Political

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 259, 31 March 1914, Page 5

Political

NEW ZEALAND'S DEFENCE. MR. MASSEY'S MOSGIEL SPEECH. j SUPPOHTS A LOCAL NAVY. By Telegraph—Press Association. T\,„ t>- 1 1 x, Dune(lin > Last Night. Hie Bight Hon. W..V. Masscy addressed a meeting in Mosgiel to-night and had a most enthusiastic reception' The o'thV "f StCT Bai , d he Would «™» "to The an ,T P ° Hcs : of the Domiiiiaii. ■I he land defence system had now bee* m, t.,r the St , atUtfi *»*> «* met «itl the approval of the great majority of the people, and, of course there JJZ some objectors to the Urtft^ Sed-hS 54? not w ->«- &. He considered the naval defence policv more important than-even the land dl ah* 6 ' n"? rclatcd tl,at *»» Hon Ja ß Allen, Defence Minister, had sone Home o sec i the naval policy & Romta on could bo arranged for on the £ they desired. Mr. Allen, however re eeivcd no satisfaction. TheTgreement arnyed at in 1'909 was „ ot bd„g f", filed and he (the speaker) thoughTthey should take steps, to build a ship or ships for the Dominion. AustraHaVd S'theV !°? al eied the Dominion should do likewise not because Australia had done so, but because he considered it was proper that we should d 0 so . B rearr P a„g P i„g tS money at present fixed for the subsidy to the British Navy, he considered w? tne extra cost of a copper. He referred to the strike, and said the Government had done its best, but it was impossible to bring it to a concfc sion owing to the obstinacy of the leadZf h 6 (Ud ," ot Wame th/rankand hie 0 f the workers. He felt amused at he statements that the strike could have been settled in two days. It could not have, oxespt the Government had backed down, and such a thing did not appeal to him. *

The speaker traversed a number of other subjects dealt with j n previous speeches and said his Government stood lor all that was progressive in the connAt the conclusion of the meeting a hearty vote of thanks and confidence in the Government was carried with cheers and without a dissentient voice.

MR. FISHER AT FOXTOX. Foxton,'Last Night. Hon. F. M. B. Fisher addressed the largest political gathering yet held in *oxton to-night, and was accorded a splendid hearing throughout. The speech was on similar lines to that delivered in other centres.. The speaker scored off a few interjections from the Labor section of. the audience. At the conclusion, a member of the flaxmiilers' tnion moved a vote of no-conlidenee in the Masse;,- Government, hut was howlod down, and a resolution by Mr Cower, that ft vote of thanks be accorded to the Minister, and confidence in the Government, was carried by an "'overwhelming majority, concluding with cheers for the speaker.