Forty Years a Liberal

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 650, 30 April 1929, Page 2

Forty Years a Liberal

LIFE STORY OF SIR JOSEPH WARD From Telegraph Messenger to Prime Minister By 11. A. LOUGHNAN (Copyright— Sun Feature Service) ENTERING Parliament in ISS7, Sir Joseph Ward is a veteran among contemporary statesmen and his career is traced and described in this series of articles by R. A. Loughnan for readers of The Sun. No. XXXI.

Not the least, but by far the greatest, of feats was the obligation of appeal to the local money market. The first necessity was to know that market. and -Sir Joseph knew it well. The war loans raised by New Zealand amounted in the war period to eighty millions sterling, a tremendous ' thing for a small country, and after the war nearly two millions more had to be raised on account of the war. This latter sum did not, of course, enter into the sphere of Sir Joseph’s duty. But of the eighty millions his duty covered a considerable part, and of that he raised 55 millions in the local market. His local knowledge can be said to have borne good fruit. He had to back his opinion, and be had the courage to do so. He has been subjected to some criticism for the inducement he offered to investors of freedom from income tax. It may be said that he made a compulsory levy—practically a conscription of wealth. But he said that without the inducement the money would not have been forthcoming. The attempt to do without the inducement would certainly have been risky. But it was not a time for running risks. It was an occasion for certainties, and he secured the money, and saved the honour of New Zealand. Why persist in criticising? No talking can lap up spilt milk. In a great difficulty Sir Joseph had to do what he did, and he did it with a success amazing to the average citizen. That citizen being reasonable, as well as patriotic, pays tribute to-day to the sagacity and courage of the Finance Minister who in a great emergency got the enormous sum of 55 millions from the local money markets. WHY HE RESIGNED Sir Joseph has been blamed for leaving the Coalition in which he had done so much, and in which he might have done more for New Zealand. But coalitions never get anywhere except in great emergencies, and here the great emergency was over. Moreover, in this case there was a difference of opinion in the Cabinet about the settlement of the just claims of the returned soldiers. Sir Joseph yielded to no man in his desire to give practical gratitude to the men who had served tlieir country with magnificent courage and the extreme of selfdenial. But he did not approve of the plan of settlement before Cabinet. While condemning that plan, he offered another which he had reason to think was better. He did not prevail; hp would not be responsible in any waY for the plan he distrusted. He resigned. Again he had the courage of his opinion. It would be to no good purpose to discuss the merits of these plans now, but Sir Joseph Ward cannot be blamed for his courage of withdrawal. Moreover in view of the fact that the plan of settlement carried out was certainly not an ideal success—to say the least of it—who can blame him for the course he took? He thought he could achieve success without diverting the great sum he had accumulated from his purpose of reinforcing the finances for the great difficulties of the war aftermath. His opponents in the matter diverted that accumulation to the purpose of a settlement they aimed at, which proved only partially successful. We can leave it at that, without in any way impugning the financial judgment of a financier of approved ability. And so we take leave of the Coalition, which did really well in the Great War. DREADNOUGHT AND BARONETCY As a member of the War Government Sir Joseph Ward did excellent work in London, at an Imperial Conference, in the British War Cabinet, and at the Peace Conference in Paris. The Prime Minister of New Zealand] )he Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey, had a fight, as such, to be tbe sole representative of bis country in London. But it was thought proper and just '“at the Government, being a union »f the two principal parties in the State, for the war. should have two representatives in London, one from each side of the Cabinet, during the var. with recognition of the Prime Minister s right of precedence. Following on this perfectly fair adjustment of the rights of the two parties united over the grave of the buried party-tomahawk, Sir Joseph went to London during the war with Mr Massey and took part in the Empire’s var work it was the first time that this privilege was accorded the selfgoverning units of the British Empire land Rtands 33 a cons P»uous Und-mat k, showing when and how the P°“ 1 . ni ° ns „ came to "hat has been called the New Status ” Before referring to this event of the New Status.” it ls necessary to aorae on the new st'atus of Sir Joseph Ward. Not long before he had obtained it. in accepting the baronetcy conferred on hint by hU Majesty the King. i n G ne £!* j“ tR ot , , stroUK initiative Sir Joseph hard had, on behalf of th° country over which he ruled as Primf Minister, presented a later known as the first-class battle cruiser “New Zealand”—to the Kins^ zxssnsrs x, c ~” Constitutionally the action Tas HMA.’srSssff-E and England. The greaf mas Uy But there were ever against ti,.,some few who regarded war as about

