POLITICAL ADDRESS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2144, 9 May 1914, Page 3

POLITICAL ADDRESS

MR. MACDONALD AT TE KARAKA. (By . Telegraph.—Preos Aasoeratlon.) Gisborna, May 8. Mr. W. D. S. Mac Donald, M.P., addressed his constituents at Te Karaka last evening, when, despite his recent accent, lie spoko for two hours, vigorously and trenchantly 'criticising the Government. Ho received a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence.. In the course of his speech, Mr. MacDonald said the Government had been in power only a few months, yet spoko derisively, of thoso who had built up the country in years past. Tho Liberals for this reason would fight tho coming election from the North Cape to tho Bluff. Ho challenged Mr. Massey to prove his statement about giving 20,000, people the right to acquire the freehold, and twitted the Government with having a leaseholder Cabinet. If Mr. Massey remained in power till the crack of doom he could not possibly put as many people on the land as the Liberals had during the past twenty-one years. The speaker made extended reference to Native affairs. Ho charged the Government with leaving tho door wide open, so that the West Coast Native Reserves had been filched from the Taranaki Natives. He did not believe tho country would agree to tho last remnant of the Native land being taken away and the Maoris allowed to remain paupers or be placed (in reservations. Regarding finance, ho criticised Mr. AUen's attitude, and quoted his statement to London financiers that there was a surplus of £8.335,000 accumulated from 1891 to 1912, and compared this with his statement that he had found tlie finances of the country in a .chaotic condition. Tho question of naval matters was not a party one, but the people must see that they coulcf not afford to spend £800,000 a year when the calls for roads, bridges, and settlement were so great. New Zealand must rely on tho British Navy. Mr. Mac Donald quoted Hansard to show on Mr. Massey's own admission that tho conference that attempted to settle the biggest. 'strike, in the history, of tho Dominion only lasted five minutes. Tho Liberals wero not out for one section of the community, but for every section.