PRIME MINISTER'S TOUR.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 417, 25 November 1911, Page 5

PRIME MINISTER'S TOUR.

SPEKCH AT TACMAIUJNUI. The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) addressed a largo meeting at Taumarunui on Wednesday night. He was acconk'd an cut husiast ie reception. The Mayer (Mr Wackrow) presided. Sir Joseph Ward, on rising, was received with prolonged applause. In iiis opening remarks he referred to the iiist.on.cd stories that were heing circulated regarding himself and the Government.. With regard to the Dreadnought gift the people win- condemned the Government, on tins score wore cowards. No member of the- Opposition dared to vote against; the Dreadnought gift;, because they realised it was a proper thine ior (he Kmpire. 'The Prime M mister dealt wit h the present expenditure ior detenci purposes, including the inb-rosl on the cost oi' the lircadnoughl. and said that, for a total expenditure o\ £250.un0 a year, we were getting the protection oi She British Navy, where as, Australia was paying' A'N. mm.odd for a local navy. With regard to the question of military training, he saai ' hat v.-as a mat (or which closely affecied the workers o\ the Dominion. He re' erred i" the yellow peril, and -pointed out thai, m China there were from soo.mio.doo to 500,000,tm0 people, whose shadow in day was over the- whole of Ansiaim and New Zealand. Australia was only 10 days and New Zealand 1 a days steam from China. They were the (sve closest; countries to China, wT.h empty interiors in the world to-day. There were in New Zealand at. the present time 2500 Chinese. il' huge bonk s of these people came into New Zealand the community would he debauched by their intermarriage with the daughters of (lie. people v\ j\e\\ Zealand. Thai, mid happened wherever these people had gone. There would he a system of intermarriage, which in regard to the women o\ New Zealand could only be regarded as pollution. The annua! expenditure on defence was well spent in guarding emshores from such a calamity as a raid from these people. The Prime Minister neat, dealt with the attacks on the Government. He denied that, any such thing as Tammanyism existed, lie also denied I lie charge of favouritism in respect to Government nil vert moment s. 1! the Opposition were going to use the age argument, Ho could aiso us.- il. and in this connection, he remarked that some of the Opposition ought to be relegated to private life and their places taken by some of the active young men who were coming along to assist the Government on the side o( pro-

gross. Hopkins': I a dm criticism of the live niilliou loan, the I'vime hi mister said that the eoniiiarisons. ei' the debt per capita in New dmiiami one Australia was unfair, as the latter country had had no native war leans. There was no country in the world winch could show mar.' for its loses. As far as he was prronaiiy eenc nasi In- did not object to that, class of criticism, but ho strongly i hjerfed to criticism thai tended to undermine the reputation of the Dominion. The taxation question an.! the Mokau business wen' also deal! with. Sir Joseph also reiV-nrd to the <Miposition's spe.ch-ma!'dog factory m Wellington, which, he said, was turning out ready-made sp.s clil S i.T position candidates n-s.dy io be i rmd like so many chops. hoe on.y 'u'.'i'i'k was that the vara.us w- re frying their speeches ;n ciil.in-n! ways. Sir Joseph concluded wit h an appeal to the electors to discriminate between such people and those wbowere fighting (he hai.de o< ihe nee in terest. of die people 'i'lie !'r:mo

Minister, on n sumin;-. his sect, w

greeted will; iond and con! inu.a; ohois-:. On the Tiiot \o:\ of Y:r I .ovrday (Ohnva) seconded by id r A. Sohnlen (chairman of (In- \"\-:-. it<■ mi. > County C.inu-in a liearly v,.;c of Ihankn li> Sir Jomch for Ins coupled wiih a continued vole en enniidcneo in tno Governm; ni was carried unanimously omul applause and cheers. In returnim: thanks. Sir .los.. pb paid 1 lii> motion li;u! been proposed by the t'.apiain of the champion i ilio loam. who had shewed, by his resoiulimi that ho possessed a true c ye. Xiv Jennings, who w:m also |>r< : ml. was received with applause aim cheers, 110 moke kr;< by. -'yii'i; that SirJosoph Ward hmi shown Hal lie was the pronerleader u! ihr inber.i! J'arty. Ho also eenv.wam a me: sap.o from Mr Heli t'no oldest v.diilo viniifil in the? clistrkl. oNprossinp.; npprceiation of the speech delivered by the Prime Minister at the railway (unction that afternoon.