Reform Party Rally.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 438, 10 February 1912, Page 3

Reform Party Rally.

A Record Gathering

Successful Garden Party.

The quickening of the political life of the country resultant upon the success of the Reform Party at the last election is noticeable throughout the whole Dominion. In the North Island particularly, where the chief strength of the successful party lies, events are moving rapidly. A few days ago a rally of the party was held at Hamilton, followed by a record gathering of party members at Auckland. Seeing that much of the strength of the party is drawn from the country members it was considered but fitting that the country should be the centre of a party reunion, and the support«rs of the Reform Party at Te Kuiti decided to organise a vigorous rally at Te Kuiti. In addition to being a mere gathering of members the function was promoted as a tribute to the able and popular leader (Mr W. F. Massey) who has piloted the party in Parliament for so many years, and as a compliment to the newly-elected member for the district, Mr C. K. Wilson. The gathering was organised by a strong committee with Mr E. Martin as secretary, and a ladies' committee rendered admirable assistance in promoting the garden party with which the function was opened. Members began to arrive at Te Kuiti on Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning there were present Messrs E. Newman (Rangitikei), H. J. H. Okey (Taranaki). Buick (Palmerstou North)andF.M. B. Fisher (Wellingon Central). During the day the visitors were shown round the town and suburbs by members of the committee, and a visit was paid to Mr W. Gadaby's residence where a pleasant hour was spent.

MR MASSEY'S ARRIVAL. When the afternoon train drew into the station a number of members, headed by Mr Massey, alighted and were received by the committee. Carriages were in readiness to convey the party to the school ground and the party, consisting of Messrs W. F. Massey, Franklin; Lang, Manauku; Bradney, Auckland West; Young, Waikato; Bollard. Raglan; Harris, Waitemata; and Dickson, Parnell, were driven to the ground. Spacious marquees had been erected on the ground and the fine belt of trees afforded welcome shade from the sun, which was shining rather strongly. A large gathering, including many ladies, had assembled and inside the entrance to the ground the Oparure Brass Band lined up prepared to receive the visitors in proper style. The arrival of |[the party was thus heralde'd by the inspiriting strains of march music, Mr Massey also being greeted with cheers. THE MAYORAL RECEPTION

A short address of welcome to Mr Massey and party wag delivered by the Mayor (Mr J. Boddie). In welcoming the party, Mr Boddie said the sunshine could be taken as a good omen by the Reform Party. After being hidden by clouds all day the sun had emerged from obscurity just as the Reform Party, of which Mr Massey was the leader, had emerged from the recent elections. He was sure he voiced the feelings of the country when he expressed the heartiest gratification at having Mr Massey and so many of his supporters at Te Kuiti that day. The qualities which had stood to Mr Massey during his long Parliamentary career were just those attributes necessary for the head of the administration of the Dominion and very similar qualities were indispensable in opening up the King Country for settlement. Apart from political colour it was broadly recognised that men of Mr Massey's stamp were of inestimable value to the whole Dominion! In extending a hearty welcome to the members of the party, Mr Boddie hoped they would carry with them a host of pleasant recollections. He emphasised the opinion that no other district in the whole Dominion wa3 more worthy of study by our legislators, as the problems presented by the King Country were of immense importance to the country at large and by hastening a solution thereof they were benefiting not only the King Country but the constituencies which they represented. (Aplause). At the conclusion of the Mayor's speech of welcome, cheers were given for Mr Massey, who said he would say a few words in reply later. Refreshments were dispensed in the marquees and under the trees, and it was evident the ladies had left nothing undone to make the afternoon an enjoyable one for the visitors. After refreshments had been done justice to, the Mayor called upon the visitors for speeches. MR MASSEY RETURNS THANKS Mr Massey, who, on rising, to speak, was greeted with cheers, tendered his heartießt thanks for the warm welcome extended to the party. He complimented Mr Wilson upon his election to represent such an important district and congratulated the electors upon having elected such a man as Mr Wilson to represent them. They could have every confidence in such a representative who was one of themselves, and who, when he raised his voice in Parliament would be listened to as one who spoke with autho-

