POLITICS AND RELIGION.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1920, Page 5

POLITICS AND RELIGION.

ATTACKS ON SIR JOSEPH WARD. A VIGOROUS REPLY. HTS FAREWELL TO AWARUA. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Winton, Last Night. Sir Joseph Ward was met by the Mayor of Winton on arrival and by the band- He was given a warm welcome. In the course of his reply Sir Joseph stated he and Lady Ward would be leaving for 'Australia shortly for a few moiitlw on invitations received two days after the election. At a banquet given in honor of Sir Joseph and Lady Ward there were two hundred present, and many others were unable to gain admission. Lady Ward was made a presentation of a handsome fur rug. The proceedings Were most enthusiastic and no opposition met the remarks. Many apologies from leading Liberals were received, all strongly laudatory of Sir Joseph Ward's services. An address read to him traversed his work in connection with the constituency, the country, and the Empire,

Sir Joseph Ward delivered a lengthy speech, traversing incidents of the recent election, with particular reference to the imputation of sectarianism, which he said had been employed to ah unprecedented extent in tiie Awarua and other electorates. He cited a large number of publications Issued by the P.P.A. and the Orange Society and statements in their official "organ, which he denounced as scandalously untrue and unfair. v CATHOLICS NOT FAVORED. The Rev. Howard Elliot stated at Bluff on December 12th that it had cost between .£ 15,000 to £IO,OOO to carry Catholic children past State schools. As a matter of fact it cost nothing, but he inferred that he (Sir Joseph) was responsible for the expenditure of this amount. The principle of issuing free school tickets to children attending public and primary schools was affirmed in 18S0, before he was a member of Parliament, on the motion of Major Atkinson, and in ISS9 it, was adopted by the Railway Commissioner, and had been in force ever since. The cost mentioned by Mr. Elliott was a book entry, by which the Railway Department' got credit from the Education Department for the carriage of children of all denominations

A statement was made by Mr. Elliott at the Bluff, ard l>v others elsewhere, that in 1911, when lie was Prime Minieter, there were 0000 appointments to the Civil Service, of whom 4,000 were Catholics. The total number of appointments to the railway, postal and other departments in that year was under 1200. While he was Minister of I Railways from 11)00 to 1903 417G appointments were made, an average of 523 per annum. No person'.? religion war. stated upon the application form, and the Minister seldom or never saw an applicant personally. LETTERS IN THE TOST. The organ of the Orange Lodge and the P.P.A. accused him of getting Mr. L. M. Isitt to attack 'the PP.A. in the (louse. That statement was absolutely untrue- In the same issue they made a charge indirectly that letters of Protectants' passing through the Post Office were not safe with him as Postmaster(ieneral. This again was deliberately untrue. No letters passing through the post office came under the notice of the Minister unless there was a breach of the Act, but at the time referred to in this instance he was out of the country.

• He was accused of moving a motion in Parliament to exempt Marist Brother.-; from military service. His motion exempted all teachers, lecturers, and professors, and was necessary owing to the depletion of the profession. It had been insinuated that his firm engaged in profiteering during the war. That was impossible for the reason that it dealt in products which were commandeered by the Imperial Government. MINORITY IN POWER. Another statement used in several electorates ij-as that when the Government came to the aid of the Bank of New Zealand the Pope lent £2,000,000. subject to the. stipulation that the Papal coat of arms was to appear on the bank notes until the amount was repaid. The Government never lent C 2.0-111.000. It guaranteed a loan of that amount, which was floated in London by the bank itself. The "coat of arms" referred to was a copy of the «cal on the Treaty of Waiting!. Ho had not at any time had any communication with anyone in Rome directly or indirectly. Sir Joseph Ward referred in scathing term* to t|ie imputation* upon bis loyaltr. during the election for political purposes. He attended to his endeavors to assist in the defence and the unit-v of the Empire before and during the war. He did not believe that the bulk of the Protestants approved Hiesc nr/on'-*, ami the nollinc showed that J130.-2OG votes out of r,t2Ml were i-c * fo'' the opponents of the P.P.A. Turning to the Reform victory at the elections he nointed out that the Government held office on a minority vote, though he did not wish to throw cold wafer on their jubilation at their majority in Parliament. Tn conclusion Sir Joseph bade an eloquent farewell to the Awarua electorate.