REFORM PARTY RALLY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 193, 13 February 1912, Page 5

REFORM PARTY RALLY.

STATEMENT BY ME. MASSEY. By Telegraph—Press Association. Feilding, Last Night. At a Reform rally here to-night the Brill Hall was packed. There were present Messrs. Massey, Herrks, Lang, Bradney, Dickson, Harris, Mander, Wilson, Buick, Guthrie, Fisher, Pearce, Bell, Anderson and Dr. Pomare. The meeting was presided oTer by Mr. A. Richmond (acting-Mayor), and was very large and most enthusiastic.

Mr. Fisher was the first speaker, and said that the Reform Party was in a precarious position at present, but if one or two members came to the support of the reformers they would be in office. Borrowed money was necessary, but it should be spent in the interests of the whole country and be interest-bearing. Dr. Pomare announced himself aslk reformer of native land. It would Act be "taihoa" with the reformers. The ultimate end of the Maori was absorption. The Maori and European should be put on the one footing now. (Regarding the land, Mr. Massey said that in spite of the fact that the Government had control of the Public Works and used them for political purposes, they went back from the election in aminority. The Government had outlived its usefulness, and the returned members were going to keep their pledges to the people. The Government would go out and be replaced by one more liberal, stronger and more democratic. If the Reform Party could not form a government dissolution would be necessary. He did not want a dissolution, neither did the members or the people. When the House met the Government would make a last wild appeal for support and would offer anything to retain control of the Treasury Benches. The reformers would not be allied with rich landlords, but be- '' leved in making every man his own landlord The country had not done enough for land settlement. The Government should distinguish between, the man who used his land and the man who neld it for speculative purposes. Other speakers were Messrs. Herries, Bradney, Harris, Dickson, Mander, Bell Buick, Pearce and' Anderson, and the meeting closed with greatest enthusiasm.