POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 39, 6 July 1914, Page 4

POLITICAL.

ABOOT A BUMO& Something about what 6ir Joseph Ward was doing in London Wore the Minister of Finance readied there was mentioned by the right (honorable gentlema* in the House on Thursday afternoon. He had mentioned more than once that lie had been in London, Whien Mr. 0. K. Wilson interjected: You floated the loan! Bir Joseph Ward: I beg your pardon? Mr. Wilson: You generally get credit for it. Bir Joseph Ward, staid that 'before the Miaister of Finance arrived in London he was seea by leading financial men. At the time a. rumor was current in London based on the statement of some Reformers here that the Minister of Finance was coming to float a loan of sixteen millions. He (feiad contradicted the rumor, and also he had done all k* ouuld to keep ti.e country's Wedit food. Mr. Jtoswortky; To* jwpared the w»yt» Sir Joseph Watrd said he had done what ike thought right, and what he would do again. Ha would not, undta any eircnm»tan«e», try to prevent a political opponent from making a successful flotation of a loan. He had given as interview to tie Press in eonB«rue«»e e-f statements made, wjhffch he kaew to 'be contrary to fact. The Hon. J. Allen: As ta the rumor ia London that I was going-to London , tto Soat a loan of sixteen millions of money, I can only say that I was there shortly afterward*, and I aevtr heard I do« t know who the financiers were 1 t« wkoM the right hon. gentleman re--1 ferred, Bir Joseph Ward: It wag puMiehed in the Preai «f New Zealaad Wore you : left Mr. Allei: 1 never jfew it ia fee . Press of New Zealand.Bir Joseph Ward subseaueatly, in a personal explanation, t/aa thai the probabilities were that the rumor wa3 ' based! upon the statement made by the Minister and others about the large amount of loans fallinf du« fa the year following. ; AN OBVIOUS IHJUOTIOB. WTiat deems to be an obvious injustice was aonunented upon by Mr. H. J. H. f)key in the House the other evening, • when he was dealing with the subject 5 of workers' dwellings. A loan made to : u settler by the Advances Department. s Mr. Okey pointed out, bore interest at - the late of 4 1 /. per cent., whereas a i worker who was being assisted by the i State to acquire his own dwelling had to pay interest on the loan at the rate of five per cent. Mr. Okey submitted that the rate charged to workers should ike made uniform with the rate charged to settlers, and in the face of it this seems reasonable. The Prime Minister, when he was in Opposition, made strong efforts to have the rate of interest «harged to workers reduced, and had some sn*ee?a in this, direction. No doiibt. therefore, ho will be prepared to > consider the suggestion of the member . I for Taranaki in a sympathetic spirit ; Dominion. ! BIG HOLDERS AND SMALL FARMERS. . "I have been in the House for sev.;n s years," said Mr. Okey (member to- ' Taranaki) in the House on Thursday evening, "and I don't know one thin? that we have done for the large lam 1 owner except gradually cut off bits of 1 hi" land. If we bring the acreow dow 1 lower wo are going to affect a great number of our worthy settler who are the backbone of the country. 1 All our land legislation has been in ! the direction of allowing a man to take : up «40 acres o? first-class land. If he tukes up 040 seres in Taranaki, where i lend stands at £BO or £7O an acre, yo» ' will And that that man—the beat oUiss ! o? settler that anv cauntrT can have—- ' will suffer hf tho next tur« of the 1 screw. I fail to see why any Government should bring in such legislation: ■ it would ae the greatest possible mis- ! take. Aw far as sub-division of land ' Roes, lam with you every time. I am 1 here for am ill ?etttJement, and I believe a great deal can be done for the ' small farmer. It is of very little utfe for the Gcremmert at present to break up ■ large sstats* in hilly country, where every few yny, there ia a snowstorm, i whiel would uuan ruin to smaSl set--1 t'trs. But if Wie Government sub-d? vided some of our best land, so that ■ Miia.ll men could take it up, and go in foi intensive cultivation thwt polii.v v.tftild ftest, help the country's prosperity. 1 hope to see more of tihis class 1 o,* administration carried on in the lw r future-" Mr. Okey praised the deferred payment system and advocated its cxten«ton .