MR MASSEY INTERVIEWED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 371, 23 April 1910, Page 5

MR MASSEY INTERVIEWED.

THE USUAL LIVELY SESSION PREDICTED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Ashlmrton, Last Night, In ail interview with a Guardian reporter, Mr. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, who is spending a day in the district, said that so far as his party was concerned matters were brighter than for fifteen years. Referring to the Government's promise to bring down a Bill providing an amendment in the system of local government for country districts, he said he sincerely hoped their promises would be kept, because the present system was very much .behind the times and required to lie brought into lino with existing bodies which were given much of the work in connection with the roads and bridges, and which was s-iipposed to be done by Parliament. It \vas£ however,' really done very badly, and would be much better done -by men on the spot.

He did not know what the Government intended to do in regard to the land question. They brought down a Bill last session, but abandoned it, very much to the amusement of Hie Opposition and the relief of the Government's own supporters. «• Mr. Massey expressed the opinion that the burning question in the North was really the settlement of native lands, 'but, much as he would like to see the question tackled, he doubted very much whether it would be done next session. He considered it was a shameful state of things that millions df acres of land —good, bad, and indifferent—should be allowed to lie idle, paying neither rates nor taxes, and improving in value through the making of roads and railways and the industry of European settlers on adjoining lands, while settlers were actuallv leaving the country because they could not get land. Regarding the retrenchment scheme, Mr. Massey said they were looking forward with interest to the details of the retrenchment- scheme, about which- a number of interesting questions had cropped up during the recess, ami which had been only partly dealt with last session. For instance, that in connection with the official adviser in London and the disclosure in connection with the High Commissioner's ollice, the different enquiries held in Wellington in regard to the working of the Land and Income Tax Department, and the Knyvett case. All these questions and many others must be dealt with during the coining session, and lie thought It j quite safe to predict that next session | would be quite lively and enthralling to those interested in politics.