THE OPPOSITION LEADER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 320, 21 February 1910, Page 5

THE OPPOSITION LEADER.

ENTERTAINED BY HIS CONSTITUENTS.

TREASURY BENCHES IN SIGHT! By Telegraph. —Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A garden party was tendered to Mr. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, by his Franklin constituents, at the Helvetian ostrich farm yesterday, about 2000 people being present. In the course of a speech Mr. Massey said he did not ! pretend to be a prophet, but he thought the time was not far distant when those at present occupying the political stage, the set of political acrobats, would be told their season was at an end. What the country wanted at the present ! moment was men of high principles', who would study the interests of the dominion in preference to their own. There was an impression abroad that those in power put their own interests before everything else. A policy of economy was wanted. At present they 1 had one of extravagance. One of the crying needs was the opening up of the large areas of land now locked up. ilr. F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., s'aid the present administration was siot a sincere one. Ministers to-day would be •freeholders or leaseholders to-morrow, free-traders or prote«tionists, Protestants or Roman Catholics, so long as' they could remain in office. He believed in the end Mr. Massey was bound to win.

Messrs. Phillips and Buick, M.P.s, and others paid tributes to Mr. Massey.