POLITICAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8362, 19 February 1907, Page 7

POLITICAL.

SPEECH BY MR MASSEY. By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, February 16. A complimentary garden party was tendered to Mr Massey, leader of the Opposition, at Tukc-kohe, to-day, by the Political Reform League. Mr Massey, replying to an address, said it was only the determined stand taken up by the Opposition that had prevented the Government's obnoxious Land Bill from being forced upon the country last session. They had let the Government understand that if they proceeded with the Land Bill they might make preparations for eating their Christmas dinner in Wellington.TThatt t prospect did not appeal to the Government, and they knew the result. He held that a proposal which, involved the nationalising of 10,700,000 acres of leased and unleased Crown lands and the making of it impossible for the tenants and their successors for all time to acquire the freehold should not be passed until the electors had been consulted. That was the position the Opposition had taken up, and they were prepared to adhere to it. The dictum that the defeat suffered by the Opposition at last election would prove a crushing one had not been verified. The Opposition party or the Moderates, if he might use the expression, were now much stronger in the country than they had been for the last dozen years. Those who believed in the freehold should remember that thfe other side was working quietly and silently and working all the time. The people of the colony were simply being played with in connection with the Crown and native lands questions, and public expenditure, especially public works expenditure and appointments to the Legislative Council. Referring to those appointments he said that he was no supporter of a system which allowed one man or a section of men to appoint legislators for the whole colony. Whilst, however, that system obtained, it was the duty of the Government for the time being to recommend the Governor to appoint the men who were- the best fitted to the position. He would not refer to any individual cases, but he would say that men had been appointed to the Legislative Council who had not the slightest chance of being elected to the Lower House, men who had never been of the slighest use to their fellowcolonists "and who never would be. There was, he was glad to say, still a strong party in the country who believed in honest government and in a. genuine democracy, and who were anxious to do the best possible for the people as a whole. Speeches were also made by Messrs Lang, Herries, Bollard and Mander, M.H.R.'s, R. Monk and C. J. Parr. Mr Herries, in the course of his speech, said the time was coming when it would not be a question of Ward or Massey, but of a strong country party under the leadership of Mr Massey.