NEEDS OF THE COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 43, 14 November 1919, Page 8

NEEDS OF THE COUNTRY

MR. MASSEY REVIEWS THE SITUATION

OPPOSITION TACTICS CONDEMNED

FUTURE POLICY

CHANGED METHODS CALLED FOR

(By Telegraph.—Special Bcporter.) Waiuku, November 13. Tho Prime Minister, Mr. Massey, is paying his first visit for several years to his constituents in - his own electorate of Franklin. Arriving at Pukekoho by train to-day, he was welcomed by a good--2y crowd of tho townspeople, imd was accorded a warm reception in the hall of tho town, tho speakers being the Mayor, the chairman of the county, and the president of the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Massey immediately afterwards set out for Waiuku. There ho was welcomed by practically all the people of tho town aiid district. Tho little town was lieilagged, and thero was a band to add to tho gaiety of the occasion. Mr. Massey lrns entertained at luncheon, and in the afternoon received deputations, no was congratulated on his work as member and Prime Minister, and offered good wishes for success lit tho elections. ' Tho Outlook. In tho evening ho addressed a crowded meeting in tho Public Hall. Mr. Massey was greeted 'by threo oheers, and later by sustained applause. Ho said that two or three years ago, when the war was still going on, ho had thought that ho would retire from politics at tho end of bis term and seek spine other sphoro of usefulness, but ns events followed events ho had come to tho decision that it was his duty to carry on—to take his part in tho repatriation of the soldiers and the reconstruction of the country gonerafty. Ho had little fair as to his being ablp t'i retain the coufidonoo of his electors of Franklin, and he hoped also to bo able to keep the confidence of tho Dominion generally. As to tho future, ho had the utmost confidence in the country and its people. New Zealand was burdened with a load of two hundred millions of debt, but if the peoplo kept their accustomed, industry there will bo no difficulty about meeting all' the war obligations. Mr. Massey gave to his people somo account of Ms stewardship, especially explaining tho urgency of the reasons for his 1 visits to Britain and Franco, in ]!)18. There had been criticism, ho said, of tho arrangements made by tho Governmont for the .<s«le of our productsmeat, butter, cheeeo, and wool—to tho' Imperial Government, but whatever fault might bo found tho fact remained that it would have Woen impossible for any private venturers to get their goods out of the country to any part of the world but for this arrangement. Ho claimed that tho scheme had worked smoothly. Under it tho Imperial Government had paid for products .£111,000,000, and it was this payment which had kept New Zealand prosperous in tho war years, and which made it prosperous to-day. He told of tho stand ho had to take when the Muin Body 'toojs were being dispatched. Whon. the ships woro about to bo' dispatched the order came from Britain that the Pacific was daft gerous, and that tho troops wero not to bo eont out, so tho men were taken off Clio ships and put into camp again. A short while later camo another telegram from the Imperial Government directing that the troops be embarked and dispatched. Ho had expected tho telegram, and he asked for assurances that the Pacific was safer than a lew weeks previously. The assurance was not forthcoming, ami he refused to dispatch the ships. Twice he wns pressed to do so, and twice ho refused, tillering at the same timo his resignation in case his advice should not be acceptable. 'Die end was' that a strong escort was sent, and tho troops got safely to their destination. •

