MR. MASSEY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1040, 1 February 1911, Page 5

MR. MASSEY.

A VIGOROUS SPEECH. PLUNGE POLICY RIDDLED. THE "BLACK''PAMPHLET. GOVERNMENT'S COWARDLY ACTION. SBy Tolecraph.—Special Correspondent.) Whangaroi, January 31. Mr W. ]?. Massey, leader of the Opposition, addressed a largely-attended- public meeting in the theatre this evening. He received an enthusiastic reosptiou and a'very attentive .hearing. Mr. J. Jl. Killan presided. In referring to tho Prime Minister's spscch at Dtvouport, Mr. Massey said that it hud not been such a:i important deliverance as ho had expected it to be. There were points in it, however, that he would refer to. As regards the National Provident Act, he Jiati supported the measure, but h= expected Hint it would require amendment next session. He was anxious, lest th-a National Provident Act should detrimentally affect thu friendly societies, and if such were tho case the Act must lo so amended nsxt year as to protect tile societies, (Applause.) The. Fivo Million Loan, .

Mr. Masspy dealt vith Sir Joseph Ward's contradiction of'his (Mr. Massey's) statement* that the placing: of the five- million loan had affected' New Zea-

land's credit, and , that it had been adversely criticised by leading newspapers in England. He quoted what some of the English papers said regarding the loan, and also Rave recent quotations of stock to show .that Ken- Zealand etock were' lower in price than those of any of the Austrnlain States. He believed that this was the result -pf the loan transaction. It was no pleashro to him to point out that our credit was not so good as that of otlrcr countries, but ho bejievcd thai, the- best friends 'jf.the Dominion were those who advised caution and enaeavomjed to prevent.extruuo borrowing. (Applause.) Last year three and a half millions had been borrowed) tho puvipus year four millions had; been borrowed; and during the present financial year no less than five- millions had been raised in ono transaction, and, what the total in-

creased indebtedness foK the year would bo it was impossible to say at present. The history of tho five million loan transaction had come as "a surprise to the members of the House. The Minister for Finance, in answer to his (Mr. Massey's) questions, stated that tho loan had been raised nt a cost of 1 per cent, and floated at ,£9B 10s. Jt was afterwards learned,, however, that investors in converting their stock received a bonus of £2 per cent., and were allowed a further concessiqu amounting tg fivo months' int'rest. These were tremendous concessions, and ho had no' doubt that most, if not tho whole, of the .loan would be ■• converted into inscribed stock later on. In spite of •tho concessions they had been informed that 93

per cent, of , the. loan had bt*n left on-the-hands of tho underwriters. He hoped that what had happened would be a warning to the Government and to the people. It was quite true that we could not do without borrowed money, but there was great difference between moderate borrowing and pluhgine, and he believed that the fact.that this was election year had had.a great deal to do jvith.the great amount of borrowing that had recently taken place. He was quit*' suro that the investors in England, as well ns tho right-thinking people in this country, did not approve of an extravagant borrowing policy. .(Applause.) llr. Masfey said, that the party he was connected with stood for economy, and safety all tho time. (Hear, hear,) Tho Government party, on. tho other hand, stoott lor extravagance and "plimge." In regard to the public debt extinction fund: ).e aud that th a .pMhc»'or>. "tfu'l |g funds was nil right, but one Parliament could not bind another, and although oiie larliainent might set apart.sinking fundsthere was nothing ,to prevent a Minister tor. I'inanco in the .perhaps, distant futiiretrom collaring" these sinking funds' when ho found himself short of money tor other public purposes. No doubt in such case it would be found possible'to induce a majority of Parliament to agree o such a-step This hart happened more than once in the past, and it might Jiap-Pen-again. Ho hoped it would not ha >- nan, but there was always the risk of it happening. .

