MR.MAJSEY'S SPEECH AT WINTON.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1289, 18 November 1911, Page 7

MR.MAJSEY'S SPEECH AT WINTON.

A GREAT MEETING. ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION. AUDIENCE FAVOUR A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT. . (By TeleEraph-Press Association.) Winton, November 17. Mr. Massey, tho Leader of tho Opposition, addressed an enormous gathering at Winton to-night. About 500 people arrived by the Invcrcargill train. The Kink was packed, 2000 people being present. Mr. Jlassey was accorded a tremendous ovation, tho cheering lasting for two minutes. Mr. J. P. M'William, tho Mayor, occupied tho chair. He said for the first timo the Leader of the Opposition had visited Winton. Ho was glad they had turned out in numbers worth) of the great occasion. Tho name of, Mr. Massey was a household word. Sinco the mantle of leadership had fallen on Mr. Massey tho position had been filled ably and oreditably. (Loud cheers.J The cheering was loud and prolonged when Mr..Massey rose to speak. Hβ thanked tho audience for the reception they had given' him, and the Winton Town Band for meeting him at the station. , He was delighted with the gathering, and at the interest shown in politics in the district. When people became, apathetic the reigning Government thought they could do what they liked with the money of the people. He instanced -Canada, and said a similar fate would bofall the present Government. (Loud cheers.) It was necessary to look back, not twenty years, but five years only. The indebtedness of the country had, piled up 19 million pounds in tho last fivo years, according to Sir Joseph Ward's;own- admission. Ha (Mr. Massey) wanted to see the best done for tho country. People had left the country because of tho wretched land policy of tho present Government. Sir Joseph Ward, as was right, laid his views before them. Ho was thero to put the other side before thorn. -(Cheers.) The Opposition had no axes to grind, and a huge majority of the people of New Zealand were behind them.. (Applause.) In future years tho expenditure must be kept much nearer the country's revenue. The Land Question.

No:question was so important as tho land- question. Sir Joseph Ward had denied that tho Government had no land policy and declared that they were not weak-kneed or lrresoluto. Tho Government had no land policy, and if anyone asked for the Opposition land policy they would get it. It was security of tenure and facilities for the acquiring of tho freehold. . (Loud applause.) Under tho present system tho small man to conserve his capital took the option of renewable lease, consequently the land becamo at once Crown land, and the chance of acquiring the freehold was gone. Those were tho facilities for acquiring freehold olfered by the Government. (Cheers.) He traversed th« Government's futile efforts to bring in a Land Bill to solve tho problem. So long a3 thoro was land available provision should be made to have that land occupied. Tho Government had no iniin capable of taking tho position of Ministor for Lands, and the country was suffering from that unfortunate fact. Sir Joseph' Ward had gone to tho member for Christchurch North for a character, but did not quote the whole of Mr. Isitl'a opinion, which concluded by describing the Government as opportunistic, and like snails which drew in their horns wnea they struck BOinothiiig solid. (Loud -applause.) Sir Joseph Ward had denied that he (Mr. Mnssey) was responsible for tho Advances to Workers' Act In 1906, though not having much chance of initiative as Opposition Leader, he had moved a similar measure, but it was too popular, and the Government had knocked it out, and brought in their Bill a ehort time after. He had voted for the Government Bill, and was glad that it had been brought into being. Sir Joseph Ward had made a great point about the number of horses and cows in tin? district, but if tho Government went out of office the sun could rise as usual, the grass would grow as green, and' cows and horses would thrive just as well. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Massey then traversed the Mokau transaction at the request of members of the audience. The great question was whether the present Government was worthy to maintain tho confidence of the people of the country. (Loud ones of "No.") His party had done its best to open up the land and make it available for settlement. They had almost prayed for it, but to deaf ears. If a Chinaman's prayers were not answered the joss was taken into tho backyard and its head was chopped off. On December 7 the people of New Zealand would take the joss into tho back yard, and do the same as the Chinamen. (Loud cheers.) Neither in tho Budget nor tho Winton speech of tho Prime Minister's was any policy disclosed. No one denied that the Government had done good work during twenty years. .It went in on a good policy, which had become exhausted. Now their policy was only to hold office. There wero worso people than Massey und company. (Cheers.) Hβ could tell them that tho people- this end thought a lot of Massey and company. (Loud cheers.)

Reeking With Discontent. The railway, service was reeking with discontent, yet no attempt was made at its improvement, nor was any attempt mude to check the numerous disadvantages under which the country laboured. The Government-had increased taxation all round. A voice: They did not tax tho working man.

Mr. Massey: I'm going to give this gentleman a lesson in political economy. (Cheers.) The income tax was paid by the big one who directly readjusts his profits and increases prices so that the uurdon falls after all on the working mun who cannot pass it on. (Loud cheers.) Taxation alway3 finds its way back to tho rank and filo. The. cost of living would nover be reduced unless taxation was reduced. Tho Government maintained borrowed money was reproductive, but the interest had to be paid on the day it fell due on the whole national debt. Limited borrowing was necessary, but tho Government did not encourage the introduction of capital. Money was being shut out of NeV Zealand for investment. That money should be kept and invested in the country. A voice: What did the five million loan cost? Mr. Massey: Heaven only knows. (Loud laughter.) Only the Prime Minister knows that. (Loud laughter.) But not even 08 or anything like 30 had been realised. Tho Opposition had asked for the cost of loans, but no information was available, and returns wero in arrears for two years. The men who represented the country wero entitled to know what loans cost. (Cheers.) Publicity was the best safeguard against wrong doing possible to conceive, and the Opposition, when they came into power, would give that publicity. Mr. Massey's reference to the expenditure of JC7O at Bellamy's to entertain Mr. Fowlds on his return was followed by a demonstration of disapproval. Mr. Massoy went on to refer to the discrepancy in the advertising account paid to Government and Opposition papers. Public money should not bo .used for party, but for public, purposes. It savoured of the policy employed by tho Krugor Government. Mr. Massey went OU to criticise the method of Civil Service appointments, which wero not made by competitive examinations, but by political influence. The poor man should have equal opportunity of obtaining a position on tho Civil Service with the sons of the wealthy man. (Applause.) After dealing with ether matters, Mr. Maswey thanked them for turning out in hun- : ttvl- mid for -the appreciative find intelligent hearing they had given him. He cuiKiitiltd amid louil arjplauss. Cheers were «il!«d for Mr, Massey, and tfiree for Mr. Hamilton. A number of questions wero answered.

Time fop a Change of Government. A voto of thania to Mr. Masscy, and expressing tho opinion of tho meeting that tho time had arrived for n chango of Government, was moved. There was no amendment, and tho motion was declared carried, amidst deafening cheers, the bulk of the nudienco standing and waving their hands, ooms, and handkerchiefs.