MR. MASSEY'S SOUTHERN TOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1292, 22 November 1911, Page 7

MR. MASSEY'S SOUTHERN TOUR.

WELL SATISFIED. . THE MEETING AT WINTON, IBy TelccraDh.-SDocial Correspondent) ir m n c , h r ristCnU "h, November 21. Mr. W. F. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, passed through Christchurch this evening, returning to tho north after his most successful southern campaign As a result of the change from the heated atmosphere of the great meeting at Winton to the cool outer air, Mr. Massev contracted a cold and a soro threat. Tic was very hoarse this evening, but said that no was recovering speedily, and expressed conhdenco that ho would 1)0 able to address his meeting at Palmerston North to-morrow. His campaign, ho said, had meant much hard work, but ho was well satisfied. Not any of it was lost labour. In fact his movements had been in the nature of a triumphant progress—evervwhero he had been warmly welcomed Never since ho had been in politics had ho seen such interest displayed in a coming election, and so far as ho could jud-'o the- interest was in the Reform party ? ud \ ls K° 0(1 prospects. Tho meeting at \\inton had been tho most enthusiastic that he had cvor seen, and the largest (savo only the meeting in tho Auckland Drill-shed a few years back) that, ho had ever addressed. "I know," he continued, "that attempts are being made to explain its success away, but that is impossible. There is no getting away from the fact that in Southland and parts of Otago thero has been a tremendous revulsion of feeling sincn tho elections three years ago. T. believe that this is partlv because the aims and objects of the Reform party are better understood now than they were formerly." All that Mr. Massey had heard and seen during his journey had gone to bear out what his meeting had shown. On Monday he had spoken at Duntroon and Georgetown, and in the evening had addressed a bugo meeting in Oamaru. His cold had prevented him from doing m well as he would have liked, but nevertheless }t would have been impossible to mako any mistake as to the heartiness of his welcome or tho interest that was being taken in the reform of politics. Asked as to eleetion prospects generalir, Mr. Massey said that he believed the Reform party candidates in a number, ot electorates had excellent chances of success, "and it might be added that I am glad that the misrepresentations of somo of the newspapers which support tho Government are becoming so well-known that they aro received simply with a smile even by Government supporters." In conclusion, Mr. Massey said that the only thing he was sorry for in connection with his southern tour was that timo had been so short. Ho had ninny engagements Ixith in his own electorate rind in other parts to be kept before polling day, and ho had had to leave the south to attend them. "I left the south," ho added, "with the belief that a feeling was growing there that tho Government would meet its Waterloo next month."