POLITICAL FUTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1922, Page 7

POLITICAL FUTURE.

STATE OF THE PARTIES. MR. MASSEY’S ATTITUDE. It had become known at Feilding on Saturday that the Prime Minister was on the Main Trunk train going northwards during the afternoon, and a crowd assembled to see him as he passed through. Mr. Massey was called upon for a speech, and addressed those present from the step of the carriage on which he was travelling. He said it would not be correct to say that he was satisfied with the result of the recent elections, but he was proud of the fact that though he bad lost several good supporters —he hoped only temporarily —the number of votes for the Reform Party had greatly increased, as compared with previous elections. He was also proud of the fact that so far as electioneering methods were concerned the members of his party had nothing to regret. They had put up a hard, clean fio-ht, without any attempted slander or nTisrepresentation, and they took the results as good sports, feeling that they had done their duty to the country, ratiher than that they had worked for party or individual interests. It' was quite impossible to say yet what the final result would be, but if his party were unable to carry on there was no ’chance for either of the others, or even for a combination of the pair of them. He was not Wishing for another election, though, personally, he had not the slightest objection to it, and was willing and able to take the platform next day if it became necessary to do so. But again the interests of the country came first, and he knew perfectlv well that elections meant very heavy expenditure of public money, and were' also unsettling to , finance, and commerce, and every variety of industry throughout the Dominion. Any important step that might be taken would

only be agreed to after very serious consideration, but they could take it from him that his services now, as in the past, and for the future, would always be at the disposal of his fellowcitizens. Hearty cheers were given for the Prime Minister as the train moved off.