A GREAT RECEPTION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2312, 20 November 1914, Page 6

A GREAT RECEPTION

THE PRIME MINISTER AT TEMUKA REPLIES TO SIR J. G. WARD That Temuka has a warn appreciation for the Reform Government was demonstrated iii an unmistakable manner oil' Tuesday-night, when the Right Hon. the Prime Minister, Mr. W. F. Massey, addressed ono of the largest and most enthusiastic political meetings ever held there. The largest hall in the town, tile Drill Hall, was engaged for /the occasion, and though it holds a thousand people it proved all too small for the number who sought to gain admittance. It was a case of come early or lose 'your seat, and /there were many who had to be content with standing room only. The ladies paid the Prime Minister their compliments by attending in largo "numbers, and they appeared to take as keen an interest m matters political as the men. Prior to t!he meeting tho Temuka Municipal Brass Band played in front of the hotel where Mr. Massey was staying in recognition of tho honour paid to the district by the visit of the Prime Minister. Mr. H. H. Hayhurst, Mayor of Temuka, presided, and with him on the platform were Mr. C. E. Kerr, Reform candidate for the Temuka. seat, and Dr. Rugg.- The Mayor, in introducing Mr. Massey, said ho believed him to be the finest man that had ever led the Government in New Zealand. (Applause.) Mr. Missey, on rising to speak, was greeted with prolonged applause. - Tho Prime Minister's address was particularly instructive, as may be gathered from the following abstract of the report in the Christchurch "Press" ; and this is the speech which the Press Association dealt with in the meagre of a couple of hundred words:— Advances Departments. I Mr. Massey said that Sir Joseph Ward had alleged that the Government had reduced the amount advanced to settlers and local bodies and that tho Government had . diverted Advances funds to- other purposes. • Tills raised the iVhole question of finances. He would deal first with the point last mentioned. The Government borrowed, say. one million for tho purposes of the Lending Departments. Would the Leader of the Opposition or anyone else ■suggest that this money should be kept idle? If the whole sum was lent in three months there would be nothing left for the following nine months. What was done was to lend this money to other Departments at the rate of interest at' which it was raised. This had been done by previous Governments, and there was no use trying to find,fault, with it. As to starving the Advances Departments. Mr. Massey gave, the 'following figures' relating to the amount lent since the beginning of the present financial year:— Advances to Settlers, 1914. April 78^650 May 95,285 ' June '. 124,040 ! July 151,-530 ' August 168,055 September .....' 136,550 October , 85,460 'Total ......'........'...839,570 That looked as if the Government was doing justice to tho settlers. A voice: In the North Island: Mr. Massey: - Don't make any mistake about it. This money was lent all over New Zealand, and no preference was shown to any ono part. . Assistance to Workers. Continuing, 1 Mr. Massey gave tho following figures relating to advances to workers:—!- £' April 26,390 May- . 30,640 J™o 34,300 , Mv 31,430 August ; - 38,830 September ....; 30,140 October 22,000 Total 213,730 The ( advances to ' local: authorities were:— , .> / . ' . £ April- 28,910 • .May 25,610 \ . .Tune .J 16,725 i July 1,000 August 8,825 September ..- 26,325 October ; 27,930

Total 135,325 'These were not the only lending departments. The Public Trust Office and Government Insurance Departments also'lent money. For August, September; and October the Public Trust Office had advanced £197,583 for general purposes, £390,065 for settlers, £90,970 for workers, and £63,080 for local bodies. The Insurance Department had lent £56,610 for settlers arid local bodies, making a totalof £798,308. In addition the Public Trust Office 1 had under consideration ' loans totalling £36,300 subject to valuation, the grand total being £834,608. , The Finances. Mr. Mas3ey then dealt with the state in which the Reform Party found the finances of the Dominion when they took office, and, referring to the statement made by several Opposition "andidates that thero was a surplus on March '31, 1912, of £807,000, ho said that they failed to state. that by tho I time the Reform Government came into office there had been all sorts, of demands on that amount, and it had dwindled to £188,000. | x Mr. Massey announced, amidst applause, that arrangements had been made to meet the loan falling due next mouth, and stated that a war loan had been successfully arranged, and if more money was wanted, he fully expected that it would be obtained on tho same terms from the Imperial Government. . Repeal of the Second Ballot. 'As to Sir Joseph Ward's statement regarding, the repeal of the Second Ballot Act. Mr. Massey said that ouiy two. other methods were possible—proportional representation and tho couut-ing-out vote. No man in Parliament had denounced the contingent vote 00 forcibly as Si.' Joseph Ward. A voice: Your party got in by tho Second Ballot. (Laughter and chcors.) . Mr. Masiey, continuing, said he -wai not fincTmg fault with the Sccond Ballot from a party point of view, but from tho point of view of the country. • Jt was not the business or the duty of any party to take advantage of any unsatisfactory Act on the Statute Book. They had applied proportional representation to the election of the Upper House, and if it were applied _to tho Lower House it (the Lower House) would he a duplicate of tho U ,V3 r House, and if they had two Houses thinking alike, they would not got iwir proposed legislation either improved or amended. Ho knew of no better system than tho present 0110. . England and Australia were unablo to find a better one. When a better system came j along ho would be quite willing to adopt it, but not till then. (Applause.) Tho Land Question. Dealing with .tho land question, Mr. Massey stated that, from' July 1, 1912, to September 30, 1914, tho Government had placed 011 the land 4837 aittfon. as follows—On settlement lands 2964, on pastoral runs and licenses IoS-1, and "'i endowment lands 2890. Iti .South

Canterbury the Government had aoquired for settlement 25,749 acres of ireehold and 59,000 acres of leasehold at a cost of £225,076. He gave the following figures relative to land purchased under tho Lands for Settlement Act for the following years ending March 31:— Acres. 1910 42,805 1911 14,399 191 44,447 1913 .; 62,098 1914.. -141,062 Referring to complaints made regarding the valuatioli of land, Mr. Massey' announced that the ' Government had ' appointed a commission to inquire: into the whole subject. It consisted of Mr. T. F. Martin (solicitor, Wellington), one of the most experienced men in local bodies' legislation, who would be ■ chairman of the Commission; Mr. Ev/en Campbell, who had been valuing for forty years, and Mr. James ltuthor- ! ford, of Auckland. ■ The Commission would inquire into complaints made by settlers throughout.New Zealand, and would visit dillerent parts of the Do- '• minion. Ho hoped that among the ' CViiimission's recommendations would be oue sugesting a more satisfactory form of appeal' than the present ' method. Tho meeting concluded with a voto of thanks and confidence.