rity. He looked forward to the time when those members who only saw the country districts frutn the windows of the railway train and assumed a knowledge of backblock conditions would cross swords with Mr Wilson, who was a real backblocker himself, and whose politics were the politics of the settlers. They were, moreover, the politics of the Reform Party, who, during the years of its parliamentary existence had worked in the true interests of the pioneers. Mr Wilson was a good politician, but speaking with authority he could say that Mrs Wilson was a better, and if it were not for Mrs Wilson it might be that Mr Wilson would not be in Parliament today. During the election campaign an episode occurred in which he (Mr Massey) had occasion to give advice and adopt a certain attitude which met with considerable hostile criticism from his supporters. He himself began to weaken and wonder if he had not been wrong in his estimate of the situation. Just then along came a letter from Mrs Wilson exhorting him to stand to his guns. He did so and the result was that a Government supnorter was ousted and a man of the Reform Party elected. He took the opportunity to thank Mrs Wilson publicly. (Applause). Mr Massey said they could congratulate themselves upon the result of the elections. The Government was like a drowning man catching at a straw to save itself. The result was greatly due to the women of the party, and if all the electorates were endowed with the same amount of youth and beauty as was evidenced at Te Kuiti the strength of the Reform Party would be even greater than it was. The Reform Party played the game. If another election occurred, and he hoped it would not, the party would still play the game. Mr Massey concluded by reiterating his thanks to the Mayor and citizens for the reception to himself and the party. (Applause) MEMBER'S SPEECHES

Mr Fisher, in response to the Mayor's invitation, said he appreciated the climate; hn appreciated the hospitality of Te Kuiti; but there was something he appreciated even more than this, and that was the potentiality for greatness of the district. He believed in the course of a few days the country would have a new Govern ment. He could see nothing to stop it, and there was nothing to stop it from remaining in office with such a leader as the party possessed. The Reform Party would not float into power on empty promises; it would promise nothing it could not perform. Rather than see it purchase popularity with empty promises he would prefer to see it go down with promises unredeemed which it had attempted to carry out. The speaker referred to a Maori legend they had heard that morning which told of a victory one chief nad achieved over a rival by throwing sand into his eyes. The people of the country had been having sand thrown into their eyes for the past 20 years by men in power. There was going to be a transference of that power to men who would administer it for the benefit of the Dominion as a whole, and not for any section of it. The party in power was now breathless, speechless and half dead, and very frightened. If it remained in power another 20 years there would be no further progress in the district. There were roads without metal and plenty of metal without roads, and he hoped the two things so necessary to the district would soon be brought together. The party was going to do its best for the country and with such ja man as Mr Massey for a leader would go far in carrying out much needed reform.

Mr Lang, in returning thanks for the reception, expresed great pleasure at again meeting some of those whom he had once had the honour to represent in Parliament. The King Country was portion of his early electorate, and was a very different place in those days to what it was now. Te Kuiti had taken its place a3 an important and centre and could no longer be called a backblock town. However, they would see a still greater change in the course of a few years. Although he now represented a city or suburban seat he always atood for the backblocks and they could rely upon him co - operating loyally with the member for the district. He congratulated the electors upon having a man like Mr Wilson to iepresent them. Mr Buick said he had experienced a day of surprises. In coming through from Palmerston he had stopped overnight at Taumarunui in order to pass through the district in daylight. On the journey in the train that morning he had bean disappointed with the country passed through. Upon arriving at Te Kuiti he was surprised to aee such a thriving village. (A voice: City!). Well, city. In the afternoon they had visited Mr Gadsby's property, and he was no longer surprised at the prosperity of the place. The land was excellent and with proper titles assured in the district, prosperity was bound to continue.

