WARD’S POLICY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 53, 24 June 1914, Page 5

WARD’S POLICY.

[To The Editor Stratford Post.] Sir,—tin your paper of Saturday you relate an incident that happened at the Palmerston Show, when an exhibitor showed Mr Massey a pump that would draw anything and u bystander asked “if it would draw Ward’s policy ? And Mr Massey thoroughly appreciated the joke. Now it might be worth considering for a moment on which side the joke lies. To begin with, I didn’t know that Ward’s policy needed drawing. I thought it was known, npt only over New Zealand, but over the civilised world as well, and I understood that it was Ward’s policy that the Massey Government was administering at the present moment. But for fear that I may be under a misapprehension I will mention a few items of what I understood was Ward’s policy; One man one vote; minimum wage; eight hours’ day; female franchise; old ago pensions; Lands for Settlement; Advances to Settlers; homos for workers ; Arbitration Courts; Courts oi Appeal for every branch of the Government service; draining the Hauraki Plains and other large swamp areas, and covering them with prosperous settlers. Now, if all these tilings are embodied in Ward’s policy, they did not need any drawing, but it seems to me, sir, that the man at the Show missed the chance of a lifetime, for, if, instead of bothering about Ward’s policy, he had suddenly seized the pump and violently extracted Massey’s policy he would have promptly silenced those venomous detractors who say he hasn’t got one, and gratified the curiosity of a doubting public. It would be a solace and a comfort to those exasperated settlers, who, owing to the collapse of the Advances to Settlers’ Office, had to renew their mortgages at 8 per cent, to find out why, when the money lender had his knife in, that the Office bloomed forth again and blossomed like a rose. Also why the Party in their London loan prospectus, actually told the truth and gave a clean bill of health to Sir Joseph Ward’s financial administration. Also, why their friends were advised to pass resolutions, and get them sent on by the Press Association, showing that they were a spontaneous tribute to the pure, pure Party. If the man at the Show had cleared these little matters up, then Mr Massey might have thoroughly appreciated the joke.—l am, etc., D. MAXWELL. Toko, June 22, 1914.