Mr. Ward at Dunedin.

Manawatu Herald, 29 January 1895, Page 2

M r. Ward at Dunedin.

The Colonial Treasurer, was entertained at a "social" on Saturday o '■'• evening. Mr C. S. Reeves presided. Speaking on the Financial posi? . tion Mr Ward said ; ; — The.jneaning. of this was^that; after ailoWin&fft£ every possible contingency^ lnsEeaa of having a gross surplus* as, he had" estimated, of £341,940, he told them now— and they could watch the figures when they came out— that after March 31st next the surplus \«f would be over £850,000. Praising the Cheap Money Scheme he said that as a matter of fact the three millions the Government t^ /\ posed to borrow gave at the end-of/L the 86 yeard a surplus of four^&a millions by way Qf.sekuntyt-Tb&t was the position, and leir him telifcu them this — ib was well that the settlers should know it— any settler* who applied for a loan under the" Act for 86 years; at the end of Hrix months, or 12 montlis, or at any time afterwards, -if: he 1 haa >J t)|fei' money, had only to give" noticeHo? *** the department and the repaftnflft^*'' of the loan could be made fit once. ?? - As to the Qtago Central Railway the vote would be more thali exhausted by the end of June. On Wednesday last the Cabinet decided to acquire some freehold land in the vicinity of the railway r pij4 which, jto settle the men now engaged* ! &L ! tiie work. The Government had in view the system adopted by th» Victorian Government. . In Victoria they had in operation a^tentftf^ allowing men who :mn&.m*£bg}m I works of this kind to WQikihreedaM l In the week upon the. railway /anfl^fthree days upon, their pwn holdinjral' '. c improving them. By tm'sSeW^ instead of 2.50 men being emSoy^; - 500 men could be employed *&%*?* way indicated, upon a system " whicf 1* would secure their ultimate settled ment upon the land, and temo¥« f "* them permanently from. t^ie^apis I of the unemployed. Xn Viotoria^are/ was taken that the men did a fair^ amount of work upon/ tfieir $!f§ } holdings, or otherwise they did niP^ ian way . £$y tms mea^ns ?ib rnksh tbe •' possible ment. The Government%eite^e&r# mined to carry on the Otago CtenS^

Railway to the point originally fixed, and to push it on expeditiously. Mr Ward said he was going to England with the unanimous ap« proval of his colleagues, and ne took ft it that his colleagues would not unanimqusly approve of his departure If that were improper or for such reasons as had been ungenorously and untruthfully suggested in one or two quarters. While in England it would be his business, amongst other things, to frustrate. Bonlething which they knew was attempted to be done by their enemies. He had in his possession at that moment information which was also in possession of the Government, which told him that it was to the interest of New Zealand that either himself or some other respon-* Bible Minister should be in England at present for the purpose of assisting to do something that was calculated to do a great, deal of good to the country. '