SIR JOSEPH WARD

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1929, Page 7

SIR JOSEPH WARD

HOUSING RECEPTION

BY BLENHEIM' L’UBLIC. (By Telegraph—-Per Press Association., BLENHEIM, May 25. It is cloui.tuii it any politician oj .talesman eior reached a more rousinj. .<-\c l ni.,ii tli.iii the Prime Minister iva. giyen on liis arri.al ai Blenheim on hi. .•rsL o'lii.iial V..>ib oinoo Ins acquisition of the Freni icrsh ip. His motor run Iron .>els..iii was one in the • nature of ; triumphant progress. All a long tin route, the wayside townships turnec out to welcome and cheer tiie populai .Sir Joseph. A very .urge crowd of people waitet patiently at Market Square in Bleu iiei.ii for over 'an hour, the party be ing delayed along the road till con siderably over the schedule time. 'ine town was decorated with evergreens, hunting, and colored electric globes, presented a gala appearance, which must have been heartening t< the distinguished visitor. The local Pipe Band met the Ministerial party which included the Hon Mr Veitcl. at the Borough boundary, and es cortecl it to the Rotunda in die Square amid the checrng of thousands of peopl€. The Mayor of Blenheim, Mr M. McKenzie, informally welcomed Sir Joseph Ward to town, and Sir Josepl returned thanks for the wonderful wel come, remarking that lie would ha-vc something to say later in the tlieatn about the railway. A for another outburst of cheering the crowd sang “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” and the informal wel come was then over. ADDRESS AT THEATRE. GREAT ENTHUSIASM. BLENHEIM, Slay 26. The enthusiasm of the public line not waned on Saturday evening whei Sir Joseph Ward addressed an enormous crowd in Blenheim Theatre. Hi was greeted with a storm of applause on taking his place on the platform, the crowd rising and singing “He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” with rare vigour. The Mayor extended a formal civil welcome on behalf of the citizens, and conferred on Sir Joseph Ward the freedom. of the City. The Mayor of Pict-n joined in tinwelcome, and the chairmen of the local bodies also had some words te

Mr T. McDonald, M.P. expressed r welcome on behalf of the natives ol the South Island and in doing so he paid a trbute to Sir Joseph Ward’? legislation in the interests of the native race.

Sir Joseph Ward, on rising to reply was greeted with a tumult of cheer; extending over several minute*. Afrei thanking the Mayor and people fotheir wonderful welcome, the Prime Minister went on to speak of promo! ing land settlement. “By opening up the country for small farmers,” hr said, we shall settle the unemployment problem. Durng the last seven years the number of people on tin land had increased by- fifteen thousand. These people are now in tin owns, and this has given rise to om employment prob’em. The only wii> of providing against the congest! i in the cities in label settlement. A prime necessity of the day is the acquisition or ostiVcs for closer settle incut.” i While in Nels-n, Sir Joseph said In had received a telegram from !l:e Minis! er of Lands announcing that eighi estates have already been acquired lithe Government. This was the commencement of the policy which the Government had asked the peonle foi authority to carry it out. It had beer started, and it was proposed to tnk< auth rity next session to spend more money and settle more pe-plc oi farms, so that the sixteen thousand pupils who are being turned out end year from the schools nmnta’ly equip nod for Ibo battle of life may hi found openings.

They had already expended sixty mu ns in advances to settlers and

w.-.ers, said Sir Joseph. When he

.une into oliice he hail found the ..are Advances Department cl .ggeu ml able to lin.clion omy m a .liiinoi ay. In a period of twelve months, iilv £B!)!>,’J. U bad been placed at the icpnrtiuein’s disposal. Now, h wcver. n of the i.acK payments to the Lor-iwer.-j had been met.

Sir Joseph replied on familiar lines o the unfair, criticism of the eleetioa .■raposal to borrow seventy nnlli ns or advance to workers and for the always. Ten millions of that money ouid he used .o v...:.plcte the long is la nee mi! ways. Sir Julius V-/gcl in he seventies, had proclaimed that iiink railways should he made from lid to end of New Zealand, and that ide lines should come in as required. \,r some linaeco. ntable roasn the South Trunk Line had got only 5b dies from Pit-ton and there it had topped. The Govern cut proposed to ick up the work where it had stapled and to obliterate the gap frail, lie map and put tlie railway into peration doing the same with the best Coast to Nelson line. In three »r four years, the South Trunk Line ■ou.d he finished.

Sir Joseph Ward said that at the ‘resent time tliey were balancing one igainst other routes for the proposed ine between Taranaki and Auckland, vhiich would mean the saving of one lay’s travelling, and a reduction in reight charges between the two points. The actual cost on the five longlistance railways which it was pro>osed to complete would be only seven nd a-half miili.ns, leaving two and .-half millions to overhead charges, ngines, trucks and carriages. “The country should learn that iiort distance railway lines: should icver be made again,” lie said, “and ome that are down should be slopped, lie loss cannot be al owed to go on. hese lines could not possibly com-.-ete with the motors.”

As Minister of Finance, he was loundi to submit proposals for the Iteration of taxations in a sound de-

In concluding, Sir Joseph said:— ‘You will have your railway all right, nd so will Nelson and the "West .'oast. We will finish the North Isnnd lines, too.” Later Sir Joseph Ward was enterained at a social. The Prime Minister will leave for lie south on Monday morning. Arangements have been made at various ilaces to give, a reception on route. Hon Mr Veitch and other members if the Parliament-ay Party, excluding he Premier, visited the Marlborough Vero Club’s aerodrome to-dav. All vent on short passenger flights. SUPPORT FOR CLOSER SETTLEMENT. GISBORNE, May 26. Speaking at the annual dinner of the Gisborne Printers’ Union, on Saturday evening, Mr Chapman, Labour M.P. for Wellington North, said that he welcomed the recent declaration of loliey made by Sir Joseph Ward. The Labour members, lie said, supported i no’icy to prevent the aggregation >f landed estates. They would also be -ound supporting genuine measures for the placing of people on the land and providing cheap money. \