THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13161, 7 July 1908, Page 9

THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION.

SPEECH AT GREYTOWN.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TKIJ-GI-AM.) GREYTOWN, July 6. Mr W. F. Masscy. leader of the Opposition, took advantage of the fact that Parliament does not meet on Mondays—at any rate in the early part of the session—to visit Greytown today in response to an invitation from prominent supporters for tho purpose of delivering a political address in reply to the professional speech made here recently by the Prime Minister.

Air Masscy travelled to the Wairarapa by tho early morning train, spent tho afternoon in Masterton. and arrived at Greytown with Air W. C. Buchanan in tho evening.

Mr Massey addressed a fairly largo meeting in tho Town Mall. Owing to bad weather, the attendance was smaller than it otherwise would have been. Mr D. P. Loasby, Mayor of Grey town, was in the chair, and several prominent Oppositionists were on the platform.

Mr Masscy, who was received with hearty applause, said that just recently the Prime Minister had delivered a political address in Greytown, and ho Olr 'Masscy) was present that night to place before them the political point of view of tho Opposition. They Mould thus be. in a position to judge which party understood tho wants of tho country best. He. must say something regarding the political activity of tho members of the Government in putting their side before tho public,, assisted by all the facilities afforded by tho control of the Treasury chest. No such assistance was at the command of the Opposition. Nevertheless ho (Mr Massey > intended, when the opportunity offered, to do his best under tho circumstances. The activity of Ministers was duo to the fact that the general election was in sight. Well, Parliament had met, and was in session, and in the words of "Alice in Wonderland,"' the time had come, as the walrus said, to speak of many things. The Governor's speech dealt with every subject under tne sun, except tho policy of the Government, if they had a policy. The Government had backed down in every branch of its policy. Where was their self-reliant policy now ?

Referring to the Arbitration Act, Mr Masscy said it required amendment. It had been the boast of tho Liberal Government that no strikes would occur after that Act M-as passed, but the fact was that thero had boon more strikes in this country in tho past year or two than in any other country we knew of. By the irony of fate, on the' very day that Parliament mot, the bakers in Wellington Ment on strike and tried to cut off the bread supply. There was no doubt that compulsory arbitration had failed, and if an Act of that kind was to remain on the Statute Book, some sort of classification was required, making distinction between skilled labour on the one hand and labour calling for less ability on tho other. Nothing had done so much harm to tho administration of tho Act as tho Attorney -General's interpretation of a strike. The effect of the Act on industries had been most marked. Peoplo M r cre no longer inclined to invest' their capital in the development of tho country** industries, but prcterrcd Government debentures or mortgage. Without going into extensive details on the subject of the Act, ho must point out that limitation of the apprenticeship system was having a bad effect. No difficulties should be placed in tho M-ay of colonial youths who desired to learn a trade. Then thero should bo a Court df Appeal in connection with the Arbitration tribunal. After all, the Court was only lrumaii, and it M*as liable to mistakes. Indeed 18-stakes had been .made. He cited the case of a small employer in Auckland who preferred to go to gaol for two months Tather than put up with the Court's decision. There Mas no doubt whatever in his mind that the effect of tho Act had been to increase very greatly the cost of living. That was the Teal reason why tho workers Mere dissatisfied with the Act. At first, no doubt, the effect of tiie Act had been to increase wages, '"hut now the Court had boon tho round of the industries and wages had been raised all round, they Merc just in the samo position as when they staTted. In some cases, especially of men- with families, the, effect had been that men wcire not now so M-ell off as they used to bo. Another closs detrimentally affected by the Act was that Mhich produced articles tho price of whk_i was not fixed in this country, such as farm produce, frozen meat, butter, flax and even kauri gum. He did not know what tlio proposals of the Government wero in- connection M-ith the amendment of the Act, biit if it remained the law -of the land, it must lie so amended as to 7_rocure justice for both classes. If this could not he done, he, for one, would vote for its repeal. It M-as tho right of every man to work and to be paid' for liis work in proportion to his work, and nothing should affect that-right. (Applause.) He had read the speech delivered by the Rt. Hon. the Premier in Greytown and found that he (the Premier) had in tluit speech made a statement that there had l>een no increase in taxation. That M-as correct so far. as direct taxation was concerned. The rate had not increased, but for all that, the burdens of the people lmd boon greatly increased. For example, in tho case of land, everybody knew that valuations had lieeu put up on the unimproved value, and that the value of improvements had been kept down as muoh as possible. Then, again, stamp duty on intestate estotes M-as so high as to be a scandal. He would also point to the Customs tariff or last year, in which many articles formerly brought in free,articles useful in the development of the country, were rendered liable to duty. He instanced milking machines, horso covers and so on. It M-as the sa-me in the mining industry. Anyone M-ho took the trouble to examine the officifll year book Mould see that in tho last ten years taxation had increased one pound a head. He stood by his statement that taxation had been very considerably increased in tho past few years. "(Applause.)

