THE LIBERAL LEADER.

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 289, 2 September 1919, Page 6

THE LIBERAL LEADER.

PUBLIC RECEPTION

WHY HE LEFT THE GOVERNMENT

LIBERAL POLICY EXPLAINED

A public reception to the lit. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, Bart., Leader of the Opposition, was tendered in tho Town Hall last night. Long hefore tho proceedings opened tho hall was crowded in all oarts. Councillor C. J. B. Norwood presided over tho gathering and the platform was occupied by Lady Ward, the Hon." W. D. S. MacDomild, the Hon. A. M. Mvers, Sir John Finclay, Iv.C., Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., and other Liberal members of Parliament, and local supporters of the Liberal Party. Before Sir Joseph Ward commenced his speech tho audience rose and sang tho "National Anthem."

In introducing Sir Joseph Ward, Mr. Norwood said lie was suro that no prewar nolicv would bring about the increased production which was necessary io make New Zealand a. great country. The new Government would be faced with srave responsibilities, and it behoved all classes to study the problems of the hour as they had never been studied before.

Sir Joseph Ward, who was received with cheers and applause, said it was a great pleasure to receive, with the members of his party in tho House, a welcome troui Wellington citizens. For the first time in four years he was a free man. The obligations connected with tho war had been discharged, and with the end of the war had come the end of tho National Government. The criticisms directed at his withdrawal from tho National Government had been. a 'little ungenerous. "Mr. Massey, the Prinio Minister, did not ask nie to continue in the National Government," said Sir Joseph Ward. "That is a pretty good answer to some of those people who are asking why I did not ctny there. I want to take the opportunity of saying I had no quarrel with him." The agreement made between the parties in Ausnist, 1913, had provided that the National Government should contiriuo in existence until tho end of the war or until it was ended by tho withdrawal of ono of the parties or some other cause. When tho Peace Treaty was signed two months ago tho Notional Government agreement lapsed. It could hardly be expooted that when tho Liberal Party had _ fulfilled all the terms of the agreement it was for him to arrange for the continuance of the National Government. If ho had been asked to stay and had refused ho could have understood tho complaints of some of his opponents. "I want to tell, you," added Sir Joseph Ward, "that there wore very important matters on which I was not consulted, and on which I should have been oonsulted. Tho absence of consultation, after the conclusion of tho war, would have been enough to induce me to from the National Government. I think everybody, on careful consideration, will see the force of what I sny in that respect. If he and his colleague s had _ not left the Government Before the session, then clearly they could not have left dwrmg tho session. And aftor the session there would have been a protest against the Liberals withdrawing before the election. Tho Liberals had'simply exercised their right under the agi cement of 1915. Thoy had 'been loyal to ixery duty and every pledge. (Applause.) He thought it a very good thing that the parties had not remained together. The communications lio had received led him to believe that very many people we™ relieved at the separation, and realised •that the lack of an Opposition was not conducive to good government. An attempt had been made to create "spurious sympathy" for Reform Ministers by suggesting that they had been left with heavy burdens. As a matter of fact tho Liberal Ministois had left Iheir work up to date in every respect. Tlio Bills that had been prepared by Liberal Ministers had been left in the hands of the Government. The Departmental reports were readv. The Budget and the Estimates were complete except fov the now proposals of the year. If he had known the Government's proposals he could have completed tho Budget in half an hour. He considered that tho Liberal Party had done it's full duty, and that the other side had not played the_ game in suggesting that, the Libei'id Ministers had left Reform Ministers ir. the lurch, or nlaced Reform Ministers in a difficulty. The real cause of tho soreness was that the Prime Minister could not find suitable substitutes for I lie Liberal Ministers. He was not going to criticise Refonn Administration, but he would remind tho electors that in 1911. afier the Reform [ Party's majority had been reduced to two at the general eleclion, the Massey Government could not carry on without the lieln of Ihe Liberal Party. Tho alternative to Liberal assistance was another general election. It was in these circumstances, realising the national needs created bv the war, that the Liberals a Breed to assist in tlu government ofthe country during the war period. They had done their part to the full. Sir Joseph Ward proceeded to say that there would never be good and found government in the country untii the people put into power it party with a substantial working majority. The cause of weakness was to have a Government dependent for its continued existence _on the votes of two or three meu.; Tasks of enormous importance lay ahead, and he honed, tho electors would realise the no-1 cessitv of having in aSk 1 '! a Government reuresentiwr -He elements, and strohft fining!; to •:'■ '■ "ul! duty. The financial position «!'. :.<ca Zealand when the Liberals retired from Hie National Government was stronger and more secure than that of any other country engaged in the war. The Dominion had an accumulated sum of .£15,000,000 invested in War Bills, lised during the war to help tho Mother Country. Any public men who sought to weaken that position outrht to lie kept out of public life. That accumulated money, with sinking. fund money now in hand to tho amount of ,£1,500,000, ought to go into a sinking fund for the extinguishing of the war del it. Tho public debt of New Zealand, alter Uie war accounts were closed, would stand at .4200,080,000, and, with pensions, tho annua! charge to bo met would be about ,£12,000,000. Tho public debt had behind it a I sinking fund now containing over .£6,000,j (.100, due chielly to his urraiigeinenis. I Sir Joseph Ward proceeded lo deal with j his policy, as recently announce;!. H e 1 iiad been charged, he siid, witli insincerity. The reply to tint was his Parliamentary record. Jle vas prepared to put into operation in one Parliament— and tho greater part in one session—all the important proposals lie had made. He had never in the past tailed to carry through tho tasks to w.iiicii he set his hand. Tiie proposal* ho had tuado wero not mere "window dressing." A Stato bank in the .Dominion had become a necessity. Tho Bank of New- Zealand was semi-State, and had been carried o;i well. But in the future New Zealand would requiro an additional .two or three millions, and a .Slate bank would bo ono of the nieans._ Ho was not afraid of his proposals. Nobody-could get away from the fact tuat he had been responsible for the inijiiatwii of tho hydroelectric scheme. Ee had tried in tho ■past to persuade Parliament to hasten tho consu'ucliion oi railways. But the old system of building lines by slow stages had been continue;!. He proposed now to sccnro the rapid completion of essential lines, Urns the .development of rho whole counlry Tho labour problem could lie solved. .It the worker were treated fairly, a.s lie must lie, the railways and lilu power schemes would lie pushed forward at least three times as last as in the past.

