THE PRIME MINISTER ON TOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1499, 23 July 1912, Page 8

THE PRIME MINISTER ON TOUR.

■SPEECH AT WOODVILLE. 'S'OMB'PLANKS.IN HIS PLATFORM. PRESENTATION TO MR. ESCOTT ' (From Our Own Itcporter.) Woodville, July 22. ■The-. Prime .Minister (the Hon. W. F. Ktassey) to-day visited Woodville for the firsttime sinco his Government assumed »'uffice. Hisi primary object was to attend a complimentary, gathering in lion-, lour of Mr. J. H. Escott, member for IV liiatun, who won the seat for the liefoiin . Jinrty at the last election. On arriving at. Woodville Mr. Massey was received at tho station by Mr. Escott, Sir..Jos;.Grant'.'(Mayor of Woodville), and a.'number of local body representatives ■it'iid other citizens'. Hearty cheers Were slvon'for the Prime Minister. Tho -Drill Hall, prettily decorated for the occasion, was well filled in the evening, whoa the people- of Woodville and I'niany-from tho country districts round ■about'-assembled' to do honour to their members. ' Besides the Prime, Minister 'arid Mr. Escott, the following members at- ! tended:' Mr. D. Buick (Palmerston North)', U)r. A. K.-Newman (Wellington East), Mr. p. Guthrie (Oroun), Air. J. B.'llinc (Stratford), and Mr. G. P. Sykes (Masterton). '-Mr; H. Burnett presided. . i The, first'-speaker was. Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P.,. who remarked that it was much pleasanfer. to attend a joy -meeting eueh.ns had been called that evening than Uhe banquets,they had been indulging in lor the. past twenty year.sl The old Government, .ho.said,'had been, knocked out, :" and the new Government would take a 1 : real lot! of. shifting. If'.the' Government .'did-not "deliver the goods" theywould go out in two years and a half, but he be'.lieved that in that time, they would be ' ■ able to show how New Zealand should be .ibest. governed. Their leader had proVm'ised a policy, and their motto must be progress, progress, and moro progress, lwrticularly in regard to populating vacant lands. The promotion of industrial and of humanitarian legislation wo.uhl..also receive attention. They, were a nhited and progressive party with, not. a single.Tory in their ranks. - Air. D. H. Guthrie (Oroua) referred in •eulogistic tonus to Air. Escott, and incidentally ,pa,id a.tribute to Air. Massey. The' Prime Minister's victory was dun to j. n recognition on the part of the people : that bad administration and bad govern---—ment had made a change 'necessary. Tho ji-embcr for Orona declared himself confident tlliit the policy of the now. Government in regard .to the land and all .other questions would satisfy -the -people ■of. the Dominion,'"and• advance 'their• interests. ',".■. ■'■'. ■'..:' .■'.''-.'■■• : "''•' ; Mt;, D. Buick said that. it i-.avo him Rreat pleasure, .to be present to ,db' honour' to. those who' had- sent Parliament. Ho coniplihienfed Mr. • sEscott "iipon" winning the Pnhiatua seat •at a time when the prospect of winning It for' the Reform party liiad seemed poor. Atr. Escott thanked the Prime Minister, .*nd' other members of Parliament who ;had come to Woodville to do him' honour He considered that the party which lie and liis colleagues represented to-day had lifted the flag of true Liberalism out of the dust,, through which it had Iron dragged during tho past few'years. Hewas.'satisfied that when the next election tamo "round the policy of the Government ~ would' have' marker! it oiit as a truly' Liberal and progressive party. ..'. Air: G. R. Sykos : (Jlnstertoii)' ! cxpres=eiV bis gratification at'heiii'«r present to celebrate 'the victory of their' friend, Mr. Escott, and the elevation of the Pefopnr party. Political fledglings mid yoimg Reformers, he said, felt proiid.to.be'.identified with Air. Massey: .'...;.

