SIR JOSEPH WARD’S TASK

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1929, Page 3

SIR JOSEPH WARD’S TASK

PO. NTS FROM THE ROUND TABLE.

LONDON, Aug. 30,

The Round Table for September contain., an article from New Zealand—

'i lie Task Re fore Sir Joseph Ward.” ihe writer says: The characteristic features of the past quarter in New Zealand have been the enthusiastic reception given to Sir loesph Ward on his tours throughout he country, the astonishing freedom from party politics, and despite the large amount of unemployment, the industrial peace that has been enjoyed here in contrast to the unrest in the neighbouring dominion across the Tasman Sea. Except during the existence of the National Government in the war there has probably never been a time when there was su h a suspension of party politics. Sir Joseph Ward’s genial urbanity, and his achievement in regaining command at the age of 73, after a long period as a private member and protracted ill-health, have earned for him the goodwill of all parties and all classes. ..

Pc was not exaggerating when.'ho ••aid. rt Auckland on June 4th. thatdhe had found strong evidence of ment to the Government in those who had previously been opposed to it, and a desire to give it a fair trial. . .

Sir Joseph has, oh the whole, preserved a statesmanlike tone in his addresses, though he has at times perhaps been too apt to attribute the difficulties of the position to his political opponents, and to contrast his own hustle with their inaction. .

THE CURRENT SITUATION. New Zealand, one reads, is faced vith the same' problems as the Old World: unemployment., not only of adults but of hoys and girls leaving school, the difficulty of traffic control and co-ordination, the compotit'on of motor transport with the railways, the heavy loss on which, as they are Stateuvned, falls upon the people at large, the difficulty—in this instance, luckily, only temporary—of making the national receipts balance expenditure, the drift from, the country to the towns, the falling birth rate. ■ The past year has been a. satisfactory one as regards production, markets and growth of pastures. It has resulted in a record production! in the case of most of our staple products and prices have continued good and the value of our exports is above, anything previously attained. ’ -

LAND SETTLEMENT. ‘ Thatyihere. iis.-a: land hungerMs- shown by the fact that when the station'Was sub-divided', fhere-were 169 applicants, for 12 sections: A policy-of subdivision', if feasible, would be wel-,) Joined. >• . As evidence that the'.Government Is acting and not merely vapouring, the: Minister of Lands announced in flie press on May 25th. that the Government had just purchased four estates, .otalling 6,428 acres, suitable for dairying or mixed farming, and providing .rom 22 to 24 farms. In addition the oiate central development farm atf Weraroa is being sub-divided, and when ihe pedigree stock has been sold, there .mould be eight or nine sections for ..allot. He also, like the Labour Party nas been impressed by the large areas of native Crown lands in an undeveloped state ready to respond to suitable handling and fertilisation, but requiring considerable finance for reading and assistance to settlers in the early stages and consequently necessitating financial authority from Parliament. With public opinion at his hack, the Prime Minister should be .able to obtain from Parliament the necessary alteration of the law and authority to raise the requisite funds, for, tnougii lie is in a minority, no party will at this stage venture to oppose any reasonable scheme of land settlement. While the Prime Minister’s land settlement policy meets with general approval, the reverse is the case with regard to his completion of certain railway lines. . . . ... . The demands of the business community are so reasonable that, Sir Joseph will meet with strong opposition in Parliament if he persists in going on without first having the economics of the line (the South Island Main Trunk) thoroughly investigated. UNEMPLOYMENT.

In various efforts to eliminate unemployment the Labour Party is cooperating both with the Government and the municipalities, insisting upon relief works being paid for at trade union rates. “They realise that the Ministry and the city councils are doing their best, but they do not realise that it is this very insistence on trade union wages for relief wo ms mat is aggravating instead of diminishing unemployment.”