PRIME MINISTER AT GREY LYNN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2324, 4 December 1914, Page 6

PRIME MINISTER AT GREY LYNN

AT WAR WITH GERMAN TACTICS VOTE OF THANKS AND CONFIDENCE (By (Dele jnn>h.—Press Association) • Auckland, December 8. , A large hostile element was' present'at the Columbia Hall, Grey Lynn, tonight when the Prime Minister delivered a political address, hundreds outside not being able to gain admission. Several rowdy scents occurred prior to the commencement of the aduress, and frequent anti-Massey and counterdemonstrations were made. During the opening remarks by the chairman (Mr. Ay. H. Murray), the rowdy section, assisted by those outside the building, from time to time indulged in checra for Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. John Payne, and hoots for Mr. Massey and the Government. These outbursts, however, were drowned in counter-cheering ana ' applause, Commenting on the demonstration of his opponents when he rose to speak, Mr. Massey said he had always noticed that the weaker party made most noise. Someone outside smashed a window pane, the glass falling amongst the autttence, to the alarm of i several women. Then a man tried to force his way through another window, creating further disturbance. Resuming. Mr. Massey said the party which adopted such tactics as those they were witnessing was the party which was going to lose the election. (Cheers.) This election'•- beat anything he had ever known in the direction of misrepresentation. ■ A voice: What about the ostrich farm? ' Mr. • Massey: There are some bad eggs at the ostrich farm, and there's one.outside. (Laughter.) ■.'..."■ Tho "Wheat Supply, '"' ' ' Mr. Massey was proceeding to explain the steps taken by the Government to ensure a supply, of wheat for New.Zea-. land at the present.juncture when he was interrupted tya noise as of persons sliding down the roof and by a disturbance outside. He remarked: "That is the wise of the people who want to govern this country."

The Premier said he had arranged for the shipment by the steamer Hesperus from St. John's, Canada, in the course of •■tiro or three weeks of 290,000 bushels of wheat and,another 100,000 bushels would also be shipped from Vancouver by tie steamer Waitemata, As regards sugar, the Government was face to face with a monopoly, but bad got' : an . assurance from tho •■'• Colonial .Sugar Company that the ' 'price ' would be kept lower than that obtaining ,;in England. (Applause.) There,bad been no difficulty with regard to meat. If prices had :gone up a little, New Zealand benefited in another way owing to the extra money coming in. Eeverting to the question of wheat, Mr.' Massey said he had a. wheat census taken, and the report just received showed that there were a million bushels' at present held in the Dominion by millers and by certain Otago* farmers. None was held by Northern farmers, despite statements •to the contrary. , New Zealand required for her own consumption half a million bushels per month, ■so that there were two months' supplies in sight. The new crop, however, would not be in in two' months, so it was necessary to provide about four and a half weeks' supplies from abroad. That was why supplies from Canada had been ordered. No Government had ever •been called upon to face a.difficulty such as this. (Applause.) There need be no trouble, no panic, no uneasiness. He had notified the millers and: farmers referred to that they would not be allowed to store tho wheat for a rising market. Ho would have the names of these holders ;soon, and if any/of. them; ;showed'-a: disposition to keep back'tho'wheat'against the interests ot the bulk of the population they would not be permitted to do it. (Applause.) The .Government would face this difficulty:' (A voice: "You won't be here!") ■.':."■■ > :.Mr. Massey;. Yes, ,1 will. Don't you worry, about that!-. (Cheers and laugh-' ter.) .'.■' ; ' ■ ' The tactics of the.noisy supporters of his Opposition friends had made it absolutely certain that the Government would be returned to power. (Cheers and counter-cheers.). u Mb. Massey proceeded to review legislation made necessary through the war, and went on to say that there had never been better times in : this country than since his Government came into power. (Applause.) In proof of this ho quoted the export figures. ' The rowdy element, who had been fair, ly quiet for some time, except those outside, who' were persistently noisy,' and continually trying to count-out slr, Massey, here got a little out of hand, but the Prime Minister's- urbanity was undisturbed, and he went on calmly with Mb speech. He quoted the public works'expendituro, and went on to discuss the Government's legislation and policy in' connection with encouragement of industries. He passed on to review the Government's Railways Authorisation Bill. ' The Waiuku Railway.

Mt. Massey 'next answered critics in the matter of the ostrich farm and the Waiuku railway. He declared that he had nothing to hide. If ever there was a V'clean, - honourable, straightforward transaction this was one. Mr. Massey referred to certain. comment on tho matter in the Auckland "Star," and made an ofFer'to the proprietor of that paper that he was willing to submit the whole matter to any-impartial tribunal. If that tribunal said that he (Mr.' Massey) had used political influence in connection with the Waiuku railway or that he had done anything that was not perfectly proper and straightforward ,he would hand J!SO to the Belgian Fund on condition that the other party paid a like amount into the same fund if the tribunal cleared him (Mr. Massey) of the accusations made. (Applause.) ' The Premier dealt next with the Government's financial, difficulties on coming into office. ■ Eeferring to the recent strike, Mr. Massey said it was a : . simple, matter.' There could not. be two Governments, in one country. A voice: Would you do the same again, to-morrow? . ,' V Under similar circumstances ,1 would. (Cheers and howls.) Any Government worthy of its position would, at all risks maintain law and order. (Cheers.) A.voice:. You'll not go back again, Mr. Massey, (smilingly): Don't you worry in the least. (Cries of "Say au revoir" and "Massey, Leader of the Opposition," and uproar.) VI wish some of you people were as sure of getting to the Better Land as I am of going back to power," said Mr. Massey. (Cheers and laughter, in the midst of which an egg was hurled into tho hall through the broken window.) The Premier referred to the Huntly disaster, deprecating! the fact that attempts were being mode ' to make political capital out of it. He utterly denied that the Government was in any way responsible for the Bad accident. (Uproar.), When.the noise ceased, Mr. Massey remarked: "The Empire- is at war with Germany and the New Zealand Government is at war with German tactics." (Applause and laughter.) He did not mind his opponents making political capital out of legitimate political questions; he had been there himself, but they were in this matter Bhooting at the Government from-behind the shelter of 43 dead men. It wa3 oie of the dirtiest, meanest, and most contemptible actions ho had ever known in connection with an election.

Vote of Thanks and Confidence. When the Premier resumed hia seat, after a speech lasting two hours, the clieering was renewed by.a majority of the 800 people in the hall, the minority and the hundreds outside making a counter-demonstration, and • cheering for Sir J. G. Ward and Mr. Payne alternately. A vote of thanks and confidence in Mr. Massey and the Reform Government and Mr.' Murdoch M'Lean, the Government candidate for Grey Lynn, was declared carried amidst loud cheering and a weaker outburst of countercheering and' booing. A l.rrgo hoodlum element made another hostile demonstration around Mr. Massey's motor-car as tho Premier drove away, but two or three mounted constables kept the noisy out* jinder control,