PRIME MINISTER AT AUCKLAND

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2134, 28 April 1914, Page 6

PRIME MINISTER AT AUCKLAND

TOWN HALL CROWDED

AUDIENCE RISE AND CHEER

MR. MASSEY

INTERRUPTERS EJECTED

tßy'T«leßraph.—Prcsa Association.) Auckland, April 27. Tho Prime Minister delivered a political address at tho Town Hall this evening, tho hall being full half an hour Wore tho advertised hour for starting. Largo numbers of peoplo could not gain admission. The Mayor, Mr. C. J. Parr, presided. Upon the' Premier entering tho hall, tho whole audience roso and cheered for somo minutes, but at tho back of the hall were a few dissenters. Clamour recommenced when Mr. Parr rose, and at his call three cheers were given for Mr. Massey. The section at the rear then'gave cheers for Sir Joseph Ward, and hoots for the Mayor. Mr. Parr spoko briefly, while being counted out by a section of tho audience but this noise was drowned by cheers and applause. When tho Premier arose there were further cheers, and uproar camo when a man at tho back was ojected. Mr. Massey "remarked, "Oh, it's all Tight, there's plenty of timo yet." After somo more disturbance of a mixed character, •Mr. Massev regretted that the hall only held 4000 instead of 8000; He wanted to sav that he had never yet known an 'Auckland audience unwilling or afraid to hear both sides of a question. They ihad heard ono sido from Sir Joseph ■Ward, and ho claimed the right to put the-other side., (Applause.) If there wore.any people in the hall who thought they could disturb him, they wero wrong.

Financial Matters Dlsoussed. The Prime Minister quoted Sir Joseph Ward's' remarks about the shortness of money, and agreed that there was a shortness when tho Reform Party came 'Snto power, but Sir Joseph' Ward had failed to add that tho Trcasury_was almost empty when ho left it.; In addition the £800,000 deposited in London for emergencies had then been pledged mt> to tho hilt. He reminded the audience :that tho Liberal •Governmenthad made pledges to the people for £ f 60,000 ijust before going out, while all it had rin hand to meet the pledges was £17,000. Sir Joseph Ward said that the Reform Party had borrowed £12,000,000. Perhaps that was so, but it was necessary to point out that of this £8,000,000 was ■harrowed to pay off debts incurred by the Liberal Party. (Applause.)' Borrowing operations were made .necessary hv. the scandalous mismanagement of his predecessors. , (Continued applause.) 'Mr. Massey dealt'at length with finance on similar lines ,to .those, observed in his recent political addresses. There were occasional interruptions, and one ejection, but on-the whole the Prime Minister continued to receive a very good hearing. ,„,■,, Mr. Massey denied Sir Joseph Ward's statement thatthe Government had increased indirect taxation by 3.93 per cent, i "Indirect taxation had not been increased one-hundredth part of a farthing by tho Reform Government, and the bigger Customs duty had been due to tho increased population of the.country, and its greater prosperity.

Defence Matters, Referring to defence Mr.' Massey quoted, Sir. Joseph Ward; as saying '.that at* p'reserit 'it cost thfe Government £800,000 per annum, but that in four years it would bo 4} millions. At present the Government contributed to the Old Country £100,000 per year, while for sinking fund and interest on the 'battleship Hiexr Zealand it paid between £140,000 and £150,000, making a total of approximately- £250,000. The Philomel was shortly to be handed over to New Zealand and would cost, it was estimated, about £50,000 a year, but this would bo paid out of the subsidy already mentioned. Mr. Massey went into details concerning tho breaking of the' 1909 agreement by the Imperial Government and saiditwasthobounden duty therefore of tho country and tho Government to do something for itself. ■The proposed Bristol cruiser would cost £90,000 per annum; but as there was still £50,000 of the original annual subsidy to come upon, the extra cost would be' £40,000 per annum. All ships New Zealand built would automatically pass under_ tho control of the Imperial authorities in time of war —(applause)— the object being that until the last trump tho country should remain under the Union Jack. (Cheers.) He referred to the reform of the Legislative Council and in reply to Sir Joseph Ward's allegation of stuffing 6aid that if tho Government did not get a majority in tho Council it would not bo able to pass its Bill. That Bill was going through. Disturbance was caused at this stage by interrupters, and the Mayor warned..tho people to resume their scats.

