PREMIER AT PALMERSTON.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 254, 20 October 1908, Page 2

PREMIER AT PALMERSTON.

lilil'lA' To .MI!. JUSSUV". By Telegraph.—Press Association. Palmerstou Xortli, Last Xight. Sir Joseph Ward addressed a crowded and ■enthusiastic meeting at the Opera House to-night. He dealt at length with .Mr. Jlassey's recent address. The Audit Ollice gave the Ward Government a clean certificate for public accounts last year. llr. Hassey had said we were playing second fiddle ti Australia in the mail service, and nc one who knew the facts would bkupi the .New Zealand Government for dis 'Continuing the San Jt'raneisco service. He himself was dissatisfied with our passenger and mail service. He then | dealt exhaustively with .Mr. Massey's statements re land policy. As to the suggestion of no taxation of mortgages, he stateil that under those circumstances there would be no reason \vtiv every man in. the country should not have a mortgage, ttegarding taxation there was persistent misrepresentation, and he emphatically stated that no increase of taxation had been placed on the statute-book for many years. He denied that the Government had proposed to spend lwlf-a-milliou lor 'Parliamentary Buildings at Wellington. The whole of the proposed cost of J,J>« erection nf Parliament Buildings on the Government House site was £225,01K1, and tlie cost had been exaggerated bv the Opposition. The Government were anxious to be economical.

Regarding the '"gag" clause of the Second Ballot Bill, it had never been intended to gag the [Press, but it was merely desired to prevent criticism which a candidate could not answer. He denied Mr. Massey's statement that thousands of articles for use in mining and agricultural industries were jiow taxed that were free last year. Re the complaints by Mr. Allen thr.t' insufficient money was being spent on ■roads and bridges, it was impossible to expend the amouilt voted till the end of the financial year. Regarding the expenditure on public works, it was proposed to spend .■Cist),oo« per annum Jn addition to what was being spent this year. This would be devoted to reading the backblocks.

He then reviewed the work of the last two sessions, saying that a liberal ami progressive policy had been carried out m respect to legislation. He referred at length to the progress of the l ost and Xelcgraph Department, saying hat the development for the past seventeen years read like a romance. As to the dairy regulations, the object was to improve the quality of butter lie referred to the tremendous strides made in dairy produce during tile i, years, which was admittedly due to the Agricultural Department. The regulation would not come into force lor nearly », year, and dairy farmers will have ample opportunity to nmkc Suggestions They were in the Wst intervals ol dairymen. ) ,^'. dcali "S with illc t '-' i P onse of Ule iNative Land Commission, no spoke of Uie criticism of the Advances to \\ orkers, denying that the Government weic oipposed to applying the principle to rural lauds. He himself had siw gcsled an advance to the workers; ii ! lot l ' as3< \ v 'j as claimed by lhim.t He hoped the new Arbitration Act would improve the relation of employer and employee, as the law was now nvsirer a system of conciliation than ever before. Dealing with the Governments legislation, he claimed that jt was an advance of most coihtries. ihe Government Jwd to deal with some of the greatest and most difficult subjects affecting tin's or any o'lta? ■country. Concluding, 'he said tile Go-i > eminent wanted to make the conditions freer and better for all,'not to legislate for one class against another. He advocated a progressive Liberalism, not. wild, unconsidered license.

At the close of the address, a vote of thanks and confidence was carried with only one dissentient voice.