POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 149, 15 June 1908, Page 2

POLITICAL.

THE PREMIER AT GISBORNE. 13y Telegraph—Press Association. Gisborne, Last Night. Sir Joseph Ward paid his promised visit to Gisborne on Saturday, the weather being perfect and exceptionally mild for the time of the year, The morning was spent discussing local matters with representatives of local bodies, and then the journey was made from Gisborne to the railway terminus at Willow's Crossing, where the Premier declared officially open the three-mile section which had been made available for trallic on Empire Hay, and informally opened by the Hon. Mr. McGowan two days later. In reply to various speeches, Sir Joseph said the line had got to a stage which would justify its being continued at <i more rapid pace, and this would be the case, lie promised that next year's vote wuuld be larger that it had been the year before. lu the evening, the Premier address 'il a large audience in the local theatre, the Mayor (Mr. W. 1). Lysnar) presiding. Sir Joseph was in excellent speaking form, and received a decidedly sympathetic hearing. His address was cliiclly devoted to an answer to Mr. Masse;/ s speeches, as well as to the criticisms if his linaut-ial policy that 'have appear :u in the Wellington Post, and in this respect he followed the lines of his recent address in Chrrstchurcli. lMerring M the contention of the Opposition that :l was entitled to the credit of having removed the sheep tax from the Statute Book, Sir Joseph retorted that the only power which can move for any remission . of taxation in Parliament is the G>> • verninent. Regarding native lands, he ■ declared that by the end of the prese it year there would be a million and a-ha'l

acres available for settlement, and A would be found that the Government had provided a fair solution of a gi'c'it problem. Referring to the white New Zealand policy, he invited his hearers to look over the map of the world, and there they would find the shadow oi China hanging over Australia and New Zealand, and we must, he declared, show in our day and generation that w« are atle to do something towards the defence of our country. Sir Josepn implied to the statement made by Mr. Massey at a Farmers' Union social at Mangere on Friday, which was to the i *'- feet that only a few days previously a Cabinet Minister, speaking iu Aucidami, had declared publicly that the people, ,o; the country must choose between Socialism and single-tax. He had wired that day to Mr Fowlds, who had sent him the following reply:—"The Aucklana Herald's report of the portion of my speech referred to reads thus: 'lliglil, through the world there was a growing recognition of the need of some radical change to secure a more just and equitable distribution of the products oi labor than existed at the present time. If the change were not effected in one particular way, it would be brought about in another way. That nay might be Socialism.' I made no statement anywhere in my speech at Auckland Hub the people of this country must choose between Socialism and single-tax as At■•. Mnssey is reported to have stated at a Farmers' Union social, and had strong!*protested against Mr. Massey including me amongst the six Socialist Ministers in his speech at Gisborne. I had pointet out that Socialism and single-tax were as wide apart as the poles.' Sir Joseph made no special comment in reference to this incident, but claimed that it was ridiculous to expect that in any Cabinet there would not be a diversity of opinion. He contended that his Ministry should he judged, not by rumors concerning its individual members, but by the policy of the whole. Sir Joseph left to-night for the South. Wellington, Last Night. Mr. F. T. Moore announces himself as a Democratic candidate for the Wellington Suburbs seat in the House of Representatives.