MR. MASSEY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1303, 5 December 1911, Page 4

MR. MASSEY.

ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING AT REMUERA, AUDIENCE DECLARE FOR A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Auckland, December 2. 'ilie Leader of the Reform party delivered a great lighting speech, at Rcmuera last night and aroused his audience to a wild pitch of enthusiasm. He pulverised the Findlay pretensions iu a very short spuco of lime. .Mr. Alassey as a platform speaker has mado remarkable improvement during the. last three years.

Prolonged applause uud cheering greeted Mr. . Massev's appcaranco, and were renewed when ho rose to speak. The principal objection against tho present Government was that it had no policy, for that was the only conclusion possible in view of the manner in which the Government had time after time, neglected its opportunities to present its policy. Sir John Findluy had endeavoured to advanco a policy for tho Government, and his platform had been disowned hy the Prime Minister. (Laughter and applause.) There were many amusing inconsistencies between tho opinions expressed hy Sir John Findlay in his speeches to the electors of Parnoll, and those held by the party of which he was a member when it entered office five years ago. The trst plank in his platform was access to with security of tenure, but the policy of the Government five years ago was to meke it impossible for any settler to acquire the freehold, and he proposed to give access to capital at tho lowest rate of interest, but tho deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank, which should be available to settlers, were being borrowed by the Government at 31 per cent., and the bank had to pay face value for debentures, which were worth no more than 95' per cent, in London. Though so anxious to provide cheap money, the Government had missed many opportunities, and, in some directions," had actually made money dearer for the settler anil tor local bodies. Sir John Findlay proposed 'cheap' transport. Last year the Government had so increased the railway fares and freights that an additional .£IOO,OOO had heen taken from .the people. Instead Of improved facilities'the Government had only a fow days sgo introduced a slower time-table for passenger trains. The development of water power ivas advocated by Sir John Findlay, but the Government had adopted a dog-in-tlie-riiahger policy. The Waihi Gold Mining Company hail been allowed to develop an accessible water supply, but no one else had been allowed to impair tho monopoly taken bv tho Government and uot developed. Air.. Massey said every local body should be given authority to utilise water power in tho district under its jurisdiction, and even companies and individuals should be given the opportunity to develop hydro-electrical power provided the Stato was protected by a provision that their 'jropn-ty might bo resumed by th-j Government at any time on payment of compensation. (Applause.) Access would bo given to justice, unimpeded by poverty or avoidable delays, according'to Sir John iind.ay. Mr. reminded tho Alinistirial candidate of the Crown .Suits Act, and explained that he would not bs satisfied until the pres.-nt law.was amended to enable a man who suffered injury by tho Stato to institute proceedings against it as if it were in tue same .position as a private individual. (Applause'.). Particularly, amusing had : 'been Sir John Findlay's viefrs on the Na.tivo- land question. When ho first expounded his ' policy ho declared liirf intention of placing the Natives in tho same position as Europeans. That was right enough, but when Sir Joseph Ward was csked About it he replied that Sir John was speaking "as a candidate," and not as a Minister of the Crown. (Laughter.) The implication was that a Minister!.of the Crown, while a candidate lor Parliament, was free to express any.opinion so long as he secured a mujority'. i "'"J. , lie"'j[irincipar planks of the Reform party's platform wero explained by Mr. Massey. He said that so long as there'was a'single section of unoccupied land available, and ono man wanting to go upon tho land, it was the business and duty of the Government to make that section available to that man. • (Applause.)

Speaking of the nporoach of tlio polls, Mr. Massey saiil lie was not able to say which party would secure a majority, hut he was certain that there would ho very little difference between the two parties. Ho concluded his speech with the remark that he appealed to the audience not only as a public man. but as a permanent re-, sident in the country who was not goiu,? to pack l)is bag and leave if things went wrong. He tu-ged them to think of the future and .record then votes accordingly. Tremendous applause followed, the conclusion, of. the speech. Mr. T. X. Baxter proposed a vote".'of thanks .and -that a change of Government was necessary. Thy motion' was seconded by Mr. R. Maxwell. The chairman asked for an amendment, but silence was the only response. The motion was carried by a large majority, only four voices voting against it. The audience cheered the speaker, Mr. Dickson, and the chairman. SPLENDID RECEPTION AT TAU- ■ MARUNUI. (By Telesraph—Press Association.) Auckland, December 3. Tho Leader of the Opposition addressed a large gathering at Taumarunui last night. Mr. Massey referred to the Mokau deal, ar.d held that tho Order-in-Council meant allowing speculators to make a clear profit of ,£GO,OOO. The company would have to make its profit either out of the settlers or out of the minerals, and he. asked his hearers to consider ilio difference in the terms upon which the land could have been settled had the Government purchased the original leasehold interests. Tho Order-in-Council was contrary to the provisions of the law and the interests of Parliament. He asked what would take place when the ■ president of the Maori Land' Board, in his private capacity, met the president of the beard in his official capacity, supposing that , the company was not able to subdivide the land within three years, arid asked for an extension of time. (Applause.) Mr. Massey then dealt with the land question at length. "You have millions of acres of unoccupied land," lie said ; u conclusion, "and. in spito of that, young men are unable to get land, and are leaving this country for other countries." Mr. Massey received a very attentive hearing, ami a vote of thanks and confidence was carried amidst cheers.