THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1907. MR MASSEY'S DECLARATION

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8439, 10 May 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1907. MR MASSEY'S DECLARATION

It is certainly difficult to gauge accurately public opinion by resolutions passed at political meetings. Only last month the Hon. C Fowlds visited Cheviot and spoke at length on the Land Bill, and on the conclusion of his address the following resolution was passed: "That this meeting of Cheviot settlers accords a hearty vote of thanks to the Hon. Mr Fowlds for his interesting and statesmanlike address, expresses confidence in the Government, and approves of their land proposals as embodied in the Land Bill." It is true, according to the Press Association telegram, that a hostile amendment was moved, but the motion wjfs declared carried by a majority of twelve votes—a small majority certainly. Yesterday morning, however, we published a telegram which leads one to suppose that a very strong feeling in favour of the freehold exists amongst a very large majority of the* Cheviot settlers. VVc refer to the account of the meeting held by Mr Massey, M.H.R., Leader of the Opposition, on Tuesday night last, at that place, when a motion in favour of the optional system of tenure was carried, amidst much excitement and enthusiasm by a large majority. There is no doubt that Mr Massey was well received, and that he made a good fighting speech, advocating the land policy of the Opposition—a policy that seems to be growing in popularity every day. Mr Massey is unquestionably a sturdy politician, possessed of considerable ability, and in the Land Bill of the present Government he has something solid to attack. For some years the policy of the late Mr Seddon was a

policy of no policy, which he carried J out with masterly adroitness, and the Opposition found it, practically, impossible to successfully attack the Government on any point. Mr Massey was, in fact, pretty well foiled at every turn, and he had in addition to contend with a Premier who was wonderfully popular throughout the land. When the present Government came into office we ventured the opinion that there was certainly one thing that they might be relied upon to do, and that was to create a very healthy Opposition within a very i short space of time. Mr McNab's Land Bill has given the Opposition a new lease of life, and, as a party, though they arc small in numbers so far as representatives in Parliament are concerned, has placed them in quite a respectable position in the eyes of the countiy generally. When Mr McNab first introduced his Bill he statsd that the Ministry intended to stick to their guns, and, if they had to, would go down with them. Very subsequently, however, the Ministry abandoned their guns, only temporarily of course, after the first brush with the enemy. Mr Massey has now made a somewhat similar declaration to that of the Minister for Lands. A t the Cheviot meeting, on Tuesday night, he said there was a tremendous fight approaching on the question of freehold and leasehold, and he gave the meeting this assurance —that the Land Bill of the Government was not going to be passed into law so long as he remained a member of Parliament. He was not speaking egotistically or boastingly. but they would have to expel him before the Bill was passed into law. This is a very fine declaration, and bespeaks a degree of earnestness that it is pleasing for any me;r.ber of Pai'liarctent to possess. In view of Mr McNab's ominous reference to guns, and Mr Masaey's declaration that the Government are not going to pass the Bill while he remains a member of Parliament, should the Government succeed in forcing the Bill through during the next session, we anticipate hearing of pieces of Mr Massey being picked up somewhere in the vicinity of the portals of Parliament House. Mr Massey will, we believe, stick to his guns, and his determination to de feat the Bill or to. commit political "hari-kari" is the right spirit in which to appeal to the country.