Sir .loseph Ward added that lie did not believe anything cou'id bo done with tho electoral system this session. The present system allowed minorities io beat majorities at tho polls. Mo had tried to overcomo that evil with the second ballot, which had been repealed by the Jfassey Party, representing n minority. He felt that in the future there must bo somo arrangement to securo the rule of majorities, urith the fair ropresenta-

tion of minorities. Regardiug the land question, the Dominion must look to the large estates for settlement areas. The purchase of relatively small properties** had pimply inflated land values by displacing farmer's who had to buy land elsewhere. The Government must look to the large estates for close settlement. Profiteering had been going on in Now Zealand. Parliament must see that trading proceeded on a fair basis. New Zoaland must always be an exporting country, and it would he madness to interfere with the exportation of produco at the highest price the producers could command. In this connection he beliovod that the Government should pay .£IOO,OOO, or if nocesaary .£200,000 from tho Consolidated Fund, in order to secure butter for the peoplo at a reasonable price and at the 6ame time do justice to the producers. He had advocated the nationalisation of coal mines. The Government must provido millions for housing. It must build workers' homes which should cost not more thaii 10s. 6d. a week by way of rent. Ho would demonstrate to any sensible person that lie could make reasonable provision so that such a homeflicould lie handed over to tho widow and children' in the event of the death of the breadwinner. That would be done. The railways would bo going again before very long. There must bo fast suburban trains. (Laughter.) The Domiuion had them before. (Voices: No.) Well, the suburban trains had been fairly fast. The workers must be able to live iu cheap homes,'with land enough for fowls and a pig. (Laughter.) What a blessing that would be to the people. (Laughter.) Neiv •Zealand was one of the beat countries iu the world to live in, added Sir Joseph Ward. To make it_ an ideal country the people wanted eloso settlement without inflation of prices, a bettea- understanding of the relations between Capital and Labour and the encouragement of good, sound progressive | Liberal measures. If the elector's exercised good judgment at the general election, they would wipe out the "other fellows" and put- the Liberals' iuto aflico, associated with moderate Labour. People who wanted stability in government and general progress would 6upport that combination. (Prolonged applause.) After Sir Joseph Ward had concluded his address, Mr. John Huti'heaoii moved: "That this meeting tenders to Sir Joseph Ward, tho acknowledged ami approved leader of Liberal polities in New Zealand, its highest sense of appreciation of kis splendid loyalty in subordinating to the public good, during si period of national peril, his high position as chief of a great political party, and of his bringing to the aid of the National Government hi.': ripe experience and great ability as a statesman and financier, and, further, expresses its admiration of his smijient uerviccs in the of the Empire and the Dominion both in New Zealand mid abroad." Speaking to the motion. Mr. Hutchison said that Sir Joseph Ward's declaration of policy had cleaved the political ai.mosphero of aill speculation. The Liberal Ministers had dono the right thing in leaving the National Cabinet, and no one could find fault with t.hem for having done so. They had • left in a manly, honourable fruition. The whole of the doctors of the Dominion were clamouring for political notion, and the bo?t tribute the peoplo could pay to Sir Joseph, Ward for his magnificent services would be for them to accept the policy he had announced. Sir John Fimllay moved a vote of thanks to the chair. We had entered <il>on a new era, he said, and no longer 'would the interests of the country bo dictated by privileged capital. Sir .Taints Carroll, who wna received with loud applause, said his health would not permit him to make a sneech, but lie desired to thank the audience for having accorded Sir Joseph Ward such a hearty inception. The old Liberal Ministry had Veil termed the ".wen devils of Socialism," but lu> Mt that, they had not gone fav enough. Tn Hie future the interest'! of the -people' must be rafeguarded lo the fullest possible extent, and H']i(i'f-hni"-lod ■'llenfinn woulil have Id tie devoted to the nressiiv lvnldpinc that In'- before tho mini try. (Applause.) ir .Tos-enh W.ir<! then Ihaulcerl the a'ul'eiiee for limine sig"ilied its .liiur-'-al of the i"--" 1 'itinn moved tii"'s"lf. and th" lrnlhei'imr di*nerscd with (heers for the Liberal' lender.