THE PRIME MINISTER.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16695, 2 December 1919, Page 6

THE PRIME MINISTER.

r— SPEECH AT WAIMATE. i! 'i (rnoii or it srrci vt. r.r.roTnT.n.'i 1 1 WAIMATK. Docembcr 1. J Tho Prime Minister addressed a 11 public meeting licro to-night. Tlio hall i was packed, many people boinz uni ab'e to pain admittance. Mr W. E. ! Evans (Mayer) was in tho chair. Mr I Me.ssc'y was warmly greeted. Mr John i Bitchener, tho He form candidate for ! W.iitaki, occupied a scat on tho platform. I Mr Masscy said that for two years ! out of the iast four, lie had been reproj scnting tho Dominion at Homo, nnd he : took tho weleomo accorded him that ; night as a genuine welcome home. (ApI pluuse.) .NO TIME FOR WR ANGLING. It was no time now to indulge in party wrangles. The country was up i a critical time. 'I no problem* of war had boon solved, and now they had to solve the problems of peace, and de.il with tho tremendous responsibilities they had tr.ken up in the last five years. With the direct war expenditure nnd the pensions for soldiers and dependants, the country's debt was now approximately two hundred million, lit* referred to the reasons for the formation of tho National Government. To an interjection he said he would not go back on anything done during tho w ir period, and he was prepared to explain wliy all the war measures had been carried out. DEVELOPMENT REQUIRED. After dealing with the Imperial Government commandeer of produce on tho lines of his North Island speeches, Mr Massey said that New Zealand today was moro prosperous than anyother country in tlio British Empire, and lie was confident that New Zealand would recover from tho war moro quickly, and with less trouble, than any other country that had been engaged in it. Tlio recovery was in tho people's own hands, but they must have assistance by development nnd extension in roadmg and railways. Plenty of men- woro ready to go out and dovelon primary industry, but land, roads, bridges, nnd railways must be mado readv fo r them, and, also, if necessary, the State should find shipping for tho export of the country's produce. (Anplause.) Hydroelectricity must bo developed all*over New Zealand. Tlio necessity for that i had been brought homo to him recently j by tho scarcity of coal. Every man know that coal was scarcc, because of the go-slow nolicy in tho mines. (Uproar and npplause.) Mr Massey: I thought thnt would fetch them. I wanted to boo where tho go-slows'' were, and I have found nf m " j A ' , mo ? mi,st ta k° their coats ■ <vff and work, if they woro to do their duty to themselves nnd tho eonntrv. The miners had boon misled lA> men who woro not patriotic. He began to think that thero woro very few Now Zimlandors among thoir leaders. (Dissent and applause.) Mr Massey proceeded to deal with the nationalisation proposals on tho lines of his former speeches, and wont on to speak of the pre-ent nolitienl position. and what led up to it*. When the A.itional Government was formed, Labour was offered representation, but it would not have anything to do with it A voice: Quito litflit. Mawoy : That's what you think. Well, I suppose yoti would not take any P-yt to liHp to win the war either Tho passing of Mr Mnssny. went on to say, was nnnroved by n majority of tlio people, hut tho Labour section strongly opposed it. Tho NaGovernment also had to increaso taxation, and such necessary measures did not tend to make tho National Government popular. A voir? 0 : Why did you not conscript money, too Mr Massey; Do you know that loans woro forced loans right through tho war ? Ar V< i'r o: CaTl ?° U * c!! m ° 'W? Mr Masscy: I can toll you scores of cases. The voico: I doubt <your word. Mr Massey:: You can doubt my word ir you like, but thoso who know me< never doubt it. SOUND GOVERNMENT WANTED. Continuing, Mr Massey said anothor i iinpnpu for net was tho stoppage of pub- » lie works, but it could not 1m? helped | and yet in fnco of nil thoso unnopular j measures, which woro absolutely necessary, tho National Government survived and carried out the country's war work, j (Applause.) fho best elements of that l Government Bhould havo continued on together to carry out tho work of rei construction .and in November, 1918, I tho Reform Party in