SLANDERS REFUTED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1311, 14 December 1911, Page 4

SLANDERS REFUTED.

EFFECTIVE SPEECH BY MR. MASSEY. THE REFORM POLICY. GOOD WAGES AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES. 'Hy Telegraph.-Serial Correspondent.! Auckland, December 13. The Press Association omitted to send an important statement by Mr. Mnssojin his speech last evening. Mr. Massey said that all over New Zealand professional and amateur organisers of tho Government Mere pulling about stories that were intended for tho .injury of the Reform party. He had received the following telegram from Mr. Janice Allen :— "Statement being circulated for political purposes that the Opposition, it they got into power, would reduce wages of railway men and others." Exactly the same statement was tain* made in Pariicll, A voice: You hear it everywhere. His reply to Mr. Allen wa's:— "Statoment that Opposition would reduce wages of railway men nnd others is absolutely false. I pledge my word to that fact. We believe in good times, good wages, and equal opportunities." Colour had br-cn lent to the statement by references to ancient, history. l)c----emise low wages obtained dining the. Government of Sir Harry Atkinson, before the present Leader of the Itcform party was politically born, cfl'orts were made to persuade the electors that tho Reform party would reduce wages. That was a lime of retrenchment, necessitated by the recklessness of tho previous Government, which had placed tho country on. the verge of insolvency. Sir Harry Atkinson had killed himself in putting the affairs of the country in order, aud he died a poor man. (Applause.) Than the members of the Reform party, no man in New Zealand was moro nuxious to ensure that every man in the community wns properly paid in proportion to the work done by him, to (he responsibility of his posiliou, and to the cost of living. (Cheers.) They had proved their sincerity in this respect over and over again, and the. locomotive men. hud officially thanked the party for its efforts on their behalf, and other branches of the service had also expressed their gratitude. If tho Opposition had had its way, tho railway men would not, on tho eve of llifl elections, have been offered the insult of an increase of 2!d. a day. Tho intention of the Reform party was to sccuro to every man the wage to which he was entitled. A voice: That is Socialism. It was not Socialism, it was genuine Literalism to give to men good wages because they were entitled to them, and uot because an election was approaching, and their votes were wanted. In the course of his speech, Mr. Masscy said the first ballot had shown that there had lieen a tremendous change m public opinion, and tho evidence was not only the defeat of a numljcr of Governinoht supporters, but also a significant diminution in the majorities obtained by tho principal members of, tho Government party. Mr, Massey displayed a huge bundle of.' telegrams numbering several hundreds which had conveyed to him from all parts o£ the country confrratulations upon the success of the Reform partv, and expressions of delight Mini (he Government of the day was doomed. (Applause.) A hurried review of tho party's prnsnects in thp Auckland province was Riven by Mr. Masscy, and someone interjected a reference to Sir Jamos Carroll. "I should like to see Sir Janws Carroll enniesting u feat in Auckland, said Mr. Massoy, "so that-tho Auckland people might' say what they thought, of him. (Uughtor.) One of Ihfl miserable slanders that were employed against'lhe Reform party was that the party advocated the sale n£ the national endowment lands. That statement was without foundation. Tho party proposed tbnt the so-called natioual .endowment lands should bo made, available for settlement, and the purchase with the funds obtained from them of suitable endowments in cities, towns, aud suburban areas. A suggestion had been nMde that if. thn Reform party nt'tuincd to tho government of the country it would introduce free trade. That idea, wns advanced by supporters of tine Hon. G. Fowlds, a Single-taxcr-and a Single-taxer was a Free-trader gone mad. It that gentleman had his wav, every penny of protective duty would be removed, and" the industries of the Dominion would 1)0 laid open to the competition of the cheap labour of China and Japan, aud ot' the sweated slums of America and Europe. It was impossible to carrv on the business of tho Dominion without the revenue from the Customs, and a protective tariff wo.s essential to the maintenance of New Zealand industries. The Roform party had never proposed .anytliimj Hint would to detrimental to the industrial welfare of the Dominion.

Mr. P. ICirkby moved n vote of thanks to rite spoakoj": for their addressees of confidence" in the Reform party.- and of

"most heartfelt confidence" in Mr. "Dickson. The motion was carried unanimously on a show of hands. Chews were again given far Mr. Dickson and Mr. Maswy, and tho fathering sang; "For They are Jolly Good Fellow?."