PRIME MINISTER IN THE SOUTH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1700, 17 March 1913, Page 5

PRIME MINISTER IN THE SOUTH.

, LOANS FOR LOCAL BODIES. ADVANCES TO ORCHARDISTS. • (By Telegraph—Press Association,) Clirlstcliurch, March lfl Ail unusually strenuous day was the lot of the 'Prime Minister .yesterday. lie nnd a party loft town ai 8.:i0 a.m. and did not arrive back till 'after midnight. Mr. Mas-" sey motored about 100 miles in North Canterbury and was entertained at luncheon nnd dinner. JIo delivered two political speeches nml met a number of deputations,'ami apart from the replies to''deputations ho made eight (speeches. Everywhere Mr. Mnssoy's welcome was most enthusiastic, and ho himself stated during the. day that the kindness that had been extended, to him during the last few days., in Canterbury had never Tjoen exceeded in any other part of the country. The tour included Belfast and Kainpoi, and a trip down tho Waimakuriri Hirer to Hangiora, where Mr.. Mn'ssey was entertained at luncheon, and up to Oxford and back country. 'Mr. Massey was entertained at a banquet at Oxford mid afterwards gave a iwliticnl address,' dealing largely with'tliA land question. Ho was accorded a vote of thanks mid confidence. " ■ Going on to Cust Mr. Massey delivered another address late at night. He-referred to the difficulties in the v,-ay of 'finance which liad confronted tho Government on taking office. One great trouble was with the Public Works Fund, because just before the Inst election various local' bodies had been promised loans to. tho extent of ,£7.10,0(10. Large local bodies, he said, should not bo encouraged to borrow from tho Government because, they were in a position to receive almost as good terms themselves.- So far as the Government was concerned the last loan of the old Government cost £!> 2s. 9d., and this money it was intended to lend" at .£3 10s., so that the difference was a)i absolute loss. . Parliament, however, pasv ed an Act to provide that local bodies should have money at the cost rate to the Government, but this did not find the money. Ever since, the Government hud been struggling to overtake theii" liabilities. The local bodies- would re* ceive their money, but tho co'jntry bodiei would get theirs first, and in tho case, oi new districts where the money was want-.'; : ed for reading a rebate of one per cent 'would be allowed. The Government was putting tilings in a sound position, and ho believed that in another three'months >it would have overtaken the liabilities. Loan money had been, and would In', pro--vided for loans 'to workers and"settlers.' Where half n dozen workers., desired homes the Government would build them and allow the men 25 years to liecome their own landlords. The Government' wtis going to extend this thing and do a great deal more in the country, than in tho past. It wanted to encourage the people ,to go into t(ie country, and desired to give theni some of the comforts of civilisation. ' But of course it all came back ta the question of finance.

The Government was doingils level best to provide land for those-who. required it. Just prior to leaving Wellington he luid instructed the Law Draughtsman to i, ve a ,, ni ' l L r ?P < 'l'. for him which .would.; allovv the Crown to advance money to 1 associations of fruit-growers for the pur-', pose of cool storage and canning factories. That had never been done before in this country.. It lvas (ho earnest intention of tho Government to encourage people to go 011 tho land. Mr. Massey leaves for the south tomorrow. , ' . :