THE PRIME MINISTER ON TOUR.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2004, 11 March 1914, Page 8

THE PRIME MINISTER ON TOUR.

RECEPTION Af BLENHEIM.

REFORM PARTY'S POLICY.

ADMINISTRATION APPRECIATED,

(By Telesiftph.-Proes Association.) Blenhsim, March 10. .. Tho Prime Minister delivered a policy speech hero tO'-nigllt before a very largo attendance.

Mr. Massey said he did not go into any district to attack the. member for that district. Ho never believed in doing such a thing. The Government, hi; said, had put upon the Statute Book valuable legislation i'oi* the good of tho country. One of the most difficult problems was the financial difficulty. Prior to 1912 money had been very cheap, but after that a, sharp riso occurred on the money market in London o'wing to tho European war and owing to the fact ih:n many countries required money and the supply and demand raised the rate of interest.

Short-ciataci Bebsntures. Tho biggest difficulty the Government had to faco was the short-dated debentures. In 1911 it was intended to raiso a loan, but when the elections went against the then party ill power they said they would not raise tho money for their successors. The JMackenzio Government raised money for two years and that was what the present Government had to meet. A sum of £8,000,000 had to be found this year, also four millions had to be met. They had to raise money for public works and had to send the Minister of Finance Home to get the jnoney. They had arranged with -agents in London to take the opportunity to raise. another loan in order to pay off ths eight millions. That loan- had. bee* placed and subscribed five times over.

Local Bodies' Requirements. The theory that the Government should lend money to local bodies for their requirements was aO right, but it was impossible- at proseat- to Lend local bodies all they asked for. the Reform Government- came into power the position was that they conte lead settlers £500 and local bodies foOQO. Now, if the security was qtferecl, they, could lend settlers £100, They wore doing everything they possibly could to help the' settlers and local bodies, and were- lending double tjio airtoiuit the last Administration could lend to settlers and local bodies..

Everybody knew that if tljtey wanted .1 satisfied public they must have a satisfied Public Service, alid it showed that the Government policy was- good when tlio Railway Service was satisfied. He contended that his party had kept its _ pledges. The ether party had lio policy, but went round criticising;-and philandering, but gave no polioC

Land Policy—And Workers* Homes,

As regards tho laml policy the position was that nearly S!U,t)UU .JeasdiGlitemvera now in a. position to have A possibility of Kiting t| le freehold. Many members went into the lobby and voted: for tho freehold who would gladly go the other way. He knew them., attd iuiew who k> could depend.upon in'tiie matter of the freehold tenure. Some members durod not vote other than they did. ou account of. their pledges to their constituents. The prosperity of tie country uepended upon the settlers, and ho.wa's not Koing .to loso any opportunity of placing settlers on the land, hi regard to workers' homes he admitted that they were in the Statute Jiook before ho camo into office, but they only applied to tho towns. He thought tho best thing was to share the responsibility with tho local and lmtmcipal todies, and provision was niado that a country municipality ce-uid iiso its funds for buying laud for workers' homos. A Labour leader had written him eaying that, this was the bast- legislation cvor placed on tho Statute Book of the Do-* minion.' He had extended tho system to apply to tho country districts.. Ho believed tho Hillersdja s-ettlcra would do well, and tho Hillersdeii settlers could get the freehold if they wanted it. As Minister of Lands ho had pur' chased last year 149,692 acres of laiwl 'at a cost of £559,600, and tlirec:qua..fters of it had been settled. Last year tho Government had placed on the land 2200 settlers, and he sincerely hoped that they would place jjiajiy more during the present year.

In regard to tho fruit market, South America was willing to tako a!l the fruit sent to her. The fruitgrowers had no cold storage, and fruit had to bo rushed on to the market. Hq hud asked, and tho monoy was available, for an amount of £25,000 foir assisting tin industry, and when tltat was expended lie was quite willing to go back to Parliament and ask for another £20,000.i

Defence Matters. As regards defence, lie did not think it was necessary t<* say much- about land defence. It. was the law of tliD land that they had to be careful, aiid see that tbo people- had got value for their monoy. . The couatiy should make up its mind as to what money should be spent on defence, Kew Zealand had to pay a £100,000 subsidy and between £140,000-and £150,000 o» the battle cruiser Ngw .Zealand, which was to bo placed in Now Zealand waters with two British cruisers, antl two sub' marines. Tho time wwikl come when the New Zealand ships.v,x>uM play no miimportant part in the supremacy cf these seas. Australia was - doing its duty nobly, and New Zealand must, do it also; Canada must do it, South Africa must do it. Mr. Massey said he was sorry to see party polities appeared in this question. All parties -should join together in upholding tho supremacy of tho seas.

Tho Recent Strike. Referring to'tlio late strikes tine- Prime ; Minister said the country toct been for-: tiinate in eettinp through it wthc-vtt loss ■ of life. Ho paid a high tribute to the special constables, th.o Government could have trebled their ktd : they desired.. He expressed his lii«k appreciation also of the part played by the farmors' wires. . Unionism was qinto right and proper, but t-ho nnieiiist had no right'-to go to another ffiaii ancl'forlid him working. The great, majority of tho strikers did .not know what went on. for the leaders if tli* strike wftre chiefly remarkable for their stupidity and obstinacy. Tho rtnt enemies el the country were the agitators elfl-ss acainst class. 'Jlio nttitudo of certain Opposition front-benchers tended to accentuate and prolong the strike. A Policy of Advanced Liberalism. Mr. Jlasscy claimed , that the Government's policy was a policy oi advanced liberalism. One of the most important reforms carried out was tliat of tho Civil Service. Political iitflqouro. had nothing to do with the Public Service to-day. Mr. Royd Garlick's Appointment was rrado before the Public Semei* Commission wa9 appointed. Jh\ Garlicli iras ft p.reai sitccoss. Tie (fcli-fi Prinw Minister) did not know Sir. Garffck by sifjht. Ho v:as appointed for a particiiky position. • Tlki system of tho Public _ Sen-ice Board was objected to by -cert-aiii. members of Parliament because they could not c;et tho Ministet's ca.f to nufrk forward the claims of their f riciuJs. Legislative Council Reform. 'A Bill to reform the Upper Heiise had twico been laid aside by ths Legislative Council, but "hfi couW. tell them the Bill

would bo put thrciigii during the life of the present, l'arliainonfc In rc-psini to the Second Ballot, that was wiped off the Statute Iteok. It 'had been placed there to serve a, parly purpose, and had proved a failure from the paint of view of both parties. If. he cculd see anything better than what fhoy had at present for elections to the popular Chamber; he would ask Parliament ti> accept it. Proportional representation }vas very well for the Second C'hnmljer, but not for the popular Chamber. south Island Trunk Railway, Ho had opened works .at Picton that day which were part of tho South Island Main Trunk line, and.it ivould be money well spent. He had stated already _tltat day that he would recommend a bigger vote on tho Estimates next year for the South Island Main Tronic railway. A hearty vote of thanks was accord?'! the Prime"Minister for Jus visit and his able speech. The meeting nlw> passed tho following resolution:—'"That this meeting desires to place on'record jts appreciation of tho able administration of the affairs of the Dominion by the present Government."