SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1925, Page 3

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

OPENS CAMPAIGN. ROUSING RECEPTION AT INVERCARGILL. INVERCARGILL. Gel. 19. 10-niglil Sir Joseph Ward opened his mmpaign a-; Liberal candidate lor Invercargill he fore a crowded, enthusiastic audience, whose size was only limited by the size of the mcelingplaee, the largest in the town. Sir Joseph, when lie returned from Wellington. on Saturday with Lady Ward ami his daughter. Alts Wood, had just eoine from Australia, and will remain in Invercargill throughout the campaign. He was in excellent form, and delivered a fighting speech unexcelled by any pa.-t performance. The Mayor. Air Andrew Rain. in opening the meeting, said that no introduction was needed. Sir Joseph had first started ill public life in the Bluff Council, and from there attained the highest position, discharging his duties with, distinction to himself ami advantage to the country. Sir Joseph, who received a prolonged ovation, thanked them all for his great reception. Any man was entitled to seek their suffrages. He would not say tin unkindly word of any of the two candidates opposed to him. There should not lie any bitterness during tile elect it'll or alter l,is expectant triumph ol being returned was realised. i Lutld el'.eers.i l( was the opinion of some that alter thirty-two wars in Awarua he should take his defeat like Ills victories. lie would read a letter from Mr Massey, in which the late Prime .Minister ex press-

ed sympathy with Sir Joseph's disappearance from I ‘aiTiaineiit. Within Ins (Mr Massey's) recollection many gooil men luul been turned down, an I he felt certain, whether in New Zealand or elsewhere, his (Sir Joseph's) usefulness was mu at an end. (Loud cheers.) Sir Joseph said lie' mentioned that only because his return to the south showed that there was a sense of mutual regard as indicated in the letter read to them. (Cheers.) He would point nut how the p ili[•ies which to-day operated atfeeted the

coal and limber ituluisrios in New Zealand. Over one million of money was sent mil in eight months from this country fur coal. The increase in tile railway tariff on toal from Southlaud atfeeted the trade adversely. It cost 20- Si I a ton from Southland t-i ( Tirisii-linri It. We ought to help our local iml list lies t tint were giving employment to men. He would promise that, it ret nr I. he u..iild Jo hi- host to put. it right. In regard to timber, the business was enormous, and the area of lorest in Soul hla ml was very great. In three years over i-'J.1)0:1.CB:I ol timber was imported, while our own industry went idle. These were very important industries. Ollier countries had raised their Julies since the war. anil it was time New Zealand |.Jlnwed •nit. (Cheers.) Southland should he Ihe best tourist resort in New Zealand. Its scenery was the tines! in the world. Southland should not tie singled out for a broken or incomplete railway service during the winter. lo>- Southland had had the best winter in New Zealand. They 11111-1 not call Southland the end of the world; latln-r was it the beginning of the world. WHAT LIBERALISM HAD DONE When they looked hack over his political history and his ;iei» In i ion with Liberalism, during the years in which that political faith Imd done so much tor the Dominion, they oouhl understand how lie fell wit'll a pang that the old name had gone, lie had been a Liberal and Ba 11st nee. ||" was with .Mr Seildon am! carried on with him, and after him was tailed on to lake the reins. Air S’eddon had the lirsl record. Air .Massey was second, ami lie (the speaker) th" third as the Prime .Minister- who held t.lliee lor the longest periods in New Zealand. He had tallied the Pensions Bill, he hud ■ lire ■'! the Ad values m Settlers Bill and Slate Advances Bill, hr ice! administered ail the Departments hill out', and bail ereated mole I Jena it tiieut - than any other .Minister sine.' the year i epea led. lie rel el ittl to ill" time when he had charge cl the Railway anti Post anti Telegraph Depati tnent'-. anil said that lie had given instructions that if a w :>rkci inarrieT hi' wane were forthwith raise'.! from £7O or l> ss to .PI. U' IP lei 1., l * .it in le 1 anti tarried through the - upei an limit ion stTieme. who li had doiie -o milch ho the Public Service. lie also referred to the foiliniat ion of the National Provident Ettiul. which provided benefit < that ninth' it one of the best measures that, had ever been pul "n Hie Statute Book. lie took lull responsibility for I his share in: the liiimunilarian legislation w hieh Liberalism hail provided. FINANCE. Dealing with tin* financial situation, not as a party man. lie felt it necessary to draw attention t.o some salient facts. He never had expressed <|*>■■ hI as to New Zealand's solvency. There had not been much of financial criticism in the House of late years, hut ninth criticism was invaluable. While lie was .Minister of Eiuatiee during the war he provided all the money to tarry on the war, lie hail provided for the whole