The Cost of Living. Much complaint had been made, about the cost of living, and without doubt it Lad been high. The real cause of mast of the increased cost of living- was the depreciation of unconvertible paper currency. Once in France and once in America the remedy was the restoration of tho currency to a normal state, and ho hoped arid believed that this-,might be done without financial stress. It was the du'y of the Government fco withdraw from currency all the excess paper notes in circulation in order to re-estab-lish tho currency on a gold basis. He 6aid, however, that the cost of living had not been nearly so oppressive as in Europe. The Government had with 60U1O success regulated the price of certain food products: meat, butter, sugar, mid flour, With regard to butter and equalisation funds, , he said that he had always opposed these schemes, being of opinion that they would work out unfairly. Sir James Allen had publicly stated that he had received a cablegram from him (Mr. Jiassey) expressing disapproval of the butter-fat levy scheme. Tho mouthpiece of the Parliamentary Opposition had declared that the payment to compensate the butter producers for loss under the equalisation fund ccliemo was a bribe—"the butter bribe"— and declared that Hie butter producers had been threatened with. vuiu beeauxo they could not export Ilioir product until tho Government took it over. 'J.'his was nonsense. Tho same journal ulso had accused the producers of "brazen ingratitude" for having asked to bu recouped for this Joss. This accusation was not deserved by tho butter producers. The arrangement made by the Government now was that the producers should got the full market value of their commodity, and this as a fair arrangement. The National Government and After. Mr. Jlassey related tho circumstances of the fonnatmn of the National Government in VM. When the ilouse rtssontbled after the. election the Government had a majority of ono with tho Speaker in tho chaii. It was urgently necessary that certain very important issues should be dealt with, and this could not he done by a Government with a narrow majority. The National Government was formed with tho express purpose of dealing with tho questions of conscription, increased taxation, mid other war measure;;. The National Government had served its purpose, and no other expedient would have served. When the. National Government was formed it li.id been the intention that when the war was over the parties should separate again, but after the war the members of the Government Party made <i suggestion by a resolution that the bpst elements of both parties should be invited to form a National Party to carry through the work of reconstruction. The ronly to this was a resolution some time later by the Liberal Party that it should go to the country us a. separate parly. When in lhi> end Sir Joseph Ward resigned, "he (Jfr. Massey) decided that there was only one thing to do—to carry on the framed programme for the session and try to get it through. (Applause.) He liiid been assisted by the House to get this legislation through. Ncv?r in all his years in Parliament had he worked such' long hours as in tho past session of Parliament. Often he had scon less work done in five months than had been done in tho past ten weeks' session, and even in the 'long period such n, programmewould have been considered a very good achievement. The Labour Problem in Samoa. On the subject of indentured labour in Samoa he said that New Zealand had to take over Saiiioi , . with the indentured Inborn , problems as Germany had left them. It was nonsense to sprak of indentured labour as slavery. Many of I lie Chinese eoiiliivi on the island, recognising the jiistifc and fair nlny they enjoyed under Jiriilsh control, had actually a.-'kod for rem-wal of Ihoir terms nf indentures, rather than repatriation. He believed that New /calami would have no difficulty in getting all the free labour required for the plantations in the course of a few years, but it was idle to-talk of tho work being dono by while men. Samoa had a good climate, but it was not a climate in which u European could , work. 110 promised Hint on, his next

holiday ho would visit Samoa and seo things for himself. His own wisli had been that Samoa should bo placed under liritish. control, but this the Peaco Conference- would not concede, and the only alternative was for New Zealand to accept the mandate. He believed that tho arrangement would work out successfully. (Applause.) Didding For Votes. > Mr. Massey spoke also of the Nauru purchase, expressing his belief that tho phosphates to come to New ' Zealand would bo worth millions to this country. One bad feature of; the work of last session had been the attempt to put tho public affairs of this country up to auction. When the soldiers' gratuities wero considered the Government proposed payment of 10s. Cd. a week, a total cost to the country of ,£6,000,000. The Opposition proposed to make tho vate 2s. a day, bringing the cost to Ui8.000.000 in nil. If. tho Government had offered eight millions tho Opposition would have offered ten millions. This was not a proper procedure for men entrusted with the affairs.of the country. (Applause.) So, also, it had been with the question of payment of railwaymen. The Government adopted tho agreement made by the late Minister of Kaihvays with the railway servants, and proposed also the setting up of the board to further investigate tho question of pay, of "which Judge Stringer was to be chairman, but tho Opposition asked for more. So also with the Government housing scheme. He held very strongly the opinion that this sort of procedure was highly improper. Tho Leader of tho Opposition had declared also for nationalisation of coal mines, of steamships, of banking, and other activities. It might .he that the Government would havo lo nationalise the coal mines, but it was no liclit matter, and it might not prove to ho a remedy for our present ills. His own general belief was that the Government should assist private enterprise rather than embark on wholesalo nationalisation. The proposals of the Leader of the Opposition were, in fact, nationalisation gone mad. The Great Need. This country neoded above all things development—more rapid construction of roads, railways, and hydro-electric works. There was need for n changed policy in railway construction. There was too much pick and shovel and barrow work, and progress was too slow. There must bo more use of machinery. A policy of progress and development was tho policy for the country, and ho hoped to ho able to give effect to it after the elections. Mr. Massey sat'down amid applause. In all his address to an audience of 000 people, the largest public audience ever assembled in tho town, ho had not had ono interjection to meet, and at the end he had not to answer one question. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously.