PRIME MINISTER'S COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 280, 22 August 1919, Page 8

PRIME MINISTER'S COMMENTS

MUCH TO BE DONE NO RETURN TO PARTY SCHEMING KEEPING THE COUNIBY PROSPEROUS

A few comments on the situation as it la at present were made by the Prime Minister (Mr. Maesoy) last night. Mr. Massey was asked fast of ail . whether he was surprised to receive the news of Sir Joseph Ward's resignation., "I oannot say that I- am surprised, said-Mr. Masaey, "because when lw;» in Paris I noticed in the Now Zeala% pa pel" forwarded to mo that a meeting of the Liberal Party had been held, am), that with the concurrence of their teadi • (hey had decided to dissolve, tho partner 3 ship and bring the Coalition Jnnistiy to an end, -but I <M expect that .» should bavo had more notice thani has . been given. I think that the dissolution of partnership should have linen place directly on our arrival in few Zealand, or it should have( been heM until wo had got through the busing of the session. We we now ml m seven days of the meeting of Parliamt.nl. The speech of the tfovernor-Gfnei.il has still to bo drafted, the nnaneial St. lenient has still to be preyed, the amount of tho soldiere g»tuiti(* } still to ba fixed and agreed to. In dition the Minister of Lands and partment have made an estimate oi tne sum necessary to carry on the wort of. repatriation. This has yet. to K eon sidered bv Cabinet, ..and later on v U have to be submitted to Tl,an^ e "!• Then there is tho question of the uduc tion of taxation which the countri, is lnnkiue forward to ortgorlN. hope tLt something will be done m connection with this during the connn„ attention to tliew important matters I should just liko lo . r flint- I have personally no ioai fci ft tare I have absolute confidence in count.?", and absolute confidence in the good sens? and intclln? we an 1 <• triotism of the great majonlj ot u,e peoplo of the Dominion. , , l "I understand that Sir JosePl ';» id has taken advantage o the opjw .m* to put forward his poln.. hone to submit later, bit I a' section o£ the'people in "nvlhing of that sort, I hopo lo see a stron" partv, whoever they may call toisokes, if the » -ery best memlhe emumnnitv can select, returned to Parliament at the coining election, with the one definite object of maintaining the i>rosTipritv of tho Dominion, increasing the production of the country, and so enabthe pconic, without inconvenience, lo niee 1 " the enormous liabilities w.nch we have incurred by doing our share during the war period. "One is temuted, ot course, to expound in some detail' proposals which my boyerl'iucnt will put before the ccuntrv. \Ve have in view definite and practical proposals for the development of the countrv by settlement, improved transport facilities, and tho utilisation of hydroelectric resources. In our'schcmes ot settlement wo must, and wo will, have re"anl, first, always to the claims ot the returned soUUoio, and in this respect X havi a scheme in view which should go a long wav towards enabling them to niako a success of their farming ventures. "WlxMi tho war broke out. on bcmili ot mv colleagues 1 laid down the policy of the Government. It. was that we should do our full share in tho war. and Keep ths country prosperous. That we have beoii successful scarcely requires nenioiw stralion. It is net necessary to v< ]' cl ".,'7 what was done during tho war, but witit regard to tho prosperity of the country! statistics for the last six months shovt , that our exports have been for that per iod valued at over liveut.v-nine N"' more for tho six months than the total value for tin- preceding twelve months. Vlmitling that this was due to shipping Inning became more plentiful, the tact remains that for -tho whole period of the war our exports wero over thirty millions par year." . .. As to tho future. Mr. Massey was qiuto , coalidont in his declaration that lie exnetted to be ablo to carry on (lie Governincut. Ho said that he could not go into details as to his intentions rt(;arding the formation of tho new Government, but there would bo reconstruction of tho Mmietiv in tho neat futaw.