cost, ana,miiing to over -C20.CT)071 provided for all without exceniion. as could he seen in All .Massey's Budget of 1922. He had never been able to understand how two responsible Aliuister.x could say that New Zealand caved £2(1.11011.ODU. We did mu "tie one st.illing. We paid. Other money had been provided by him. (Cheers.) Thcv took £'2(),0(10.<4i6 out of money provided by him, and also the money pul by him. into the sinking-funds. Was not it necessary lor the count rv to have a capable critic who would point, out these things A At present wo were galloping along, spending loan money at an appalling rate. Next year about t20.UI0.B0l) was proposed to he spent in public works, anti on tup uf that the Government wanted to rai-e live millions in the country. Ihe united bank capital was about. £(it). 0119,091*. .uni one-twelfth of that on the market as a loan at .V. per cent was humid to idler! the rate and make dear, tight

money. One great Government iusiiiut inn had already raised deposit rates in tier cent. With all the money reqliijvil to ’meet contingent liabilities, the Government ought to change its policy in regard to these things. He was not against borrowing to complete t ile work in band, t>i all the schemes created by him as Minister of Finance, not one had ever tailed. There were four long sent ions ul railway in bo completed, and they ought to finish tli.em in three years without going on iln* loan market. It they called for tenders, ottering Government stock. I hey would find tenderers nl> over the world. They did not want dear inonev in New Zealand. FUSION. Touching upon fusion. Sir Joseph said that naturally, as a private citizen, he had taken no part in the fusion negotiations ol the past year or two. but had bx*en a close observer. He did not think it possible for three political parties to exist in Britain. Australia and New Zealand and be tearless ai.d effective. Owing to the large number of minority elections. Parliament would cease to be a true reties of the public mind. At lasi election, twenty-three members were returned on minority votes-—-seven Kelorm. seven Labour, and nine Liberals. The undoubted tendency everywhere we- to neutralise the Socialist vote by union of the lories of constitutionalism, law. and order. That was his view. He thought the two main parlies should get together to form tie -■ longest and best Government possible. '! here were no great vital questions dividing them, as in the [last, between Liberals and Conservatives. The dividing lines were important, lint not incapable of adjustment. His assistance would go in the direction of fusion. He regarded it as inevitable sooner or latei. whethei the leader was a Nationalist or a Reformer. He wished to lx* clearly understood that ns a. fusion party worn before the country, and though the Nationalists had declared in favour ol it. if returned he would take his seat with the party he was so long associate*, with and had led. and would help to provide the strongest Government. pn>vidino- that the main points ot a sound financial and progressive policy first were agreed to. He was not out for leadership, to displace Mr Coates or Mr Forbes. He was out tor the country, because he vras convinced

difficult times were ahead. Ho lead never in his public career intrigued with men on either side, nor would lie now. His special knowledge, the result of his life’s work, would he given fully and unreservedly, to help tile national progress and the prosperity of all classes in the Dominion. At the emielusion of the meeting, a vote of thanks and confidence was carried amid t heers. and an eiithu-ia.' tic | meeting closed with the singing ol I “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” I