PRIME MINISTER AT WHANGAREI

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2129, 22 April 1914, Page 8

PRIME MINISTER AT WHANGAREI

A HEARTY RECEPTION

ROADING THE BACK-BLOCKS

SPECIAL LOAN. MOOTED

(By -Telegraph. - Press Association.) whangaral, April 21. ■ Tlia Hon. W. F. Massey addressed a crowded ineeting at the Town Hall tins evening, and was recoived with much enthusiasm. Ho referred to the work of last session which, lie said,., was a irccord in every way. It had embraced ' much business which would work out for the benefit, of the country. After dwelling oil the financial position which ihis Government' had been faced .with 'on taking office, Mr. Massey said that 'when tho Government, last year, asked i for a £4,500,000' loan the extraordinary /position was that it got offers to the extent of £20,000,000.- (Cheers.) ; He contrasted this with, tne loans 01 'Australia and other countries which liad been raised ,this year. _It showed, he '.■said, that: New Zealand s credit s.ood, •«t tho time of its last loan, better than •that of South Africa, South Australia, ?and Canada:' His reference to this and irto 'the increased deposits m the Govern- : jiicnt Savings Bank were received with ; Joud applause.'

I Assisting Back-Blocks Settlers. I Mr. Massey then passed'on to what 'toad -been done in the matter of the I freehold and land settlement, and said .that, under the freehold system, he had [settled many thousands of people on the land. 1 So convinced was ho of the jiecessity of roading the _ back-blocks ithat he proposed to ask bis colleagues jto assent to a special loan being raised Jor roading. purposes. (Cheers.) His 'Government nad come' to the conclusion that' everything should be done .'for the settlors in ihe out-districts, and ft was his-policy to help tho man who endeavouring to help himself. Ho fMentioned what had been done topwards assisting tho fruit-growing in--idustry, .and predicted that the industry would soon be as important to tho hcountry- as the dairying industry now !>vas. , i The Prime Minister upheld the Pubijic Service Board and said that the expectations of. certain people regarding .'wbolesalo dismissals had been falsified. 'There had been no dismissals and-the !'Public Service was to-day in a-better Njosition than it had over been.

■ Failure of the Second Ballot. ; Dealing with tho Second Ballot Act, ho explained the objections to it. It | ,was brought into,existence for a party .purposo artu even- in that respect it had teen a. failure. All the bitterness of ithe election was centred in the week between the first and second elections, and he determined to abolish it. The fctonowall was set up, but was quelled ■when the Opposition got to know that - iio intended to ask for a dissolution, /which they did not want. As. to what '"was going to be put in its place, England and the Commonwealth'had failed tto find'a solution, and he was going to continue the; present system until something hotter could bo devised. Tho Prime Minister dealt at length •with the pensions system, and pointed •to the way in, which it had been improved as regards old soldiers, tho reduction of tho age for women, and the provision for widows, or their children m caso of the death of tho pensioner. As to the school teachers, tho Government had done something, but intended to do still more. Police wages also had been increased 7s. per week. Tho Government was not going in for a skinflint policy, but wanted the very beA men and women in the Publio Service and was going to pay them adequately. _ . Tbo. position of tho Legislative "Council had becomo a perfect scandal in this country, and the Bill which was introduced to reform tho Council, and was laid aside, would be again introduced .without alteration in principle, and he believed would Se passed. A Policy That Will Last. ' Ho defended _tho Government's attii tudo in connection with tho strike, and / said they would, under similar circumstances, do tho same thing to-morrow. .The next election would be governed to £. large extent by this' Labour question, nnd_ there would be the Red Feds, and their sympathisers and those who wished to oust tho present Government on |the one side, and on tho other those "who believed' the Government had done the right thing; and he believed tliese 1 would Be the larger section. He concluded'by saying, that his; Government had laid the foundation of a policy which would last for many years. There would bo a number of Reform measures

passed next session, and the Governr ment would be prepared to go on with its Reform policy with which he believed the great majority of the people .jvero in accord. (Cheers.) Mr. Carruts'moved a voto of thanks ■to Mr. Massey and confidence in tho Government. The motion was carried pmid applause.