THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12828, 12 June 1907, Page 9

THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION.

SPEECH AT HUNTLY. IrIWW ASSOCIATION TELXGIIAM.) . ' AUCKLAND, Juno 11. s* r W. F- :,SM 'i' Leader of the n-nmition, addriftsed a meeting tinder '■STTu-tpices of tho Ihintly Political Reform Leoßue. He said ho was glad . acknowledge that the Colonial Trwuiurcr had a surplus. The country «_u prosperous nnd the revenue buoyt The indebtedness ol the eolonv ii' increasing ut the. rate of two mil'how yoarlv, and the speaker did not JII how this could bo avoided. Ho _iied in it* rovision of tho tnrilf, that tho Government fihould reduce tho duties on the n«-nv_ari_y>f life, and hM keep down the tost of living. An amondmciit was iirwli-d iv the loca corcrnment law noun', nway with dual flfitrol by county cmmHU and rond Lards and placing the tinanco of local ' authorities on v moro satisfactory Mr Mnsscy urged that tho Mnoria should" havo tho same privileges aa European*, and pimilnr responsibilities, with tho proviso that no native should bo allotted to dispose of land necessary for tho maintenance of himBolf and his family. The Waikato settlors *«o J'fl much interested in Auoklnnd Harbour n3 wcro Auckland's citizens, and an amendment of tho law was necessary to givo country people representation on harbour boards, lite Railway Administration was severely criticised- Mr Massey said ho would sneak in no uncertain voico regarding tlio Jack of rolling stock and locomotives, whoroby industry was paralysed, and inconvenience was caused. B alphas mine alone last quarter lost thirty days' work owing to tho want of waggons. Railway locomotives to bo built in tho colony. Mr il.-i._sey criticised tho Land Hill on the fiimo lines at in hia recent speeches. Ho said the Franklin ©lectors had stood by him so ff«H in tho past that ho could not ' desert that constituency, though ho had boon requested to contest Waikato. A voto of thanks to Mr Massey waa cafriod enthusiastically.