall, Pukekohe, this evening. The Mayor,- Mr. C. K. Lawrie, presided over .an audience of about 1100 ,in. number. The building was crowded long before the ' meeting began. Sir Joseph arrived at 8.30 p.m., and cheers greeted his entrance. Immediately a strong section called for cheers for Mr. Massey, which were given amidst considerable dissent from the remainder. Loud cheering met Sir Joseph Ward when ho rose to speak. Three pheers Were given for Mr. Massey, and then came cheering for Sir Joseph Ward. Interjections were numerous, but tho speaker'was always able to secure a hearing.' ' A few. days ago, said Sir 'Joseph Ward, the Prime Minister visited my electorate, and I think it would be improper if I did not return the call. Let him heal the wounded susceptibilities of his opponents. ,; , A voice: Oh! (LaughteK) Sir Joseph Ward: I see. One of myReform friends knows one letter of the alphabet. If they cpn say "Oh" they may -join.- the Liberal Party. • There was an. interjection, and Sir J'eseph Ward asked: Did I hear a man say' -Rats? 1 ' There are no rats in the Liberal Party. Am.l not entitled to call your attention to .what I disagree with? (Hear, hear.) The'people, he continued, were promised reform. , A voice: We've got it I. (Cheers and dissent.-)"- -..,-.-'

Sir Joseph Ward: When I 'heard thatI wondered if Rip Van. Winkle had been resurrected. Borrowing;.and Taxation. Our opponents were ■ going to. reduce borrowing, but in the last year of Parliament the record had,been broken. The Liberal borrowing was three million a year--as'against..seven million a. year for the" Massey'Party. . . ' . . A voice;."Short debentures." Sir Joseph Ward: ."You can't tall: that tarradiddle to me!" The Prime Sllnistor had declared in 1911 that taxation was too high, yet since then it had been increased by-£647,000. Ho had seen the taxing papers of scores of men in the last fortnight who complained of increased taxation by the P k eform Government. . The Government also were going to reduce'the cost of living arid Customs taxation. ; They, :did. reduce the duty on packing-cases'; Did anyone eat packing-cases r , .Had the Reformers given efteot-to that pledge? (Slight disorder.) , . Sir J. G. Word continued."to..refer to financial matters,, when a' voice asked: "What about the tin-pot navy?"

Sir Joseph Ward: "I'll come to that s give me time." Continuing, he said the Government had .broken their: pledges,. and in reference to an interjection, he- said an empty "No" from an empty upper tenement was no answer to it. (Laughter.) •. Another charge levelled against him was in re,spect to roads and' bridges. In two years the expenditure onloads, .bridges, and railways was £1,350,000. A voice: "You played th.e earno game!" "(Laughter and cheers'.) "..',.'• Sir J. G. Ward: I hear a- young and brilliant, Tory. ■ (Laughter.) ■■ Suppps-. ing I did. If it was a game, 'should not the Reformers have improved upon it? (Cheers.)- . A voico: Will you do it again? ...- Sir J. G. Ward: We have never done within cooee of .them. (Cheers.) A number of interjections occurred at this stage. . : . - Sir Joseph Ward: I am too old a hand to be put off by, interjections. (Cheers.) Tho Result of Mr. Massey's First Two ' Years. r What, he asked, 'was the result of Mr. Massey's 1 first two years?' ' ; Voices: The freehold. > (Cheers and' disorder.) " . ■'■ The chairman appealed, for a - good hearing. ' ' . '.•'■'.. •'.. Sir Joseph Ward: I ain ,-not"going into the freehold.except to say this: It is the tenure of tho country, and it i 3 hot going to be altered. Do you know how many people availed ■ themselves of the right to the freehold? The; bulk.of the men found themselves ever so much better off by not converting. (Dissent and cheers.) The Government had done far less than their predeces-sors-in land settlement. . . ' Coming to short-dated debentujes ho said the amount of nonsense'talked on this subject was perfectly appalling. As,I the result of this system of' issuing loans iat a high rate for a short period an. immense saving had been effected as they were enabled to convert at. .a low rate. ' I waut. to know what a farmer would do at the present A voice: Vote for Massey. (Cheers.) Sir Joseph' Ward: I haven't the slightest doubtsdme of-them will. Voices: All of them. Sir Joseph. Ward: What? If you run away with the idea that all the farmers are very foolish people you are making a very great mistake. (Hear, hear.) If a farmer wanted £1000 now he would not borrow for a long but a short;term.. ■ ■■;■ ■.■ . " ■■■'. The Naval Question; The navy question was then dealt with. He had not desired an election at this time, although they were going to win. (Cheers and spmo. dissent) The Melbourne' "Age" had'shown that the charges for tho Australian Navy would eventually come to £10,000,000 a year. .'....

A voice: Well worth it. It is doing good work at present. '■■'■■ .•'■... Sir Joseph Ward declared that before it started 'to do good work the Australian Navy was given up to the control of the Imperial Government with British officers aboard—(cheers)— and the British authorities sent ' the Sydney to be attached-to the China squadron. It then ceased to be a local navy.-. , ■ , At this stage Sir Joseph Ward ruceived a note and replied: "I am not here as a candidate, but merely to deliver a speech, and net to interfere in local matters. I am not liere to bo questioned by anybody, although I have no objection to questions, as I would bo able to score off interjectors. ' The only people entitled to ask a man questions are his.ownconstituents." . ..'' Reverting to the Navy problem, the Opposition Leader said Jiej would prefer to be attached to the British" bulldog rather than to th<* tail of Australia. (Hearl Hear)). The Waiuku Railway. When Sir Joseph Ward touched on railways, a member of the audience asked. "What about the ostrich farm railway?" Sir Joseph Ward: "I am not discussing any local railway. I am dealing with questions of policy. The local candidate can deal, with your, poiut." A Questioner desired to know if the speaker endorsed what the Opposition candidate said in regard to that matter.., Sir Joseph Ward: "I am not hero to endorse. Lot him talk , for himself. I do not bolicye in twenty-throe or twenty-four railways proceeding at u snail's pace, as they aro at tho present moment, Continuing, he said he favoured State ownership of tho Wellington-

Picton ferry servico, which would <m-' able people to, book through. Implying to a question, he said the State should own all the river steamers if they could be obtained at a fair price. No concern in New- Zealand could carry people as cheaply as the! State. (Hear! Hear!) A lot of nonsenso, he proceeded, was talked about lied Feds. Seven of the men referred to';wore standing against the Opposition Party. ■ v ■ . Sir Joseph Ward was loudly cheered at the' close of his speech, and the other section cheered Mr. Mnssey. . '» ..Mr: G. E. Stembridgo moved a vote of thanks and •confidence'in the party under the Leadership of Sir J. G. Ward, and Mr. C. A. .ffldd seconded the motion. '■..■-■■.. Mr.Eamos moved an amendment: "That .this meeting thanks Sir J. G. Ward, but as no valid reasons have been advanced, the meeting expresses continued confidence .in Mr. Massey , s Administration!" The Mayor put the amendment, which was received with a groat waving of hands, hats, handkerchiefs, 'and with cheering. Without calling for noes, the chairman, declared the amendment lost. The putting of tho motion brought another demonstration of hats and hands. The chairman'" declared tte motion of confidence carried. -. '