Increased Taxation. The increased taxation'that had taken stanced the dealir.lutL, the citrf 0 ' an7ra d cin'Y! ld %? taX ? tiou am racing clubs. The railway' fares had tm Tl " IcrcaMtl - • The increased (JnshTonKf C VT ld r T aI "'"delves at tne end of the iinancml year but he hiri unsuccessfully endeavoured a year to nflHon\ v "'"".""Wased by half a S^ar^. 5 tlnl'V'areTt β^stato Ki-sSyiAi

The Land Question. .In regard to tho land riuesfinn irr W0,1( ! r ly cultivate the" ri h r^irnoVi ii s a^iS should bo made available to Europoa, , on terms that would bo sati°fuctorV to both races. (Applause.) J °

A Question Answered. lm"rwha?l tlK,t ' Si^rV h Wanl nan. asked what item on which borrowed money was emended could bo dono wit™ out. Ha pointed out th,,t one of the ~r u. lwsls in fi.s (My. Massed) ammilm lr o ( last year »roy,dcd for Iho option of tha freehold. It that hnd 'K-en carried thorp would havo been a savin" in the wav ol borrowing (through tlio tenants' cash payments) to ihn extent of ai- least hiif a! million. Agaiji, if local bodies' wero allowed to generate their own electricity it would not bo necessary for the Govern!ment to borrow under that head. Private enterprise and (he influx of capital should be encouraged. People outside should be niado to f«l that their monev w", safe when invested in (his country, and > hat were so be was, quite certain that it would not bo necessary for tho Gov eminent to borrow so much. They should mako up their minds as to tho amount that they could safely borrow each year without altecling their credit, and then spend it to tho best advantage, without using anj part ot it for parly mirpiws ■ (Applause.) Mr. Sfaswy dealt with wlnf were- kiiowii w the "Ilinc" charges, Jiiid said Mr. lime, instead, of bcin- bi-imed was entitled to great credit in doin-'a desirable duty in bringing the matters forword. (Applause.) Two Pamphlets. Mr. 3lass»y then rofeired to the Black pamphlet, which ho said had" comu un in tho Uouso in connection with tho Hino charges. 110 regretted to have to refer to the matter, but :t was necessary in order to mako his position clear. It had been

suggested that the Opposition was responsible for tho iiubliciUiuii of the pamphlet, hut this was untrue. lie had been , a member of J'nrliument for 17 years, ami he did not think Ilia! any of jus-opponents amid soy Hint, althuugh he occasionally hit hard," bo hit b;lmv the belt, (1i0n,., hcai.) Ho had made the oiler in I lie House, and he repeated it now, that if any person cmilil prove Hurt he had anything lo do with the publication or i-imiliilion i>f the pamphlet, or that he ever kuuw of its existence before it was nn sale on the sheets, he would retire ftoni public life fur nil lime. (Applause.) lie liiul thought flint (his offer would be siiflicic-ut, but one or two perS3iis. had continued to harbour theslateiiient flint the- imposition was responsible' for the circulation of the unfortunate pamphlet, and other pamphlets had been circulated to which lu> took exception. One of these pamphlets consisted of a collection of extracts from speeches deliverod by mcmlwrs of Parliament. The e.\tra;ts might bo correct so far as they went, but when such quotations were separated from their context they presented quite a misleading meaning. The publication of such a pnninhlet was unfair. His party had iiothim; lo do with them, and he objected to what had been done by Hie other side in connection with the pamphlet referred to, and which had been circulated by the Government papers. Reverting to the ")31ack pamphlet," he said that the attempt to make it appear that the Opposition was responsible for the publication of it was "one of the most cowardly and most dastardly things that has ever happened in connection with tho public lit'e of this country." (Applause.)

Government's Weather-cock Policy. Mr. JJas=ey went on to deal with what ho termed tho weather-cock policy of tho Government. It had shown that it had no fixed opinion on any subject. On tho li.nd question, for instance, it had been inclined to leasehold when the majority of the members were leaseholders, but when a majority of freeholders were returned it showed a desire to turn to the freehold. The same instability was shown last year in regard to tho Licensing Bill and other.matters. Ho did nor soy Hint a Government should display mulish obstinacy,' but when they wereconstantly trimming their snils to' every passing breeze and becoming all things ti all men', and nothing long, they lost the respect of tho .people. A Government should put its policy definitely and clearly before the people. If, the country approved of it, well and good. If not, it was the duty of tho Government to walk off and make room for better men. (Applause.) Tho present system of allocating money for public works was very strongly condemned and Mr. ■ Massey "said it should be replaced by a Public Works Committee. Under the present system the Minister for Public Works (ho was referring to the office rather than tho mail) was simply a despot, and able to do as he liked. ■ .