With reference to land, ho noticed that the Minister for Lands had stated in Parliament that the people did not want to hear of tho land question for some time to come. He v.-a*, not surnri.ed to hear that th_» Minister for Lands objected to tho land question being mooted. Some nights before in tho C-Ui-vO of the debate on the Ad-dress-in-Reply, he t.jlr Masscy) challenged any country member to say ho approved of the first Land Bill brought flown by Mr McNab, and he had not elicited from tho Government a silig.e reply. The Government had run away from that Bill. (Laughter.) lie notice/1 Sir Joseph Ward had said that there Mas nothing in the Land for Settlements Aot Mhich could bo called land nationalisation, but the position was thi*, -_hat tliey were pledged to the expenditure of *£•__>_.).()_-) in buying land for settlements under the renewable lease, and he said that Mas land rationalisation. Settlers should be given the option of tbe freehold, and if that Mas done, land nationalisation would disappear, and he Mould approve of the Land for Settlements Act. With regard to this matter, tho Premier, in denying that ho M-as a land nationalists, and in reference to the single tax liad said the policy c_* the Government was the policy of the majority. Well, he would- quote to them the opinions of Ministers expressed at different times

on the land question, and from those they would sec th<it the majority ol the Cabinet were land nationalicrs, and favoured.tho leasehold as against tho freehold. Mr Ala-_?ey here quoted the expi-0-.-cd opinions of members of the A_lminii_t.r-ition on tho land que_ytion. Mr Mnsj-ey went on to refer to Socialism. He said he was not at raid of it. Ho thought it was impossible. He believed iv social rotorm, but feared tho evolutionary (Socialist amd the obsolete ideas w Inch were being continually resurrected. Socialism never eon Id do any good. Private enterprise bad made*- this country what it was. (Loud applause.) There were people mlio were inclined to say that there was little or no difference between the Government and the Opposition. It wa_. truo in some resnects that tho Government, had come round to Opposition ideas expressed in the Hou. c. One important point he wished to iniprc__ upon them m_is this-;--hat tho men on the Opposition, aide of ' the House Mere genuine Liberals who believed that private enterprise and industry wero tlio best for tho country. " On the other hand, tho policy of tho < > Govern mc ut was largely Socialistic He would toll them thnt more Social, istic legislation hsid been asked for by the Ward Administration in two years than had b»«en asked for by Mr Seddon in the previous ten years. He did not say that the present system was '"- perfect—far from it—but lfo and his party desired to secure improvement by other and Iwtter iiKrthods. The ' Government had spoon fed tiie Social. " iste for years until tho Land Bill of l!) 0(). when tho people had awakened to. tbe situation and had cried, "Stop." Then what had happened? Memlbers of the Government had appealed to th© public wilh the cry that they wero " not revolutionary Socialists. There- - upon the Socialists had threatened to withdraw their Mipport from the Government. He for one thought that would bo the best thing that could - happen to the country. .Last year the SociaJists wanted and - got seven million acres of tho land of this country. TJiis year thoy wanted ' tlio Bank of New Zealand. (Laughter.) He did not think they would get it (Laughter.) The workers were told they would be better off when tho Soci- • iilwtic millennium waa reached, but what was the fact? Any industrious, capable man was able to make his way ««i A 0 i ! e WM suro that four- ■ hit is of .the employers in the Dominion had started as employees. But what would be the case under Socialism? • Men would start in life as wage-earn-ers, and end their lives as wage-' earners, or possibly in State-owned in- -- stitutious or receiving State aid to the ~ extent of ten or twelve shillings a week. Now tho Opposition. wore true l-iporaJs; they were individualists and believed in tho strenuous lifo. Referring to tho question of a coali- - tion, Mr Massey said he did not advo* cate a coalition or anything liko it."' Ho still ..anted to see party lines much' more clearly defined than they were at ' present Ho did not like the present - habit of members on tbe Government" side of the House who said to tha Go--' yernment, "Wo want to keep you in f ' '' but. turn your policy out." b'uch men required to bo straightened up. (An- * plauso.) . - r /*7 . Reverting to the land question' Mr . Masscy referred to tho boasted success.