MR MASSEY'S TOUR.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14918, 17 March 1914, Page 7

MR MASSEY'S TOUR.

SPEECH AT NELSON,

ANTI-REFORMERS ORGANISE

DISORDER

(SrECUL TO "TTtX press") NELSON, March 16. The Prime Minister addressed a huge audience in the Theatre Royal this evening. Ho had an excellent reception, and a small hostile section in the back of tho hall behaved itself well on the whole, and the interjections simply gave Mr Masscy a lead, which he made the best use of, to the entertainment of the audience. All went well until a vote of thanks and confidence was moved and seconded. Then the member for Nelson (Mr H. Atmoret rose to move an amendment striking out tho words after an expression of thanks. He made _ scathing attack upon the Government and the personnel of tho Cabinet. There were frequent interruptions, and the member for Nelson was unable to put his amendment, nor were the other side given a hearing. After the disorderly scene had gone on for some time, the chairman declared the meeting closedIt was simply a disorderly section that prevented any progress being made, and blocked tho meeting expressing its feeling ono way or the other. The meeting, judging from the hearing given the Prirao Minister and the prolonged and tumultuous applause which was accorded him, was clearly largely in his favour.

(rRESS ASSOCIATION* TELEGRAM.) NELSON. March 16. The Prime Minister, the Right Hon. W. F. Massey, addressed a crowded meeting at tho Theatre Royal to-night. Ho had a good reception, and an attentive hearing, though the proceedings at times were somewhat demonstrative. Mr Ma_i_oy spoke on practically tho same lines as at Blenheim last week. He criticised tho financial arrangements ot previous Governments, which left his Cabinet face to face with the necessity of finding £5,000,000 by the end of tho year to pay off short-dated loans, m addition to £5,000,000 for ordinary de- | velopment purposes. The Government I had increased tho limit of the amounts jto be lent to local bodies and settlers. It could not supply all tho demands of | tho former, but the State guarantee I system would assist those who required more than the Department could advance. Ho would see that tho flaw in the Act preventing Harbour Boards from benefiting by it was put right. The present Government had lent to settlers, workers, and local bodies, £2,472.715, including £1,555,625 to settlers, £498,075 to workers, and £6iU,020 to local bodies. The result of the last loan flotation in London gave New ileaianders every reason to be proud of the grand little country in which they lived, for the London financiers were the best judges of tho financial condition of a country. The bad times and low wages predicted when the Reform Government took office had not come to pass. Tho country w_c never more prosperous than it was at present, and of that the Post Office Savings Bank was an index. The deposits for the months of January and February exceeded the withdrawals by £193,438. while the deposits for February of this year exceeded those for the corresponding month of 191 3 by £117,472. The present Government had increased the rate of iuterest on Post Office deposits from 3J to 3i per cent. He contended that the Government had kept its pledges on the land question, and between 10,000 and 20,000 Crown tenants now bad right to convert their leaseholds into freeholds upon easy terms. The leasehold bad &,!w supporters in Phrliament now. During the present financial year the Government bad purchased 149,000 acres of land, and bad settled 22,000 ..ettTers on it. The experiment of Eroviding five acre holdings and ousos for farm workers in Canterbury promised good results, and ho intended to repeat it in the North Island. Ho was out to give the man on the bottom rung of the ladder a chance to climb up. The Primo Minister dealt with the naval dofenco question and the recent strike in a similar strain to his Blenheim speech. The strike, he said, had killed tho old Liberal Party, and tho parties of, the future would bo Re- . formers, Liberals, and Red Fed. Liberals. The Government would keep the present railway construction policy going, and perhaps do a littlo more. They were prepared to allow settlers and local bodies to construct lines of a standard gauge. Jf tho Government had not as yet redeemed all their pldges, it was not their fault. They had built up a policy which would bo for the good of tho Dominion in the years to come. As the meeting drew near its close a noisy element developed at the rear of tho hall, but Mr Massey treated this* element good-humouredly. In conclusion ho read a report published in the Nelson "Mail a Hawke's Bay newspaper of an address by Mr Atmore, the member for Nelson, in which among other things it was stated that Mr Massey was now head of a house which had been left £165,000. Ho (Mr Massey) said his father died two years ago and left £2000. He presumed it was his father who was alluded to. Mr Atmore, speaking from the platform, denied having made that statement. x Mr Massey said ho had quoted from tho newspaper correctly, but no correction had appeared in the paper. A motion of thanks was moved and ! spoken to by several members of the i audience. Mr Atmore then moved an amendment to delete the words expressing confidence in the Government, and proceeded to criticise the Government. He denied that ho had referred to Mr Massey's father; it was Mr Herries*. fnther he had alluded to. and he had been misrepresented by tho Hastings "Tribune." Mr Atmore proceeded to deal with the Government. «, When objection was raised to his making a speech, a scene of some disorder ensuiid. but the Mayor held Mr Atmore in order, and he continued his efforts to speak, amid constant uproar and "counting out." After a lapse of some time the Mayor declared the meeting closed, and left tho chair amid cheers and a counter demonstration, tho motion not having been put. Interviewed after the meeting, Mr Massey made the following statement: —"I intended to make another speech by way of reply to Mr Atmore. I do not blamo the Mayor for leaving the chair. What has taken placo is th© most miserable exhibition I have experienced in my twenty years of Parliamentary life—l am now speaking of the interference with the meeting by the member for the district, Mr Atmore.*' Mr Atmore afterwards addressed an impromptu meeting outside the theatre.