SPEECH BY MR. MASSEY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 36, 11 February 1905, Page 4

SPEECH BY MR. MASSEY.

(By Telegraph—press Association.) STRATFORD, this day. .Mr W. F. llassey. Leader of the Opposition, addressed a large meeting here last night. He des.lt at length with the land question on the lines of hi? recent speeches. Lands purchased at the end of the Unancial year, he said, had c-ost £'274,000 to settlers, representing , a c-ost of £1170 a-pietp. He did not think the Royal Cominissioii would complete iis , labours in the stipulated time. The members would be unable to draw an unbiassed report from the evidence. Several were anti-freeholders, and the Commission included not a single member sound on freehold. Mr Massey eritirused the appointment to the eoniniission of Mr Paul, a member of the Otago Trades and Labour Council, who moved a resolution at the last conference of Trades Councils in Christehureh protesting against the *ale of Crown lands, and Mr Forbes, the unsuccessful candidate for the Hurunni seat at the last election was aJso a declared champion of the leasehold. The Commission would coat £5000 or £6000 and its report would not be worth three farthings. He deprecated the action of the Government in delaying the Public Works Statement till the dying hour.s of the session, and spoke strongly asr'ainst late sitting. The Government had been taken to task for failure to reform the Upper House, appointments to which were only securer! by strong Government supporters, newspaper proprietors, or men of influence. Mr Massey expressed the hope that when replying to aim along the Coast. Mt Seddon would speak on the land question., wiiieh he had previously always ecrnpnloualy avoided. The speaker had a good reception.