Thn Legislative Council. The leader of the Opposition then dealt with the question of the reform of tho Legislative Council which be said was much more necessary than the reform of flic Houso of Lords. (Hear, hear.) There were men in the Legislative Council who would bo a credit to any British Legislature, but this remark did not apply to all of them. He wondered that iu the twentieth century people should be satisfied with such an undemocratic body. Ho had always believed, and he still believed, that it was necessary to hare n body of independent men to act ns a Second Chamber, but if there had ever been any independence on the p'art of tho Legislative Council it had passed away when the life tenure had been replaced by tho seven years' term, lie did not know what happened during tho first part of tho seven years, but he knew that during the second part, of it tho members were influenced by what they "thought would happen if they did not support tho Government's proposals. As to n remedy,. he suggested that tho Upper House should be elected upon tho system of proportional representation, which he believed was the most denidcratic system in existence. Tho districts should be larger than thoso represented by 'members of tho Lower House,, and should embrace nt least throo of tho presenMlistricts. . There should .be forty nie'ihbers,' and the term should bo six years, one-half retiring every throo years, thus ensuring a continuous body.. The elections could take place on tho.day of tho elections of tho Lower' Hoiiso. Ho know that it would be urged as an objection against the largo districts that it would bo a handicap on the poor man, Probably it.would be so if canvassing 1 wero permitted, but he would bo prepared to go to tho length of making the districts.so largo as to rnnke canvnssingimpossible. Thp result would-he that the best knoivi men would Iw elected no matter whether they were best known as ex-members of tho Lower House or as members of local bodies. Nonentities, who, under the present system, sometimes found their way inlo the Council, would not have the slightest chance of election under the system that he advocated. Of course' the ■ Legislative Council would opposo such a reform, but in that case public opinion should bo left to deal with it. (Hear, hear.). He would mako' a start with the new system by using it to fill tho vacancies when Ihe present terms of members expired. He knew that the present Government would not do it, as it was not democratic enough; and it was uot'content to givo up its present power of patronage; but it would have to be done, and the sooner tho better.. (Applause.)

A Wide Gulf. Jfr. Massey, in concluding,' said that it had been suggested by some that thero was very little difference between the Government and tho Opposition, but ho would endeavour to show that a wide gulf separated them. % On the land question tho Opposition were nearly nil fre«holdcrs, whilst, as last year's division showed, the majority (if the Government members were leaseholders. Tho Opposition would reform the Legislative Council by making it elective, whereas, the Government preferred to stick to tho present system of nomination and patronage. . ■" The .Opposition wanted .to encourage and assist privalo •Enterprise, but the Government appeared to bo anxious to interfere with private enterprise in every possible occasion. Tho Opposition believed in moderate borrowing and economy, but tho Government apparently believed in extreme borrowing and extravagance. The Opposition put" the interests of tho country first every time, but the Governi'ient pu.t the interests of (heir pnrty first. The Opposition stood by its principle, but tho members of the Government, if they had nny principals, were always ready to run away from them. Tho Opposition advocated .a Public Service Board, but the Government opposed it.

Lastly, the policy of (he Opposition was one of hor.fsty, whereas the policy of tho Government was ono of humbug.'(Laughter.).

Mr. Masser, in referrini lo the Public Service, made it clear that lie did not advocate the revival of tho "Railway Commissioners. Jfe did not acree with that, but he thouehl lh.it the railways should lip placed wiiir expert iiinnngoment nml freedom from political influence. (ApploiiFO.V Mr. D. V. r . JocV-in, in. a speprli, inoved n. li e .nrty voin nf" thanks to Mr. Jlassey for his able ami infercsti'is n'i.-lress, and this was carried by acclamation. Mr. Mnfpny. in voiurnin" thanks, said Hint In; had "Wed oi-e fide of tl>e r ( no«. tinu (liEni. He lt<in»d thab die Prin 1 " Minister or one of his rnllpaiues them. Tf this wre dono ho would t : ,i,- P H;:it a ronly ivai pivon cither by lii"" c elf or -omeov" clsß. (Apnlnusc). Thr- r-c-IiPT, '••'lii'li was one of the held in Whanyarei for -mw Pn ,,. .siil»riiMe lime, was most enthusiastic, Afr«r (he in»(>tin» o. iiunil , "] - of Iho P-«iililie'it loral si>noortpr« uf flir. Onn'--sition culertaiiK'd Mr. Mnsfpy a , : a scoial.