MINISTERIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 253, 15 March 1913, Page 5

MINISTERIAL.

«aw . SOCIAL TO MR., RHODES. .SPEECH T.Y MR. MASSEY. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Christcli 11 rcli. Last Night. A very pleasant and enjoyable complimentary social was tendered to the Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Postmaster-General, by his constituents of Eliesmere at Lincoln last evening. There were nearly a hundred and fifty prominent electors of the district present, and the proceedings throughout were most harmonious, and references to the sitting member were highly eulogistical. The Prime Minister, the Hon. W. F. Massey. was present, and also Messrs. Nosworthy and A. S. Malcolm M.P.'s. Mr. Massey, in the course of a speech, repeated the announcements as made to a deputation at Ashburton in the morning, that he contemplated establishing a Board of Agriculture for the Dominion in the near future. Mr. Massey dwelt upon the advantages of New Zealand from an agricultural point of view, but also indicated its disadvantages owing to its great distance from the world's markets. All other countries were dwelling scientifically on agricultural education, and if we did not watch we would be left. We must do more in future to guard against that. It would be the policy of the Government to do everything possible to promote agricultural prosperity. It was "hardly necessary for him to defend the country from the allegations about financial instability. The country was financially sound, and that fact was recognised all over the world. The policy, so far as land settlement was concerned, was to promote settlement wherever possible, and to give the very soundest tenure possible. Mr. Massey briefly referred to the Southland land case, and outlined the two kinds of tenure which occasioned the misunderstanding. There were two tenures, one with agricultural and one with mineral rights. One can could have agricultural rights and another mineral rights, and that position had been clearly outlined by the judgment given by Judge Williams on the case. The Government had safeguarded the interests of the State in connection with minerals, and would carefully do so in future. He heartily thanked then) all for their welcome to himself, and their appreciation of Mr. Rhodes.