THE PRIME MINISTER

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 13 March 1913, Page 5

THE PRIME MINISTER

AND HIS OHRISTCHURUH MEETING. MR MASSEY WELL SATISFIED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) OHRISTOIIUROH, Last Night. After his big meeting in the Theatre Royal Jast evening, the Hon. W. I<\ Massey was interviewed by a representative of the Press"l was immensely pleased with the meeting," he said. "It was a meeting after by own beait. I feel quite certain that it ihas done an enormous amount of good. I think the Opposition played into ray hands every time. They made more converts than my own speech did. I would willingly travel a thousand miles to have another meeting like that." A Press reporter bad a few minutes talk with Mr Massey prior to his departure' \for Ashiburton this .morning, and the Prime Minister . . again ex-, pressed his gratification with) the result of last night's meeting. There was one point Mr Massey said he desired to amplify and that was the reference made by ihim in the course of his speech to the cost to the Dominion of the loans recently floated on the London market. The cost of the Ward Government's £5,000,000 loan worked out at £i 12s Bid per cent. That °f the Mackenzie loan oP £4,500,000 worked out at £5 2s -d per cent., while the cost of thr £3,000,000 loan negotiated a month or so ago by the Hon. J. Allen worked out at £4 os 6d per cent. The latest, loan was raised at four per cent., 98. In other words,, the £3,000,000 loan cost 17s 3d per cent less than the £4,500,000 loan, and ts per cent less than the £5.000,000 loan, or a saving in round figures of £SOOO as compared with 'the co«t of the Mackenzie Government's £4.500,000 loan. It should aleo be borne in mind that at the :ti<me that the £3,000.000 loan was floated, the English money market was seriously disturbed, and was in a condition much less favourable to colonial loan flotation than it was at the time when the five million and 4£ million loans were offered. Despite the un Favourable condition o,f the English money market when the £3,000,000 loan was floated, 20 nor cent of it was taken up by the public, as comnared with 13 per cent of the ty million loan, and seven per cent of the five millions loan. .

ARRIVAL AT ASHBURTON. ASHBURTOST, Last Night. . The Prime Minister mid PostmasterGenera 1 and several Parliamentarianf arrived in Ashburton by the .second express from Christchurch this afternoon, and after they had been welcomed by the Mayor / and 1 • Borough Councillors, visited the' A. and P. Association's show, Mr Massev officially opened at 2 p.m. The party spent the afternoon on the showgrounds, and at 6 o'clock were banqueitted by the Association. The speeches is all cases were very brief. They are now (7.45 p.m.) about to attend a complimentary social to Mr W. Nosworthy, member for Ashburton. Mr Ma-ssev sent a cablegram to the Hon. A. Fisher. Oommomwealth Premier, on th? christening of the Federal capital. The message said: "T desire, on. behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand to congratulate you as Prime Minister of the 'Commonwealth, on the very important event that is taking place today, and to express the hone that the new capital city will be in every way worthy of the groat Commonwealth of Australia, with whose welfare and prosperity X-ew Zealand-takes; the keenest and friendliest interest."

M.P. HONOURED. STATEMENT'BY PREMIER,

ASHBURTON, Last Night. The member for Ashlburton, JVlr Nosh orthy, wn s tendered a complimentary social by his constituents this evenings There was a representative attendance of close on six hundred present. The Chairman of the County Council presided, and the Prime Minister, Postmaster-General, and seven members of Parliament were the platform. All delivered eulogistic speeches, and Mr Massey paid a particularly flattering tribute to Mr Nosm'orthy in his dual capacity as .a private member and 1 Junior Government Whip. The Prime Minister also seized the occasion to refer to the reception he received in Christchurch last night, and to the press reports on the same. He dwelt specially oil th? .statement made by the Lvttelton Times, that the police officers were so numerous at the Christehurch meeting that a. pebble could not be dropped without hitting one of them, and that the glitter of their uniforms was all over the buildings. Mr said he had telegraphed to Mr Herdman, asking him how many policemen were at the meeting, amd the Minister for Justice had replied that the provision for the protection of property -and of the people attending the meeting had been entirely in the hands of the local police authorities, and that not more than seven officers had been told off to preserve order in the theatre during the evening. There might have been a dozen officers in the building, but not moie. He believed the Christchurcb meeting would do the Government an immense amount of good. Mr Nosworthy was with a handsome secretaire, and Mrs Nosworthy with a manicure set. Both the Premier and the guest of the evening were very enthusiastically and the function generally was of a very heartv nature

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(United '^rm Ass, elation —By Hiestrie Telegraph—Copyright.)'