to break out at any moment, with <* without ultimatum from the Germ* Chancellory. Sir Joseph Ward w**# the number of these, and there many signs on the internatiom horizon justifying their apprehension As a matter of fact, there were aeeral occasions—as has been revealt in later times —when the outbreak! •war was only averted by the smaller possible margin. A TIMELY GIFT Understanding this situation. $t Joseph concluded that if help was i: be given to the Empire and England it should be of the promptest po> sible. Deciding, therefore, not t 5 wait for the session of Parliamentat the moment some length of ti®. away —he felt his way among the t*. presematives and with his Cabinet; consent offered the Dreadnought t; the Navy, and got warmly thanked fcthe King and the public opinion oftii whole Empire. In due time th* course was put before Parliament asvalidated and an Act was passed pre viding the necessary finance. H.M.S. New Zealand was quickly built and commissioned. Promptly she came out to the Dominion, a® entered several of our ports, in eaci of which she was visited by all a® sundry. The population thronged o* her decks and was guided in swarmover part of the ship, and young Net Zealand coming to the seaside Iron the* schools of all parts was speeialb welcomed on board and swarmei under kindly expert guidance overth* ship in ecstasies of wonder and de light. New Zealand, in fact, ratifies the great gift with enthusiasm. Dur ing the war the New Zealand did ver good service in various engagement! chief of which was the Battle of Joland. in which some of her consor battle-cruisers were destroyed. Afte the war she took Admiral Jellice* round the Dominions on a specu mission, and coming in due cours into our seas again was again n ceived with enthusiasm, this timwith addition of the pride and ac miration inspired by the fine wor; she had done in the war. Later, i: consequence of the famous Treaty <r Washington —in the making of whic: one of our judges, the late Mr. Justic Salmond, took a leading part, whic: obtained for him wide reputation a a jurist of high ability —the histori; gift-ship ended her career on thscrap heap. Her services had just: fied the presenting of her to the Navy and if her beginning was somewha irregular—but justifiably so—her "e: was strictly, if painfully, correct, ac it came before the scheme for paj ment of her cost had worked clear. ! OPPOSITION’S PROTEST At the opening of this fine story objection was strongly made, in th; New Zealand Parliament by the Of position. The objection was not ti the giving of the ship, but to th; manner of the giving. The Opposi tion declared the manner to har ; been a breach of constitutional prii ciple and dangerous as a precedes and w r as therefore severe in cos demnation. Such breaches have ofte: occurred in the Dominion’s history and have caused no very serious an hiadversion. The vigour of the de nuuciation in that case was probably due to the greater magnitude of th* breach. The point of difference 2: the time of the objection was tin necessity for immediate action. Si' Joseph urged that the need wa» urgent ; the Opposition thought other wise. Protests against breaches 0' principle cannot be blamed. It is th* duty of a vigilant Opposition to mak* them. Necessity is the only justifies tion—an article of “Suprema Lei 1 The difference upon this point c! necessity was settled in Sir Joseph Ward’s favour by the Great War, it which the much-discussed battlecruiser New Zealand proved a welcome addition to the fighting force* of the Empire. Practically that i> now, very rightly, the general view shutting off all possibility of a barf precedent. About the gift itself there was—-as has been said on another page—* doubt. It was acclaimed on all side? At the top of that acclamation cam* the King’s bestowal of a baronetcy ot Sir Joseph Ward. It was his Majesty* own suggestion. There was nc prompting such as usually precede* the bestowal of titular honours bvtb? King’s Majesty. This is very iff portant to remember. HONOURED BY THE KING Sir Joseph has been blamed for ac cepiance of tbe honour, in degree high above the honours usually 1* stowed. The blame has gone furthefor in cases where titular honoohave been refused by men to wbo> they have been offered —of wbici cases there are not a few, for e* ample: the Right Hon. R. J. SeddoE and the Right Hon. W. F. Massey-' unfavourable comparisons have be®* made. The thing to remember suf gests itself here. The honour *a* offered at the King’s own suggestionTo have refused would have been t< disoblige the King. Sir Joseph, ing the difficulty of doing that, & cepted the offered extra decoration It came to him in London in year of the Imperial Conference. TO* only thing to be said is: “May he belong to enjoy that honour, and oisy all successive inheritors of the be able and willing to do as goo« public, work as its first holder." After the conference of 1909 —tbj Defence Conference—a gathering C: members of Parliament at Westffli* ster met to thank the giver of Dreadnought. Sir Joseph’s reply i® pressed them very much. Mr. & quith. Mr. Balfour and Mr. Chafflb®® lain all agreed that no better c°°7 have been delivered on Imperial ** fairs. (To be continued daily.) Copies of previous editions FUN* containing “The Life Story of * Joseph I Vard” way be obtained plication to the Publisher, THE PO. Box 630 , Auckland.