Mr Newman said lie felt extreme gratification at the reception tendered to Mr Massey. He had no doubt the leaderof the Reform Party would very shortly be Prime Minister of the country, and that gentleman would have an opporunity of showing hia capacity aa a leader. In this district there was great promise and with the administration of Mr Maasey he was sure that promise would be thoroughly and quickly fulfilled. He was pleasantly surprised to see such a large number of his old friends in the district and with such a stamp of settler only reasonable conditions were required to make the district progress. A feature of the recent electiona was the interest taken therein by the women. The extension of the franchise had been always supported by the Reform Party and that support was bearing good fruit. The women were interested in reform and supported it in every instance. The heroism of women in the backblock districts was a chapter that had not been written in the history of the Dominion. In many cases the courage

and perseverance of the women had enabled the man to go on with his WGrk when he would otherwise have given up the fight. He was told that in the district there were women who had not been able to got to town for ten years. This was a thing the Reform Party would remedy as speedily as possible. He hoped the future Minister for Lands would see the country settled rapidly under the freehold tenure and in small areas. In referring to Mr Massey the speaker paid a high tribute to the leader of the party for his honesty and steadiness of purpose. Mr Okey said he represented a district which had much in common with Te Kuiti, and he would be found in Parliament working side by side with Mr Wilson. Quite a large trade would in future exist between the King Country and New Plymouth, and the two districts would benefit by the opening up of the land. In referring to the native land question, the speaker said he was amazed at the sight of the land along the railway being held by natives and the business capacity shown by the Administration responsible for the putting of a railway through the country and making no provision for settlement was of the poorest. A strong plank in the Reform Party's platform was the freehold. He believed in the freehold for town worker and farmer, and the people of this district had everything to gain by supporting such a policy. Mr Young said he was not a stranger to Te Kuiti. He had seen it when it was little more than a kainga, and it afforded him great pleasure to visit it when it had made such progress as was evidenced all round them. He congratulated Mr Wilson on representing such a district and would work with him to assist its progress. In their new member the Taumarunui electors had the right stamp of representative and one who was a hustler. The speaker also paid a tribute to the Mayor with whom he had been associated on the Hospital Board. Messrs Bollard, Bradney, 'Dickson also spoke in eloquesnt terms of the leader [of the party and congratulated the electors on electing a member of the Reform Party to represent them. They all paid a hearty tribute to the energy and ability of Mr Wilson, and promised to co-operate with him in securing the requirements of his district.

Mr Wilson in a brief and well chosen speech expressed his gratification at the reception accorded to Mr Massey and members of the party who had visited Te Kuiti. He took the opportunity of expressing hia indebtedness to Mr Boddie for giving him the opportunity of standing for the constituency. On behalf of the electors of Taumarunui he tendered special thanks to Mr Bradney, who had brought Mrs Bradney with him to the district. The function that day was the greatest and most important in the history of Te Kuiti and he trusted all would return with the happiest recollections of the day. In referring to politics Mr Wilson said he told that as soon as a man entered politics he was open to attacks of all kinds from his opponents. Hitherto, he had kept the gloves on, but in any case in future in which he was traduced he would take them off. He had been credited with saying there was no good land in Te Kuiti and the statement was used against him. Such childish nonsense he had never dreamt of. A man did not usually put all his money into a district in which he thought there was no good land. The future of the district was assured. His speech at the opening of the dairy factory, emphasised this opinion, which was not only held by himself, but by every man of experience who visited it. The conditions governing the district, however, could be vastly improved and they were looking to Mr Massey to bring this about. If this was not done, he undertook to issue writs for breach of promise. However, he was afraid the lawyers would starve if they depended upon that as there would be no writs issued. The promises would all be kept. Mr Wilson emphatically declared the people were ready and willing to put their hands into their pockets and help themselves and to make this one of the finest districts in the Dominion, and Te Kuiti one of the finest towns. He concluded again thanking them all for what they had done. Mr Massey called for cheers for the Mayor, and Mr Dickson cheers for Mrs Wilson, which were heartily given.

The party dispersed shortly after six o'clock.