MR. MASSEY AT WINTON.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1290, 20 November 1911, Page 4

MR. MASSEY AT WINTON.

The _ Leader of the Opposition is very popular everywhere, so popular that almost anybody would have said, prior to Friday, that he could count on a more cordial reception than would greet the Prime Minister at any town in New Zealand, always excepting Winton, the Prime Minister's stronghold. The tremendous demonstration of Friday night wipes out even that qualification. The full reports in the Southland papers make it clear that even the impressive account telegraphed by the Press Association did less than justicc to the enthusiasm of the huge audience. According to the Southland Times, 'never before in the political history of Winton has there been such a meeting"; and it is not surprising that Mr. Massey was stimulated to the top of his form. Much of the ground he covered has been covered uy him before, as would necessarily be the ca-se, but on some points of his indictment against the Government he dwelt with unusually good effect. We are specially glad that he found time to enlarge a little upon the subjects of land policy and taxation. We have never been able to understand the objections raised against the granting of the freehold to i lease-in-perpctuity tenants at the original value. The point of view of those who oppose the granting of the freehold at all is intelligible, although a mistaken one; but why, having admitted the propriety of sale, the Government should insist on a price that the tenants need not, and will not, and cannot be made to pay, is explainable only on the theory "that the Government knows that such a "freehold" offer is no offer at all. As a matter of plain business, it will pay the country to get the money represented by the original value and invest it in some profitable plan of further settlement. The alternative is to leave unused for 999 years this means of encouraging progress. On the question of taxation Mr. Massey, through the good office of a mildly hostile interjection, was enabled to state very cicarly a principjc that cannot be too strongly insisted upon, and that members of tho Reform party should make time to deal with more fully and more frequently than they have hitherto done. After quoting various instances in which the Government had increased taxation, Mit. Massey was interrupted by the interjection "The working man has not been taxed," and he replied in the following very effective manner:

Pinn nnn • £ • pa - TE tlle lnc ™aso of ■UOO.OOO in tne income tax, the merchant in Duncdin or or the browcr' lou say, of course, he does'; but what f°llows directly? He draws his cheque for .£3OO or ,£4OO to pay this increasrtl tax. Ho si Is down and readjusts iiis profits and charges a littlo nioro for tho goods ho sells to the country storekeeper. J ho country storekeeper is not a philanthropist, and ho charges accordingly a littlo more to tho workman who buvs those goods Tho working man caZ't pas» on that increase and tho country settler cannot pass it on because he cannot increase tho prico of his products thai price being fixed by the market at Home, lou can impose what taxation you like, but it will always eomo back on the rank and file of the people. 7'hat ILwf' ha ' In , the cost of living and the cost of diving will never h>> ducsd until taxation is reduced, and that was what the country wanted. Tho tai ation, con .rniod Mr. Massey, had b* n increased because a lot of money S been borrowed which had been expended on things which dul not. return the rate of interest paid on it." ' That is really_ a model statement of the position; it gocs straight and c early to the root of the matter; it will he grasped at once by everyone who reads it; and its soundness is beyond al question, since it but states a truth that is admitted bv every economist of whatever school Ihe success of Mr.. Massev's speech will encourage.the friends of Heformeverywhere, since_ it indicates very dearly that even in the Prime Minister's own country there is a great revulsion of feeling against the Goveminent. Even if the Government manages to struggle back to office it is good to know that Kcform is coming and cannot lie stayed.