REFORM LEAGUE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14988, 8 June 1914, Page 2

REFORM LEAGUE.

ADDRESS BY PRIME MINISTER

"WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS DONE.

In the King's Theatre on Saturday afternoon there was a large attendance of members of the Canterbury Women's Branch of the Political Reform League to hear an address from the Prime Minister, tue Right Hon. W. F. Massey. Mr H. l>. Acland presided, and Jljs Rol-lt-ston, president or tiie League, and other otticers of the League were on mc platiorm. The chairman briefly introduced the Prime -Viniiscer. MR MA.SsEPS ADDRESS. Mr Massey was received vvua continued app.ause. Jb.o thanked the u.c-iiioers ox t..e -o'antt;, uury of ihe Women's Political iteio.m league ior the opportunity given him to bay a lew no. us. iie to congiadulate the League on its i;ositiou and its stie.i ti ia—nuinoiicaily ana otherwise, tie was peneeuy cci.. in that the members of the League would give a partn,uiai,y good account ot taeinseivcs witen tne opportunity arose just as the Leagues in Auckland and Wellington hau gi.iiii a goou account 01 tiiciliselves aD last general ejection. (Applause.) lie congratulated Jirs Rolleston on her election to the very responsible position of president. (Applause.) He was sure that she would fii. , the position very creditably indeed. He regtetted that Mrs Haslam, the expresiuent. was unable, owing to indisposition, to be present. Oα behalf of the Government and the Reform League, he desiied to thank Mrs Haslam for the good work for which she was resp ;nsible when she was president. Mrs Haslam had shown gieat energy and interest in the woik of the League. (Applause.) FRID\Y NIGHT'S MEETING. He did not know whether many of those present had an opportunity of hearing him the previous evening. He knew that some had been unable to hc-ar him. He hardly needed to describe what took place, but he desired to draw their attention to the fact that to-day the line of cleavage was very much more distinctly drawn than ever before. (Applause.) "Last night," said Mr Massey, "the lino of cleavage was drawa between the quiet and decent section and the rowdy and noisy section. (Applause.) A man is known by the company he keeps, and the 'Liberal , Party is known by its supporters." In jus (ice to the people of Christ-church, Mr Massey continued, he wanted to say that he was absolutely certain thnt not 5 ncr cent, of the people at Friday night'e meeting sympathised with the rowdy element. (Applause) That day ho had received telegrams and letters, and quite a number had called, and all had expressed their disapproval of the tactics omployed on Friday nijrht. As the resuTt of the employment of such tactics ho was certain that the Reform League had pained hundreds of supporters. (.Applause.) The organised obstruction did not nrerent him sr-eakinfr and he had sa ; d what ho wanted to say t? UJ Y-J ie , had 1 jt witn considerable difficulty.

A JOURNAL'S MIS-STATEMENTS. Hβ' wanted to correct one or two mis-statements that had appeared in SV L y"dt°n ■ Times." &r Massey dealt at length with the comments made b ? the local Opposition I !\ V °\J m e^eech ' and controverted the three special false statements which were mado and which Mr Massey exposed in the course of an interview with a representative of this journal and printed in another column In referring to the mis-statements about the f un( j s available in the Advances to Workers' Department/Mr Massey said that the leader writer of the paper referred to was either too stupid to know that he had been quoting figures from two different dates or eke he was deliberately attempting to mislead the public.

Mr Massey also referred to his attitude upon the Old Age Pension Act when it was first introduced. At that time no provision at all was made for tho money which would be required and for that reason he had voted against it and believed he had done right. In tho last two years considerable improvtnents had been effscted in the measure and in the future as opportunity permitted even greater improvements [ would bo made. SOME MINOR MATTERS. What Mr Massey referred to as some minor details for which the Government hatd been responsible during the past two years were then dealt with. Hβ referred to the steps taken to obtain a suitable and more prominent site for the office of the Dominion in London than the present site. His. Majesty the King had kindly consented to lay the foundation stone of the building. He explained the provision made by the Government with respect to an insurance and depreciation fund in connexion with public buildings. Hβ also referred to the innovation under which receipts from the sale of Crown Lands were not credited to the Consolidated Fund as was the case in the past, but were placed to the credit of the fund for the purchase of estates for closer settlement. GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS. Mr Massey referred briefly to the improvement effected by setting aside iilo,Coo yearly as insurance upon tho public buildings of the country, and also to the change made in the method of utilising money received from tho sale of Crown lands. Instead of allowing this, as before, to become merged in tho general funds of the country, the Government decided to set all this money aside for the construction "of roads into tho backblocks. The Public Accounts Committee had been given greatly improved powers in connexion with, the annual Estimates. This greatly facilitated the transaction of tho country's business, and also imposed upon Ministers the necessity of being particularly careful in preparing their accounts. This was a special guarantee to the people that the country's funds were being properly administered. Mr Massey went on to refer to the improved position of the magistracy of the Dominion, and also explained that tho Government had now provided for the proper legal defence of prisoners. (Applause.) The increased rate of interest to depositors in the Post Office had been a measure of justice whiftTi was costing the . country upwards of £30,000 a year. "He believed that depositors should receive proper remuneration for their savings. THE FRUIT INDUSTRY. ' Fruit-growing, Mr Mdfesey said, was going to be ono of tho most important industries of the Dominion. As Minister of Agriculture, he had visited the different fruit-growing districts of the Dominion —the North of Auckland, the East Coast of Auckland, Nelson, Central Otago, and part of Westland, and he had noticed the tremendous changes that had taken place. In the Nelson district there was a locality known as the Moutere Hills. The land, from the agriculturalist's point of view, looked like poor eecond-class land, hardly worthy of notice. A year or two ago the land could have been bought at a very low figure; now it could not be bought i nnder £20 per acre. The reason was! that it was discovered that the land was suitable for fruit-growing. There were thousands of • acres—he was not exaggerating-yof the Moutero Hills, which had been nUnted in orchards. Something simi- ,