The Obsolete Second Ballot. A voice: What about tho Second Ballot? Mr. Massey: "We pledged ourselves to repeal it, and wo havo kept tho liledge. (Applause.) Jt. was obsolete before it was introduced into tho country."- _ ■ - , . .. ■ A voice: What about the strike? Mr. Massey: Wo pledged ourselves to give tho country industrial peace, and how we havo industrial peace from cue end cf tho country to the other." This caused a mixed display. Another disturbance) occurred, and 8 man was ejected.. Mr. Massey was then counted out, and counter-cheers were given. Before tho speaker had gouo much further another man was escorted to tho door, i but was allowed to remain. Mr. Massey, alluding to tho Second Ballot, said the bargaining and intriguing that went on in connection with it was a disgrace to a civilised country. A voice: Why didn't you givo us a substitute? Mr. Massey: When you havo got weeds in the garden you pull up tho weeds before planting llowers. (Applause.) Continuing ho gavo his version of tho stonewall as reported from Whangarei. When ho could find something better than tho present system of election ho would ask Parliament to. put it on the Statute Book. (Laughter and applause.) Plans for the Future. His party had given the people the freehold policy they wanted, and had provided that in the caso of a settlor going on tho land without a road every shilling he paid, either as rent, interest, or principal, should bo paid into a fund for tho purpose of making his road. That was not enough, and he intended to, ask his colleagues to agree to a further provision being made for making ioads to settlers. His Government up to March 31, 1914, had purchased £559,000 worth of land, nearly the wholo of which had been surveyed, subdivided, and settled. Tho money paid by settlers for land in districts where tnoro were roads would be used for purchasing further lands. Provision, too, was being made for the erection of workers' homes, and he intended to extend his rural workers' homes scheme to the North Island. A voice: What about tho James letter? , Mr. Massey went on to say that these letters were "sent out through the Post Office in the ordinary way in envelopes, plainly marked with tho namo of the Political Reform League. Before those

lotters reached tbolr destinations otic was stolen. When, one envelope readied ail Auckland resident it was empty. Two days later tho letter appeared in onq of the publio prints in anotlier part of tho country. The- letter itself was nothing, for every political organisation in tho Dominion had used exactly tho sarao tactics. Ho had somo of the Opposition's lotters with him now. Ho quoted a letter written by tho Liberal organisation asking peoplo to got up receptions for Sir Joseph Ward, as a healthy counter-effect to tho receptions to Mr. Massey in 1911. Ho characterised tho letter written by Sir Joseph Ward at tho time of tho presentation of the battleship as a far more serious matter, as it muzzled tho editors of Iho Dominion. At tho request ,of a member of the audience, Mr. Massey read tho James letter in full, which was followed by cheers for both leaders and tho ejection of two men.

The Choice at Next Election. Referring to tho strike, Mr. Massey said tho Government would act the same again in a similar circumstance. (Prolonged applause.) Tho Opposition had failed to give tho Government the support it should havo at tho time, and anyone saying ho could settle tho strike in two days was only speaking for political purposes. (Cheers for Sir Joseph Ward, and counter-cheers for Mr. Massey). Tho peoplo would havo to chooso between tho Government and the Red Feds, because if the Opposition were to get tho majority they would bo at the morcy of the six or eight Social Democrats who would probably bo in tho nest Parliament. Mr. Massey concluded his address at 10.30 p.m. by saying that next session would bo short but important. A resolution tendering thanks to Mr. Massey for his address! and for his . services to New Zealand, and for many reforms introduced, and cordially approving of his policy, and expressing confidence in him and his Government, was carried by an overwhelming majority.