REFORMERS AT FEILDING

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10558, 13 February 1912, Page 5

REFORMERS AT FEILDING

DR POMARE DECLARES HIMSELF. Mil MASS'EY OPTIMISTIC. AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING (By Telegraph—Fress Association.) FEILDING, Last Night. At the Reform "rally" here % tonight, the Drill Hall was packed. Among those present were Messrs W. F. Massey (Leader of the Party), Herries, Lang, Bradnev, Dickson, Harris, Mandei-, Dr Pom a re, Wilson, Buick, Guthrie, Fisher, Pearce, Bell, aiul Anderson, M.'sP. The meeting, which was presided, over by Mr ■A.';• Richmond, acting-Mayor, was very large and most enthusiastic. ""'Mr Fisher was the first speaker. He said thjp. Reform Party was in a precarious position at present, but if one or two members came to their support, they would be in office. Borrowed money was necessary, but it shoTild be >spent in the interests of the whole country, and be interestbearing. Dr Pomare announced himself as a Reformer. Nativo land would not be "Taihoa" with the Reformers. The ultimate end of the Maori was absorption. The Maori and European should, be put on one footing now legarding the land. Mr Massey saicf that in spite of the fact that the Government had control of the Public Works, and had used them for political purposes', they went back from the election in a minority. ' The Government had outlived ■its: usefulness. The returned members were going to keep their pledges to the people, and the Government would go out and be replaced by cue more Liberal, stronger, and more democratic. If the Reform party could not form a G-overnm'ent, a dissolution would be nece&sary. He did not want a dissolution, neither did the members or the people. When Hie House met the Government would make a last wild appeal for support, and would offer anything to retain control of the Treasury benches. The Reformers -were not allied with the rich landlords, but believed in making every man his own landlord. The country'had not done enough for land settlement. The Government should distinguish between the man who used his land and the man who held it for speculative purposes. .Other speakers were Messrs Herries, Bradney, Dickson, Harris, Mander, Buick, Pearce, Bell and Anderson. . :' The meeting closed amkl the great-est-enthusiasm.