lar was going oil in Central Ofcago and in the North of Auckland In view of the growing importance of the fruit-growing induetry, he came to the conclusion that it was right for the Government to encourage the industry as much as possible. Cool storage wa-. necessary and fruit-canning factories for stone fruit. For these purposes Parliament had voted £100,000, and ho, as Minister of Agriculture, when satisfied of the eecurity offered, was abla to advance sums tip to £3000. This session ho intended asking Parliament to increase the amount that could be lent in one sum, as it was pointed out that it was better to have large cool stores at the ports rather than a large number of small cool stores all over the country.* In view of the fact that in a very few years the Dominion would be exporting apples to tho value of £1,000,000, it was the duty of the Government to encourage the fruit industry. (Applause.)

AUCKLAND'S GUM LANDS

The utilisation of gam lands in the far North was also touched upon by Mr Massey. The gum industry was almostgone and it was incumbent upon the Government to put something in jls place. This land was specially nuitaole for fruit-growing purposes, -and l:o arranged with the Survey Department l<n sections of twenty-five acres and upwards to be cut up. This could be occupied for five years without payment of rent, and if at the end of that time a man had shown himself to be a bona fide settler, ho would be given the freehold of his land at a nominal figure. A month ago the Survery Department told him they had had 126 applications, and said that they believed a rush would come when people realised what was being done "That is only a sample, ' said Air Massey, "of what we have been doing in New Zealand in the last two years. IMMIGRATION.

Referring to immigration, Mr Maesey said that immigration of two classes ot people only had been encouraged— domestic servants and farmers or iarm labourers. Domestic servants were practically brought in free of charge to themselves. The country was heavily in debt, and it was necessary to secure a larger population, not only of their own race, but ,if European races. • But we don't want the Hindoos," he eaid. "Next session I hope to put through legislation that will make it impossible for Hindoos to come to this country. I feel very strongly about this subject— we don't want the Hindoos at all.' (Applause.) Hβ was pleased, he added, that New Zealand had been able to hold her own so far as immigration wa s concerned in comiKstition with the other Dominions. In view of the men who rose from the ranks, and of the movement to tho towns, it "vas essential that the ranks of the producers should bo strengthened by £ supply of labourers. The more producers the conntry had the bettor it was for the country. Mr Massey outlined the recent echcmo which had introduced a number of boys to the country, and replied to criticism against thoir introduction. COMING BACKTOCHRISTCHtJRCH. Mr Maesey closed with expressions of thanks for the £ood time given him in Christchurch. He was so pleased with his hearing on Friday night, he declared, that he was coming back. (Loud applause.) He would come back before the general election, and show that those who thought they could prevent him fi om speaking had made a great mistake. He was confident about the future, as his party comprised the true Lftjerak of the country. His party did not include lories and Conservatives. "What they went by was character, and they welcomed the humble man and tie worthy man aa well as any other. A VOTE OF THANKS. Mrs Rolleston, president of the League, moved a hearty vo te o f thanks to Mr Massey for his address. She was quite sure that after the previous evening s experience, Mr Massey would have consulted his own convenience by j

resting,, but instead he had consulted their convenience.

Mrs Newell, of the Canterbury Women's Social and Political League, seconded the motion, which was carried by acclamation. Mr Massoy Jbriefly acknowledged the vote and expressed gratification that members of the Canterbury-Women's Social and Political League, as well as the Women's Political Reform League, were present. Referring to a remark made by Mrs Newell, Mr Massey said that ho bad told a deputation that morning that he would not urge Par* liaraent to repeal the Defence Act. (Applause.) A vote of thanks to the • chairman concluded the proceedings.