THE PREMIER'S SPEECH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2217, 15 June 1908, Page 3

THE PREMIER'S SPEECH.

SIR JOSEPH WARD AT THE THEATRE.

. On Saturday evening the Prime ■Minister delivered a mre-sessional undress in His (Majesty s Theatre, the (building was crowded, and Sir Joseph was accorded a most attentive and enthusiastic hearing. , The Mayor, introducing tho 1 rime Minister, said that tho visit was a most important one, -They recently had a visit from tho Leader ot tho Opposition (Mr. Massey), and it was only right that the leaders of both sides of the House should explain the legislation to the people., so that they coukl understand >bot-h sides, and so intelligently vote when tho election took place at the end of the year. On helialf of tho people of Gisborno ho •wished to present to the leader of the Government a petition signed by over 1000 residents of the Borough asking that tho Waimata Maori Reserve bo handed over a 6 a (Borough endowment, or sold at a peppercorn price for that purpose. Also a requisition from nearly half .tlio subscribers to tho telephone asking 'for a continuous telepliono service.

The Prime Minister, on rising to speak, was heartily applauded. He said he was pleased to receive such a warm welcome, and surprised to see such a largo audience on a Saturday evening. iHo was still more pleased to receive two presents (the petitions) from the Mayor; (laughter), and lie •promised to give both requests his full consideration, and send a reply as soon as possible. Ho was pleased to visit- the Poverty Bay district, and to see it looking so prosperous. During the last live years the Cook County, of which Gisborne was the capital town, had increased in population by 4030 persons, the capital value by £2,465,000, and the unimproved value by £1,848,872 Sir Joseph also quoted, statistics showing the progress that had been made in the stocking of the district, and also with regard to cultivation, He recognised that tho district would never reach true prosperity until it had at its door a harbor that would accommodate the leviathans of the ocean.

REPLY TO MR. MASSEY. He wished first of all to briofly reply to some statements_ made by Mr. Massey in.his recent Gisborne speech, and to place his own views on those romarks before those present. Mr. Massey had said that during the last 14 years tho Public Debt had increased by 25 millions of money, or about £lO per head of population, and that the debt in 1907 was £64,179,400. He wished to show that though tlie .public debt bad increased, the taxation hail not increased, for tlie greater portion of the money bad been use 4 to benefit tlie settler and the •fanner, and it should also be considered how much had been loaned to local bodies. Over £13,000,000 earned its own interest without the people paying a penny in taxes. The loans to settlers amounted to £5,499,363, and the loans to local bodies nearly £2,500,000, while the Government had purchased £500,000 worth of shares in the Bank of New Zea--laud, and tho returns from that investment paid interest upon a large amount of the borrowed money. During the last 14 years £10,599,-174 h id been spent in public -works, in providing railways, roads, bridges, post offices, telephones, telegraphic and other requirements for the people, and the money invested was well represented in tlie assets owned’ by the Government. The (Government had over the same period paid into the Public AVorks Account no less a sum than £6,400,000 out of revenue, and if that had not been done it would have been necessary to borrow an additional six millions of money. The annual revenue now exceeds £9,000,000, and there was an extension in every department. Yet a certain section of tlie press and piiblic men talked financial nonsense, and Wished the public to believe the Government was composed' of reckless spendthrifts, while-the fault-find-ers totally ignored tho assistance that had been given to 24,000 farmers; The theory of over-taxation only heeded to :be exploded once for the Slo to see that they were not uny taxed, and for-them to judge the financial position of tlie Dominion for themselves; They had been told they were taxed through the Customs, but the articles that carried the heaviest duties were the luxuries of life, and the Government did not force people to buy luxuries from outside the Dominion, but the purchasers imported them at their own free will. While the Government last year borrowed £2,400,000, it must be Temomberod that big sums had been .Used for the purchase of lands tor settlement, and for advances to set-? tiers, and tho peoplo had good value for the money expended. The Government had also paid off a loan of £1,000,000, and had lodged £BOO,OOO worth of gilt-edged securities in London, so that an case of a financial crisis the country could be safely financed. He (Sir Joseph) had also been taken to task because lie did not de-

cry the country at tho time of the financial crisis in December last, but

•predicted that -before March money would ibo more plentiful. He had confidential advice from London upon the question, and was pleased to say ■liis predictions had come true. They had also been told that the tightness of the money market was due to the -Government .borrowing heavily -within the Dominion, and so blocking the ordinary -money channel. During the last five years the bank deposits in 'New Zealand had increased by £16,000,000, yet the whole amount borrowed by the Government in -the Dominion was £0,900,000. The Government during that period bad also borrowed about three millions of money in Australia, as it was thought that when money could be got at a low rate of interest upon the Australian market there was no need to go to -London. The finances of the country were absolutely safe and sound, and only in one instance had increased taxation been imposed, and for that increased- taxation every member of •tiro Opposition voted. He referred to the increased graduated land tax, which was passed with -the sole object * of ensuring 7 to the people the impossibility of the curse of older countries —the building up of lluigo landed estates, so as to disinherit the people ns a whole. (Applause.) Yet against that .increase it must not be forgotten that the Government had reduced •taxation through the Customs by £1,555,000, They had taken-off the duty on sugar and tea, and for that alone deserved the confidence of the •people. There was a little depression existing through the -fall in the price of wool, but no sane man believed that product would remain at the high values of last year, and he was confident that it would not remain at tho low values ruling at present. ■MINISTERIAL SOCIALISM.

The Leader of the Opposition had publicly stated that six of the Cabinet -Ministers were socialists, and that one -Minister had declared the Government -were convposed of socialists .and single-taxers. The -Government had never advocated single-tax at any .time, and never believed in lt- A Voice: Why don’t they? Because single-tax meant freetrade, and the -Government did not •wish to destroy the industries of the •Dominion. 31 r. Massey Irul saul a>t » meeting of the Farmers Union lit Mangero on l-'ridiy evening that “only -a few days ago a Cubinet.iiUinister when speaking in Auckland had publicly stated that the people of the country must choose between soe-' ialisui and single-tax.” .Mr. I'owlds was the (Minister referred to, and ihe (the speaker) communicated with Mr. Fowlds to know if -lie hid done so. Mr, Fowlds had mi reply telegraphed as follows: “The Auckland ‘Herald’s’ report on May 2-Bth of my speech referred to hy -Mr. Massey begins, ‘-High,t through, the world there was a growing recognition of tho need of radical clulii-ge to secure a more just and equal distribution of the products of labor than existed <at present, nui if the change was no-t ■effected in one particular way it •would bo brought about -in another way? That way might be socialism.’ I _ made uo statement -anywhere in my speech at Auckland that the people of this ■pouutry must choose. between aoeiul-

ism, and single-tax, ns Mr, Massey is reported-to nave stated at the.'-farm-ers’ Union social. 'I strongly protested against Mr. Massey including .mo among tho six socialistic Ministers in his speech delivered nt Gisborne, ns reported in the ‘Dominion,’ and 1 pointed out that socialism ami single-tax were as wide asunder ns tho poles.” ... Continuing, Sir Joseph said every man was entitled to his own opinion, but the private opinion of one member of tho Cabinet did not .prejudice the opinion of -the Government as a ■whole, and bocauso Air. Fowltls held strong opinions on single-tax, that did not mean that tho Government shared his views. TIo (Sir Joseph) had dcelnred that lie did not believe in revolutionary socialism, but lie believed that the St-nto could and should noln tho workers to get a fair distribution of their products. The work of the Government should be all what ho might term social work. State aid to sofctlens, v<overnmout insurance, the Public Trust Office, -State railways, State post and tele-gnph offices, tho Agricultural Department, State (farms, State lauds for settlement; what -were all these but social work and social measures, and who would say it was not tho duty of a Liberal Government to do such work? It was tho duty of tho State to help tho -worker and tho-far-mor. The Government bad done it in file past, and would do it in the futre. Revolutionary socialism asked for the nationalisation of tho land, State ships, State mills and bakeries, and did not realise what it was ask.ng for. Ho would ask those who Advocated the nationalisation of tho .and how it was to bo paid- for, and where (hey -would got the £161,000,000 to purchase tho lands - ’of the country. NATIVE LANDS.

Dealing with tho question of native lands, tho Prime Minister went on to siv that the Royal Commission on native lands was doing good work, and it was the duty of tho Commission to visit every district and find out what land was required for tho use of the natives and to recommend that the balance be disposed of, half on leaso, and half as freehold. In this way the Government hoped that 1,750,000 acres of native lands would be mauo available for selection, and the inonoy realised would cnablo the Maoris to develop their own lands. He asked them to carefully judge the Government’s -policy by its results, and not by the rumors they heard.

GOVERNMENT AUDIT. During next session he intended to bring before Parliament a measure to provide for the post-auditing of all Government accounts. , That was tho system of auditing accounts after the inonoy had been paid, as adopted by Canada, against the old system of pre-audit. He believed that such a system would stop all criticism, as Parliament and tlie people .would know how every penny of public money was gpent. GENERAL.

He also inleuded to introduce legislation to amend the Arbitration Act, for he still believed the peoplo preferred arbitrament to the old system of strikes. lie did not believe m insuring Government buildings against fire, and the risk would not be worth the amount of the premiums, and if they were insured in the Government offices it would only bo a system Af robbing Peter to pay Paul. The Government hud adopted a superannuation scheme for public servants, and hoped that the members of tho police force and school teachers would soon be -brought under .the scheme. Ho also proposed to introduce a measure during the coming session so that all persons outside the State employ could make provision for an annuity at any period of their life. Ho believed the people should strive to keep New Zealand a White. country, and that.young men by taking an interest in military training, should be prepared to defend their hearths and homes. (Applause.) 1 Captain Tucker moved, and Mr. AV. L. Rees and Mr. J. Tovnloy supported a motion thanking the Prime Minister for his address, and assuring him of the confidence of the people in- tho Government of which he was the head.

t The motion was carried with applause. Three cheers were then -given for Sir Joseph and the Hon. Air. CaTroll, and a vote of thanks to the Alayor for presiding -brought the meeting to a close.

Sir Joseph spent a quiet Sunday in Gisborne, -meeting a few friends, and left for Napier en route to JCawhia by the s.s. Waikare in the evening..