THE OPPOSITION PARTY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2189, 19 September 1907, Page 1

THE OPPOSITION PARTY.

STATEAIENT BY THE LEADER. .(Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 18. Speaking about the Opposition ill the present'Parliament iu the House at an early hour this morning, Air. Massey said:—“ Wo are, it is true, few.in numbers. Unfortunately it is so—unfortunately for us, aiid, I think, unfortunately for the counttry—but I have a letter from a gentleman who is a constituent of the Premier’s. This gentleman is writing a pamphlet on. preferential voting, and has analysed the voting at the last general election. The figures stand-in this way: Government candidates 206,880, Opposition candidates 157,193. This large number of votes was recorded for Opposition candidates in spite of tlio fact that the then Premier was tlio greatest organiser the 'Colony has ever spell. I venture to say that the position is no worse now than then if I know anything of public opinion. ,1 believe it, is much better than it was from our point of view, even allowing for the few votes that aro changed about by every wind of doctrine. In proof of my statement. I need only refer to tlio result of the last two by-elections. We are not contending on this side of tlio House for our individual inteieslis. We put the interests of the country before party. That is wliat we have done in the past, and that is the course we intend to adopt in the future, and I believe, whatever may be said to the contrary, that the intelligence of the country is behind us.”