SIR JOSEPH WARD AT PUKEKOHE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 253, 4 December 1914, Page 3

SIR JOSEPH WARD AT PUKEKOHE.

A Great Gathering.

Long before the announced time (8 p.m.) of the commencement of proceedings on Wednesday evening all available space in the Premier Hall, Pukekohe, was crowded, on the occasion of the visit to Pukekohe of Sir Joseph Ward. As it was, very many people were unable to gain admission and had no option but to return home deprived of the opportunity of hearing the speech of the leader of the Opposition. Motoring from Huntly, where he had be:n speaking prior to coming to Pukekohe, Sir Joseph Ward was some 25 minutes late in his arrival. His appearance on the stagd wan greeted with vociferous applause by his supporters, followed by a counter demonstration in favour of Mr Massey that plainly indicated that the, latter's followers were present in considerable force.

Silence having been restored, the Mayor (Mr C. K. Lawrie), who presided, formally introduced the speaker. Sir Joseph Ward's rising again produced a lively few minutes, ant at the outset of bis remarks he appealed for a fair hearing to be given him, saying that it was only courtesy that the generals of each opposing party should be given the opportunity of telling their respective stories.

RETURNING THE COMPLIMENT. It was only a few days ago. Sir Joseph stated, that the Prime Minister did him the compliment of visiting his (Sir Joseph's) electorate of Awsrua and he was that night returning the call. In that vast gathering there were probably some who were not of his way of thinking, but he would endeavour to heal the susceptibilities of those people who did not agree with him. (Cheers and counter cheers). He had spoken all over the country and had met large audiences, and it would not say much for the intellectual capacity of those present if they were not willing to give bim a hearing. REFORM PARTY CRITICISED. At the last election the party row in power promised the people •'Reform." A voice: We've got it.

Sir Joseph: My friend roust be Rip Van Winkle resurrected when he says that. (Laughter). Sr Joseph went on to say that the people had been promised that borrowing would be reduced and kept within bounds, but in the two-and-a-half years that the present Government had been in power they had in the matter of borrowing beaten the Liberal Government clean out of sight. (Applause). For the preceding six years that the Liberal Government was in power the borrowing had averaged £3,000,000 per veer, whereas the Reform bovernment owned up to having borrowed £7,000,000 a year. A voice: Short debentures!

Sir Joseph: You can talk that sort of taradiddle to people who don't know; but not to me. (Laughter and applause). Continuing, the speaker sard that Mr Massey had declared in 1911 that taxation was too high, but there had been an increase in taxation of £647,000 since that statement was made. The figures he quoted were undeniable. The Reform Party had further declared that they were going to make the cust of living cheaper and that they would also reduce Customs taxation. They did reduce the duty on packing cases, but, said Sir Joseph, "Does anyone packing cases?" (Laughter). Then, again, the Reformers had stated that ordinary expenditure was too high and yet such expenditure had risen by £1,500,000 for last year. In all the respects he ha* quoted the Reform Party's pledges had been Broken. The charge was levelled against him that votes for roads, bridges and railway construction were not fully expended, but the Reform Government last year had a sum of £1,350,000 unexpended nn such works. A voice: You played the same game. Sir Joseph Ward: Even if I did and supposing it was a game the Beform Government should have improved upon It. At this stage disorder arose and Sir Joseph Ward remarked that he was too old a band to be put off the game by any interjection. Interruptions would not stop him speaking, and the only thing that would silence him would be if they howled him down. However, he was quite sure that the people of Pukekohe would not adopt such tactics as howling him down. (Applause and ironical laughter). Sir Joseph proceeded to deal with the land settlement, stating that Mr Massey had declared that he wanted more and more land settlement. "Do yju know," saici the speaker, "what the result of the Reform Government's administration has been." A voice: The freehold. Disorder again occurred and the Mayor rose and appealed for a fair hearing to be given the speaker.

When quiet was restored, Sir Joseph asked if his interrupters were aware of the number ot persons who had availed themselves of the freehold tenure. The bulk of the settlers, he said, found that they were better off by not converting their leasehold holdings into the freehold. However, freehold was the tenure of the country and it was nut going to be altered. The Reform Government bad passed two Land Acts, but not a single selector had been placed on the land under those Acts. The only settlement they had been able to effect bad been under the Acts of the Liberal Government. The number of selectors placed on the land in the past two years was 2740, as against 2947 in the previous two years under the Liberal Government, which latter number the Reform Party had declared was too small.

Referring to the matter of Native Land legislation Sir Joseph stated that against 816,882 acres of Native Land made available for settlement in two years by the Referm Government 954,526 acres were similarly thrown open for settlement by his Government in the previous two years. Therefore if Sir James Carroll was "taihoa" the present Minister for Native affairs was "taihoa, taihoa, taihoa." (Laughter). He (Sir Joseph) bad asked the Government to say how many ■electors bad gone on those lands ad no return of the number ot selectors was given, but the Minister said he could not give the number owing to the smallpox. (Laughter.) The real reason that the number

was nut given was that the total would have been very few owing to the amount of syndicating that had been going on.

Dealing with Advances to Workers, Sir Joseph indicated the accuracy of certain literature issued on behalf of the Reform Party quoting £363,223 as made in advances to workers by the Lioeral Government in five years as against £498,075 by the Reform Government in 18 montbs, The records of the House would show, he said, that £1,816,175 had" betn advanced in live years by the Liberal Government.

Referring to the shor'-dited debentures, he said the amount of nonaenic talked en this subject was perfectly appaliinjr. A3 the result of tM3 system ol issuing loans at a high rate for a small period, en immense saving had been effected, as they wsre enabled to convert at a low rate. He wanted to know what a farmer would do at the presentA voice: Vote for Massey. (Cheers).

Sir Joseph: I haven't the slightest doubt some of tbem will. Voices: All of them.

Sir Joseph: What? If you run away with the idea that all the farmers are very foolish people you are making a very great mistake. (Hear, hear.) It a farmer wan'.ed £IOOO when hank rates were high he would not borrow for a long but a short term. As a matter of fact, upon every £IOO borrowed the Liberal Government had saved 16s 5d by means of short-dated debentures, and on th 9 £90,000,000 borrowed by the Liberal Government from 1891-1912 the country had been saved £738,000 per annum. It had been the policy of the Liberal Government to issue short-dated debentures when the money market rates were high and to borrow for a long term when the rates were low. THE NAVY QUESTION

Dealng with the question of a Local v. Empire Navy, Sir Joseph stated that he was not responsible for such an important matter coming up for political discussion at the present time. He had wanted the elections postponed, although such would have been againt his party's interests. (Cries of dissent). Sir Joseph: Well, we are' going to win anyhow, so it does not matter.

Thev were asked, the leader of the Opposition continued, to accept the Australian Navy as their guide and to establish a local navy in spite of the fact that the Australian Federal Government had carried a resolution protesting against any increase in naval expenditure, and that before the Australian Navy was four years old. If it was found that the expenditure on a navy was too heavy fur Australia with its five million population, how could New Zealand with a population of one million afford a navy of its own. Asa matter of fact before the good work performed by the Australian Navy was entered on and before the Sydney's fine exploit, the Australian boats had been handed over to the British Admiralty, the Sydney attached to the China Squadron, and the vessels commanded by British officers, and it had iherefore ceased to be a local navy. Sir Joseph proceeded to characterise the proposal of a local navy for New Zealand as a mad and wild scheme, the cost of which the country could not afford. The outcome of the war, he said, was going to change the whole of the conditions, and according to Mr Lloyd George afler Germany hai been put down there was going to be a large disarmament not only of the navy but probably of the military force. England would not require to keep so many ships in the North Sea to look after a menace that was no longer existent. Before embarking on such a scheme as was proposed they in New Zealand should wait and see what the Admiralty was going to do with the excess of British ships that were no longer wanted in northern waters. A local navy for New Zealand meant some sort of attachment to the Commonwealth, in which naturally Australia, by virtue of its extent of population, would have five times the say of New Zealand. He preferred to be attached to the mane of the old bull dog of England rather than to the tail of the Commonwealth. (Applause). BONUS FOR BABIES.

Advocating the £5 baby bonus, Sir Joseph said he did not propose to give the £5 at birth, but the money would be placed in the savings bank, to be drawn by the child when 14 years of age. Such a method, he claimed, would encourage parents to add Email sums to the £5. The money would bear compound interest at 3 per cent. His proposal had bean ridiculed by his opponents saying that having given the money be proposed to borrow it. Of course he meant to borrow it, as it would be absurd if the money was to remain idle and interest was not to be secured on it.

THE LIBERAL GOVERNMENT. Sir Joseph next detailed and explained the programme of the Liberal Party as submitted in bis recent speech at Winton, namely, extended facilities for agricultural t3aching by the equipment of an Agricultural College in both Islands, the introduction of an up-to-date system of afforestation, improvements in the educational system to the advantage of teachers, the establishment of agricultural banks, the provision ot free trained nurses for settlers in the back-blocks, the free conveyance on the railways of children up to live years of age and half-price fares for children between the ages of 5 and 14, State provision for invalids and mentally afflicted, the establishment of a system of preferential trade, the adoption of a special graduated land tax and provision to prevent the aggregation of estates, the establishment of proportional representation for membership of the House of Representatives, the expediting of fie construction of the Main Trunk railways and the establishment for through passengers ot a free ferry serivce between Wellington and Pictoo, the cheapening of food supplies, etc. CONFIDENT OF bUCCESS.

In conclusion, Sir Joseph remarked that the Liberal Party stood for freedom and Justice, and possibly the people of the Franklin Electorate would get a surprise when they found that the result of the coming electron was that the Liberal Party bad been relumed again to power. Whatever their judgment was they would admit that he had not been atraid to come amongst them. He thanked those

present for attending in such large numbers and anticipating that he would very shortly be once again Prime Minister of the Djminion, he would promise them that he would return at an early date to Pukekohe in order in his official capacity to become acquainted with the wants and requirements of the district. A DISORDERLY ENDING.

Storms of applause and of countercheering broke forth when the leader of the Opposition resumed his seat, and it was amid a scene of confusion that

Mr J. T. Sfembridge proposed, and Mr C. A. Kidd seconded, a vote of thanks to the speaker and of confidence in the Liberal party under Sir Joseph Ward's leadership. An amendment, expressing thanks for the address but setting forth that no valid reason bad been advanced for a charge tf Government and that the meeting affirmed continued confidence in the Massey administrator was moved by Mr R. J. Eames, but not before the proposer had been repeatedly "counted out" by the majority of those present. Some semblance of order having been secured, tha Mayor put the amendment, which was freely supported, but without calling for a vote in the negative His Worship declared the amendment lost. The Mayor then submitted the original resolution, but the din by that time had became so pronounced that there was decided uncertainty as to what the meeting was being asked to vote upon. However, the demonstration tended to show that the Liberals were present slightly in fuller strength than Mr Massey's supporters, and the Mayor declared the motion carried. Excitement ran high as the big audience dispersed.