PREMIER AT STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 November 1922, Page 8

PREMIER AT STRATFORD.

BRIEF WELCOME EXTENDED. MR. MASSEY ON BETTER TIMES. SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT (From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, Last Night. On the journey to New Plymouth, to-day, the Prime Minister made a brief stop at Stratford, where he was given a hearty reception by a representative gathering of the townspeople. The ceremony was held in the Municipal Chambers, and speeches of welcome were made by the Mayor (Mr. J. W. McMillan) on behalf of the town, Mr. R. Masters, M.P., and Mr. J. B. Richards (president of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce). The Mayor said they were unable to get information of the time of the Premier’s arrival, and had been unable to organise a better reception. It was their duty to welcome Mr. Massey. It was many years since he had visited the district, but they all realised his worth to the Dominion. He had given of his best to the country for nearly a lifetime. They all realised Mr. Massey’s valuable work as an ambassador in. the Empire’s cause in the Old Land, and this was one of the greatest features in his life. On behalf of the people of the whole electorate, Mr. Masters said be was pleased to have Mr. Massey in Stratford. They had had little notice of the time of his coming, and the gathering was there spontaneously. They were all pleased to give the Premier a welcome to the finest province in New Zealand—a province which was going ahead with leaps and bounds. He thanked Mr. Massey for the assistance he had rendered to the partly-developed portions of Taranaki. The Premier’s sym- ; nathy in this matter had been greatly appreciated. Mr. Masters hoped that Mr. Massey’s stay in Taranaki would be a pleasant one.

Mr J. B. Richards, on behalf of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce, said it was always a pleasure to welcome visitors of distinction, but it was seldom that they had the opportunity to welcome a visitor so distinguished as Mr. Massey. For past records, for sheer ability and sagacity, the ideal of the best man at the head of the nation had been attained in Mr. Massey. They were all grateful to Providence that they had the combined vision and strength of Mr. Massey for this country. Mr. Massey had said it was his ambition to see the country export £30,000,000 worth of produce, and this had been attained.

Mr. Masesy was greeted with cheers and prolonged applause on rising to reply. He thanked the gathering for the reception, which, he said, he felt he did not deserve, as he had intended not to stop at Stratford; but he greatly appreciated their welcome. He was not altogether a stranger to Stratford, but for the last few years he had seen little of New Zealand outside of Wellington. He had been four times to England and Europe, and this took up a great deal of his time. He was glad to see the development which had taken place in Taranaki. In 1912, the export of produce from New Zealand was worth £22,000,000, and he well remembered saying it was his ambition to see exports worth £30,000,000. Last year they had reached £43,000,000, but he ought to admit that one or two million pounds’ worth of this was macle up of wool which had been held up and shipped Home later. “We are not going to stop there,” said Mr. Massey. “There is room for more development.” The dairying industry deserved a great deal of encouragement, he said. It had been a splendid thing to see how rhe people had settled down after the war with a determination to pay the last shilling of debt. No country in the world had done so well as New Zealand. The outlook was now incomparably better than it was at this time last year, and there had been a great change for the better in October. If this state of affairs lasted until March they would be able to say they were out of the wood. He had suggested to the Government that a reduction of £1,000,000 should be made in taxation, and this had been done. He hoped for a further reduction in the near future. Mr. Massey thanked the gathering for the trouble they had taken to welcome him.