MINISTERS ON TOUR.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14978, 27 May 1914, Page 10

MINISTERS ON TOUR.

INTERVIEWS WITH MR

MASSEY AND MR ALLEN.

Yesterday morning the Prime Minister, tbeßt. Hon. W. F. Massey, accompanied by the Hon. Jas. Allen, Minister of Defence and Education, arrived from Wellington by the ferry boat and went South by the first

express. Mr Massey looked exceedingly fit and cheerful, and chatting with a ropreseniativo of "The Press," he said how pleased he was to see the sun again and enjoy some fine weather. "Wo have had a bad time, so far as the weather is concerned, up. North during the past month," he said. "Rain and storms have been the rule, and I an; informed that rain fell in Wollingto.. on nearly every day. But this" is better down here, though colder, and 1 hope it continues."

MR MASSEY'S MOVEMENTS. Air Massey is due iv Invercargill today, Balclutha to-morrow, and Dunedin ou Friday night, and at all these places the Prime Minister will conduct departmental business and make political speeches. On Saturday afternoon he will unveil the Scott Memorial at Port Chalmers, and open the Dunedin Winter Show in Dunedin on Tuesday next. The Prime Minister's movements after this have not been settled yet, and no information was available as to whether lie would speak in Christchurch in the near future Or not. POLITICAL POINTS. Referring to his northern tour. Mr Massey was calmly confident of the standing the Government held in tho North "So far as lam able to ascertain "'he said, "the Government stands as well as ever it did, and even better than it did, in the estimation of the public. This is proved by the rush that has taken place by would-be candidates for seats in .the Reform interest. lam thoroughly satisfied with our prospects" in the North, and from the accounts -that reach mo from the South I may say Otago is perfectly Kolid. and the prospects are better than ever * they have been for the future. I venture to say also that there will be 6ome desirable changes in Christchurch and Canterbury as.the result of the forthcoming elections." "Tho flying squtdron ?" laughed Mr Massey, in answer to a query. "I am .afraid that I have taken no, interest in the brigade. It certainly has not worried mc.." In fact, people have come up-and-said'to mc, 'If this is all that can be said against the Government, and these are the men who say it, why, .then, the Government must be pretty good-after all I."?-,-. A LAND COMMISSION.

Mr Masseysaid he had very little to add to ' what" had -already been stated

with regard to the new Land Commission. Tho setting' up of tho Commission, was the result of his recent visit to the West Coast. He had then realised that; the. complaints made by setr tiers' were founded upon. grounds that were worthy 'of closer investigation. As matters now stood, it was, almost/ possible"-, for •"■settlers .to-, obtain;, se-1 curify';.,'; [of ..tenure; 'on ' account :•'• :.'\q'f?i,'wiie., ';,Of^-;other imporjtant *chiefly "timber interesie'/ilbut;also/v Ho a "--leaser degree, , nuning./Aij-troportibn'ofvthe regulations were; palpably r - and 'it was quite timtj' something 'v<as done.to, _»ut tho w^ble"matter; on aftisburider and" more Bquitable : f Settle'ra on -the West Coast .were-' worthy pf v encouragement, for he "realised -.vtlwroughly- that the . Westland'" bush. ■ was"-;' more difficult to clenri'than, any laifd. in'theDominion, and every;'&fl;ort must'.,Be made to give the would-be. settlers a; fair opportunity to obtain a secure tenure," without hampering the interests of other ■'■*'ebneerns.'":*Wheh^the.Commission" had s 'nhishedr;its;^nsiness>in:Westland : and. - part of^tbe'Nelsin(province, there would :'* be a 6light "changein -the personnel and , order oilrexerenpe, arid, it- would then fisn'ftb.thoTJ&mes.district and alio to ; the'; towns 'of ,;TexAr6ha;;"and' Rotorua, -whererquesHqns: ~;relating to tenure would do people*' of Rbfcbnia^^^.'were r ' asking for the privilego >of the ;freehbld {tenure, and it would be: part of the" Commission's business to -look, into the matter and make recomThe .be§t that was possible . Would \be.dohb. for settlers and J tbwns- . folk, whoj would ibe given overy reasbn- • ♦ able, adviihtageconsistent: with the prov : --- of'the interests of th6Btat«;;;: '.•,-■ -.. .•;;.-. '..;.''>•.?•', ■ :.'• r^^ELFX^RAL;REFORM. ;.'.'•; Thorumoursthai .were floating about with. -regard ,'lto electoral changes and electoral;.,reform .;were brought under ] the Prime Mihist'eK.'s; notice, but he refused to be, drawn, and guardedly rO- j •marked that-all he could say was that

electoralirefprm had-been promised aU ihd it.-vbuld be given. "An Elec- . toral Bill would be placed before' Par-liament-this, session, arid the Bill was ' "now;"i*i ; .course of 'preparation. It had yet*-tb fcome before Cabinet, and it was the ; unwritteh ;law that no hints as to the .nature, of a. proposed measure could be made before;it had;been-dealt with by the "Cabinet.-' "..-• ■ : "As promised, last; session," 6aid Mr .Massey, '.'a' Licensing Bill will be submitted : to'Parliament, and/ like other -BiHsiof' thisnatiire, it will-be a non-pirty measure: Members on both sides of tho" House are committed to definite action - on the licensing question, and under the circumstances it will,be considered on a stric% non-party basis;''' •■'•. ; ■ '.''V'.';-THE';MEAT TRUST. Tho.Meat Trust question was briefly touched upon by the Prime Minister, .who said that he had received authentic that American operators had - commenced business in the Dominion. He was convinced that tho information was correct, and that the Trust was established in New Zealand, and he could only s ay *hat developments would be watched very closely, and that if there was any indication that th© working of the Trust was to the detriment .of New Zealand producers, he "would, at once;ask Parliament to deal with the matter.