PLEASED WITH CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14620, 22 March 1913, Page 12

PLEASED WITH CANTERBURY.

MUCH GOOD DO!7E

On his return from tho South yesterday, the ■'Prime Minister (the Hon. W. F. Massey) accorded a "Press" representative an interview on the subject of his impressions of Canterbury after his tour, which concludes to-day.

"Although it has been very hard work," he said, "and we have done a tremendous amount of travelling, I have enjoyed myself immensely. I have never had an opportunity of seeing so much of the Canterbury Provincial District before, and I have never before met so many of the Canterbury people, and I am going away now with a very fair knowledge of its possibilities and requirements—such a knowledge as I certainly never possessed previously. Indeed, I doubt if tho same knowledgo has ever been acquired by anyone not a resident of tho Canterbury Provincial District. Tho welcome extended to mo by tho peoplo throughout has been of the very heartiest. Numbers of men have come to mc and said that, though they never before could see their way to support myself or candidates nlcdged to support mc, now they were glad to recognise flint we were doing good work for New Zealand, and would support us in tho future. Judg'ng by that, I should say a very great deal of good has been done. I think it undoubted that the 'mixed reception , given mc in Christchurch has produced a reaction throughout tho province which has been entirely in my favour, and which has done the Reform Party an enormous amount of good. People see more clearly than before where the line of cleavage must bo drawn. Their eyes havo been opened to tho tactics and character of our opponents, while, on the other hand, the meetings and discussions that have taken place have shown them that we are really working in the interests of the peoplo as a whole, and not in the interests of any one class. Altogether I am highly pleased with the Canterbury tour, and think its educational value on both bides has been enormous.

TO-DAY'S PROGRAMME. To-day the Prime Minister will have a big day's work. His programme is to leave Christchurch at 7.30 a.m. and motor by way of Amberley, Waikari, and Hawarden to Hanmer. A town reception will be held at Amberley and luncheon at Haniner. Afterwards Mr Ma&sey returns to Christohurch in time for this evening's steamer' to Wellington.