-: "* lor tho leasehold system as exemplified ■ - by Culverden and other estates. Brit' *, it the option of tho freehold had been--. "' offered, every settler would have so- ' '-. lected it. ~ -, >*r, ! Regarding finance, Mr Massey said . ho . would not say much, because he '- understood tho Financial Statement" - " jvas to bo brought down naxt day, and • - ho did not wish to speak when they -' wore uncertain of the, position.' Ho-"" ' | did not oppose borrowing, because they ". must do so to construct roads-and '•• bndgos, though they were not allowed' to contra? the expenditure as' completely as they should. Money waa often spent on other objects than those for : Mhich it was voted. They tvero b_o- | mised £200,000 a year for bridges and roads. It was a curious fact that every throe 3'ears this promise was -matio. Two years were lean yeara, and then, ? the year of tho election was a fat .year. ' Money had boon borrowed by tlio Gb» -'.' vorniuent on short-dated debentures in ' •past years. Thero were clouds .on financial horizon; thoy might pass '"- away and might not. The Government, . 'had borrowed from every conceivable - source, from tho Savings Bank, A-M.P.,?. *"■={ and soon. Tho result was that money'" ; was scarce and dear. Ho referred the fact that, though there was a State-"*„" hire Insurance Department, tho Stat. buildings wefo not insured, and there s .'fr'--w-as no depreciation allowed for. ' Was' " : that sound nnanco? Mr Massey -re.*-"". forred to the Shannon case and tho'SOsVf' a day travelling expenses. He also . ; commented upon the Government's.ar- ; - rangements for housing Parliament - the result of the fire, and said that if-"" I rebuilding on tho old site, had been. 5 .ntcorously pushed on and temporary - premises erected, tho oost would have ." - r ' been much less, and members would ' ' havo been more comfortable.- ' ..V. Speaking of tho proposed change in" - tho audit system, Mr Massey said he ~ _ i did not think thero was much WT-n'g" 1 - ' witli the present system, nor did he"' : greatly object to tho post audit except "", ". for tin's—tliat it would prevent public ".' accounts being ready for presentation - - to Parliament when it met. Speaking .".* of Old Ago Pensions, Mr Massey said " there was at present a penalty on J .. thrift. He tliought thero ought'to be " : a universal pension, but if not that, at any rate some system which would encourage those who were honestly ; anxious to make provision fo.r their r»e-" dining years. Mr Massey then referred * to;the.Advances to Workers Act, and said it had hecn brought down by tto ' Government as the result of a suggestion made on tho floor of the Bouse by " himself. He claimed that the Opposition was as anxious to assist the workers as the - Government was, (Applause.) He» - claimed that the Opposition had «__- deavoured to do their best for - the country, and had, by fearless and outspoken criticism, saved the country - useless expenditure. He" protested strongly against compulsory licensing of bookmakers, which -was a direct encouragement of tho -worst form cf gambling. They had been told years ago that the totalisator was licensed to smash tho bookmakers. How was that to be reconciled with last year's Act? Refering to the appointments to the Public Service, Mr Massey objected to t.ho system of invoking political influence to obtain apimintments. Everyone had to u<e it at present, but appointments .should be according to fct- ! ness, and then* should be a Public Ser- ' j vice Board. Referring to the Legislative Council, he said its constitution j should be amended. The Council should Ik; elective. Some appointments were good, but *ome Mere not. Political ; billets were given to those who had s<>rvr.l the Government. Two men who had opr«is(-d him in Franklin had got billet, in the Legislative Council. He expected to havo quite a number of opponents at next ejection. One had alt-v.-dy an noil need himself. Ho did not want to boast; ono never knew what Mould happen ; but he thought that that gentleman, if ho got into Parliament, would go there above his 'Air Massey V) head as a Legislative Councillor. In conclusion, Mr Alnssey said that the little band on the Opposition benches had "played the. game," .nd kept the flag of freehold flying. Tliey would continue to plsiy the game, and he hoped the people would remember the fact when the dec. ions came, and vote accordingly. Mr Massey m;i- frequently applauded during hi* address, and the audieuco appeared to be very cordial. A heartyvote of thanks was carried amidst ap. ' j plause. -~. ____■■___~_. - :■ ..-:___■*__£___