A TARANAKI RALLY.

Ashburton Guardian, Issue 8346, 10 April 1912, Page 3

A TARANAKI RALLY.

SOME PARTY SPEECHES

STRATFORD, April 9. There was a very large gathering m the Town Hall last night at a "social" given by the supporters- of Mr Joseph McCluggage, who contested the seat m the Government interest at the last election. The Primel Minister (Hon. I T. Mackenzie) and the Hons. G. Laurenson and G. W. Russell were present. During the evening a purse of over a hundred sovereigns was presented to. Mr McCluggage. All the Ministers received a hearty welcome. i The Hon. G. Laurensoiv said that the present was one of the youngest and one of the most distinctly Isfew Zealand Ministries the country had ever had. They were able" to govern the country m the interest of the men and women m the country. He hoped to again visit Stratford at no distant date. He would then deal with the Opposition Party's charges seriatim, and would invite Mr Hine or the best man: they had to come along, and he would defy him to refute a single statement the speaker would make. The Opposition had caught them napping ah^r had captured a few seats at the law election. He guaranteed' 1- thffti it would not do so again. He condemned the campaign of calumny to which the Government had been subjected. The Hon. G. W. Russell said that he was not a stranger to Taranaki, having resided m New Plymouth thirtysix years ago. He referred to the remarkable progress of the province, as evidenced by its exports, and brought about largely by .the policy of cutting up the land m small holdings. Taranaki had done itself honour m electing the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie as one of its members. Referring to the political situation, he said that when next election came round, whether it should be m three months or tln-ee years, there would be better organisation on the Liberal side. The speaker paid a high tribute to Sir Joseph Ward, whom, he said, the country could not afford to allow permanently to stand aside from the high offices of State. There was a revulsion of feeling already evident.on every hand, the tide, of calumny and slander was being beaten back, and the people recognised that the men to be trusted with the Administration were the leaders of the Liberal Party. The Hon. T. Mackenzie, who was received with musical honours, said they had been termed a "stop-gap" Ministry, but they were at any rate a party against whom nothing could be honestly said. They were a clean party. The statements made of corruption and Tammanyism against him were false and unfounded. Mr Mackenzie went on to deal scathingly with the Reform Party's recent platform utterances at Stratford. Surely it should be the Reform Party's merits and not the Government's 1 demerits- which should he that party's recommendation, if any, to the people. With regard to land, the Government wanted to deal with territory rather than tenures at this time. The present Government was going into this question whole-heartedly. Referring to tho Hine charges, Mr Mackenzie maintained that Mr Hine had proved nothing. Speaking of the session just ended, he referred to the failure of Mr Massey to give a pair for Mr Wilford, and said it was not playing the game. If Mr Herries, who was now absent owing to ill-health, was not m his place next session, he would himself pair with him if no other member did so. It was not true, as Mr Massey had said, that one member of the Cabinet wanted to flood the country with yellow labour, nor was it true that the last loans had J>een a failure. Mr Massey, might think all fail 1 m politics. A campaign of slander hacl been directed against one man to drive him out. It hacl succeeded, but it did not follow that Mr Massey could take his place. He did not believe the country wanted Mr Massey, though it had been misled. They wanted to get rid of all this slander and abuse and be judged fairly on their merits and for what they "did. Statements wore being cunningly concocted l>y certain Conservative newspapers to put the financial position falsely, and damage the country's credit. At the recent Reform rally m Stratford Mr Massey had said.:. "Was the country to be dominated _by half a dozen men ?" But had not Mr Massey brought the Labour men into Parliament himself, and did he not claim their vote ?. The present- Government recognised the responsibility on its shoulders, and Avcmld use every effort to do the right thing for the people and the country. The following resolution was carried unanimously, amidst continued apnlause —' That this meeting:-of Liberals heartily congratulates tlie Hon. T. <

Mackenzie on his ap pointmont- as Primo Minister and liis choice of Ministers, and trusts that they will have a fair and impartial trial m administering the affairs of the Dominion, and considers the best interests o_f r the country «a ill be fully safegxiarded by them." ..■.,-, Mr Mackenzie said that" they would never regret passing that resolution.