THE PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH. LAND SETTLEMENT' AND AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES.. The Prime Minister'was very heartily received When ho rose ,to speak, and had to wait some timo for- the applause to subside. Ho complimented Mr. Escott upon his' campaign at tho last general election. A man-of Mr. Escott's type— young, strong, and enthusiastic—was hound to make his rhark in. Parliament. Mr. Massey recalled the last occasion oil which ho had addressed a Woodvillo audience three years and a half previously,, when the fortunes of the party Which he had the .honour to.lead were at the verj" lowest ebb. At that time he advised his friends to .fight on, and next elections they were sent back in largely increased numbers. • The Prime Minister went on to.outline tho events.which fallowed,.and thp";last election and tho subsequent short session. Directly the composition of the JlackenzieCabinet was'announecd he said it,was seen that the Ministry was doomed. He ventured to say that tho early morning sitting in which Mr. Mackenzie's Government was defeated would never be "forgotten. His. (Mr. Massey's) task of Cabinet-making had been lightened by the fact that he was.supported by unselfish public-spirited men. Every man in tho iiefor-m party was tit. for Cabinet ■work."-It.'had-no tail. Fully half' tho Members of the party wore entitled, to Cabinet rank, but many of them had resigned their .claims. He claimed that the-Ministry which ho had? formed wa.s regarded with approval from ono and nil.,of the country. Tho other Ministers ivero seized with a full sense of their responsibilities. Whatever difficulties might arise would be overcome by tho fitrong and earnest men who had been called to the Government of tho country. The policy of the Ministry would bo announced in tho Financial Statemcivt-wOiieh would be-laid before Parliament within three weeks'.' They intended to make a specialty of lend settlement. (Applause.) They, aimed at making every acre productive and affording scope for as many producer.l as -possible. A better system of'roading the-nut districts and improved facilities for agricultural education were among the objects which engaged the attention of the Government. They looked forward tn" the establishment of agricultural colleges. (Applause.) They did not claim to be able to bring about tho millennium, but they did hopo to giye equal opportunities .to all, to make the-condition of life'easier, and the chances .of happiness greater for every Individual in the community. (Applause.)

'. A PRESENTATION. GOLD WATCH FOR MR ESCOTT. At the-request of the chairman Mr. Ifossey presented Mr. Escbtt with a gold yatch and chain, -a gift from his constituents. All present rose and sang 'For He's' a Jolly Good Fellow," whilo ;ho 'presentation was in progress. Mr. - Eseott briefly returned thanks for ihfl.gift, assuring his hearers that he was deeply sensible of tlieir kindness.

-THE BACK-BLOCKS. A STRONG PLEA BY ME. HLNE. Mr:.J. B. iline, having congratulated Mr. Escott and his constituents, put. in n. strong plea on behalf of'back-block sottiers. Misery he declared was 'rampant in the back-blocks because of the neglect <f. past Governments. They looked to the present .Government to rectify 'thesethings. Ever since he had been a member of Parliament ho had .been asking that medical assistance and the assistance of trained nurse? should be given to settlers in the back-blocks. It was a criminal thing on the part of any Government to put settlers into the back-blocks, and so neglect, them that they saw their wives dio unaided. He regretted that the Prime Minister had not announced that night that the neglect of the back-blocks would cease. It Was not a matter only nf roads; ' There Was much talk about land settlement. The late Government had ;b6rrowad sis million's for land settlement ' purposes, and had only settled five Ihbusmd people on' the land so"-ac-quired. Had the P,eforffi party ISeen in power it would have sold the freehold, and the same money could have been used over and over again. Had this been done, forty thousand people. • instead of fivo thousand.people, would have been settled on the land. A. rigorous immigration policy was needed as well as land settlement. Votes of tbank3 were passed to the visitors and to the musicians,., and -hearty, r.iifer? were given for the prime. ;Miaister. and for Mrs. Massey. A number of vocal items' mre rendered at.intervals.;during Wio evening.