The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1908. THE PREMIER AT AUCKLAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2150, 27 March 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1908. THE PREMIER AT AUCKLAND.

“In conclusion ho claimed that tho Government had recognised their responsibility to tlio full, and tho same principles of progress and prosperity that had guided tho party in the past would guide it in tho future.” Tho abovo is from the Press Association report of a speech delivered by Sir Joseph Ward at Auckland- on Wednesday night. Tho Premier set forth to reply to Mr. .Massey’s indictment of the Government and its methods, and the paragraph quoted may apparently bo taken as a fair samplo of his efforts. Of course, Sir Joseph said other tilings, and said them very nicely, for ho is a pastmaster in the .art of plausible utterance, but what did his speech amount to, after all P What was there for his hearers to take homo with them .as food .for thought concerning tho. affairs' of the country and the Government -policy in regard to them? Tho Premier evidently assumed the grandiloquent stylo of tho stock .politician, and fervently assured his hearers that tho country was never in >a more prosperous . condition than at present, but so far as wo know' Mr. Massey never threw any aspersions on tho condition of the coutitry, and wo should have thought the less of him had he done so. AVhat Sir Joseph did not do, however, was to effectively reply to tho criticisms that have recently been hurled at his financial policy, not only by Mr. Massey, but also by a large section of tlio independent press of the Dominion. Apparently, the Premier considers it sufficient answer to such criticism to flatter his audience .by the statement that tho country is prosperous. Sir Joseph also stated that his Government was opposed to that revolutionary Socialism which destroyed individual effort, and if any section of tho community can find a crumb of comfort in this delightfully vague assurance, they are welcome to it. Ho denied that tho tariff had injured either the mining or tlio agricultural industries, and he would, presumably, if given time, have gone on to explain that it had not injured the bootmakers, the tinsmiths, ■ or the bakers, or tho wharf laborers, carefully avoiding such .awkward aspects as the increase by thousands of pounds in Customs taxation that has taken place this year. On tho one question that tho country was entitled to hear au expression of opinion, namely, tho Blackball strike, Sir Joseph maintained a discreet reserve. Just when everyone is anxiously awaiting tho course, of events with tho industrial future of tho Dominion at. stake, all tho Premier could find to Say on the matter, or. at any rate, all ho cared to give utteranco to, was that «t that juncture lie would not refer 'to tho strike, except to say ho deeply regretted that the strike had taken place. Ho then proceeded casually to give a few hints that promised a crumb to tho strikers and another to the employers. To the former ho hinted that the lawbreakers would not be imprisoned, and to the latter he suggested an alteration to oui labor laws, whereby the dead level to which tho “minimum wage” clause tends to reduce workers would bo done away with. The only definite issue that was apparently put forth by (Sir Joseph was that dealing with tho Chinese, and alter assuring his audience that tlio Government would continue to make things so unpleasant for tlio unfortunate Celestial that he would look upon Duo Dominion ifj n good place to keep away from, tho Premier proceeded with his disquisition' on things in general and nothing in particular. No one knows better than Sir Joseph how to make a mass of verbiage and empty platitudes spin out a couple of hours’ speech in such a manner as to tickle the ears of a sympathetic audience, but after frequent repetition this kind of fare palls on the appetite. For some weeks now tho Premier has been touring this Island, and so far as we can gather, liis- numerous speeches appear to consist chiefly of vaguo generalities about ’’the prosperity of tho country,” “the buoyant condition of our finances,” how the Government “recognises its responsibility to the full,” and so forthSomething more than this is wanted; something more was expected when the lion, gentleman took the reins of government; but the fact, is fast becoming evident that Sir Joseph AVard has proved .a distinct disappointment to a large number of bis friends, and one of the chief factors in this result lias been liis disinclination to take a definite stand upon any vital subject. of national concern. His legislative policy appears to have been

solely built up on tho basis of compromise and expediency, and his recent speeches havo betrayed to the thoughtful reader how littlo solidity there is in his .political programmo.