SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9099, 27 May 1908, Page 5

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

SPEECH AT ELTHAM. BY TETjEGBAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION. ELTHAM, May 26. Sir Joseph Ward addreosed a large meeting here to-night. He dealt largely with land legislation, touching on clie native land settlement, Giaduated Land Tax, and land for settlement. He also touched on the Civil Service superannuation, and forecasted a supernnuotion scheme for all for next session. He said he would ask Parliament next year to increase the naval subsidy. He'advocated the right of the colonies to ask for preference from Britain, while not interfering with Britain's fiscal controversy. Regarding the Arbitration Act, he said it shoul'3 be amended not abolished. He was against imprisonment, which would make heroes of the men imprisoned, as it had the English suffragettes. He advocated the abolition of the clause which provides for imprisonment, and making as perfect ad possible the machinery for collecting fines. The Government were not responsible for the imprisonment of Mr Dixon, at Auckland, or the nonimprisonment of the Blackball miners. That was the result of the Courts taking their course. A vote of thanks and confidence in the Government was carried.