caucus unanimousJy agreed to such a proposal, but tho Liberals said they would go to the country with a separata and distinct ~ m tho Reform Partv's poliov. I Sir Massov proceeded to ernlnin tho work of last session, nnd was subjected to persistent interruptions by a youth at the back of tho ball. A movement was made to put the interrupter oat, but Mr Maßsey said: /Don't put hira out. I don t mind his interruptions; they only anno/y tho audienco." That int< rjeotor was silent for tho rest of the meeting. The question now beforo tho pcoplo was bv whom wns tho country to bo governed. an J how was it to bo pnvcrrT ifc P nin K to be governed by a handful of extremists? Supmising Lonour had 12 members retnrnod, nnd neither tho Reform Party nor tho Liberal Party had an absolute mnioritv. Av hat would tho position. Mr Holland said the Labour Party would ioin with Sir Joseph TVnrd to oust Mr Mas-I say, nut that tho Libour- P?vty would i not support Sir Joseph Ward unless ; Labour pot tho representation it was fiizhttnr; for. The PrrlnmontnrV Labour Party would sell itself to tho highest bidder. IF the did not wait a few extremist-, to get the reins of power; if they did not want tho things to happen in New Zealand which had happened in Queensland lat-lv, the ol ctorr. von Id return tlm Reform. Government to power with an nhsoluto maionty. (Applause.) TV Liberals conlcl not catch up without taking into thoir party the extreme's. COST OF LIVING. Tlic Prime Minister next took up the subioct? of wheat growing and the cost of living, and said that tho riso in tho cost of meni, fhur, and butter had been chcckod by legislation. The cost of living had up mostlv in i the way of imported articles. Kcw Zealand had tho satisfaction cf knowing that tho cost of living here was less than in America, or any othor i Allied country. In New Zealand it was 100 per cer.t. lower than in England, ' and 150 lower than in Franco. Except | for ton, taxation had not lx-or. in- | creased on any of tho necessaries of life.! The small man h.i'l byen t-mvti c\< -r > time it was possible to do so. He did not knoiy if New Zealand had cscapcd profited ing moro than any other country, but last session tho most drastic Bill c?er passed in a British Fari ainent had boon passed to prevent profiteering, and a man who was now caught profiteering had two tilings in front of him: one was a heavy fino and tho other was gaol. He had received communications from nearly every Go- : vernmont in the British Empire asking for copic3 of tho Profiteering Bill, showing that New I'ealand could still lead ' the world in legislation. (Ar>p!ause.) Speaking of taxation, 'Mr Massey i said that on alteration in tho law should b« made so that a mr.rricd man with a fr.rr.'iy w*vH p-*\. a exemption of ti:xst:on than a single man.' (Applause.) OTHER QUESTIONS. Some Opposition candidates had xc- ; contly said that the Government had neglected tho opportunity to get the

meat contract with tho British Government ox tended. That was incorrect. As a mutter of tact, tho contract with tho British Government continued till Juno ;U.!t h next. Ho did not kuow if tho Imperial authorities ■would take the contract for another year after that. but if they did, he thought the producers would bo wiso to j accept the oifor. Samoa must ho held, as it- was one of I tiio kevs ot' t!io P.uiiio. It was a fer--11 tile country, but could not be worked I' I>>" white la!»o'.ir. No one lilted tho idea ■ j of indenture:! labour, but in tho rase ol . i Samoa it was neccssaiy. r j In concluding an act dress which lasted ; a few minutes bevond two hours, Mr I Mn.-sev said that so far as tho future r i was concerned, and so tar as ho was - concerned, ho would not nroiess that any arrangement could bo brought .! about by mere legislation to produce 1 a situation in which thero would _ be bettor prices, better means of living. ! hicher wages, and shorter hours. 1o ' profess such a thing wculd be absolutely ■. ridiculous, and he would bo n political i humbug if ho suggested that legisla- | tion could effect such n state of affairs, i New Zealand was now up against n hard l ! problem, and there was only ono way *! to face the economic difficulties caused :by the enormous responsibilities in- ' fiirred in the war. Tito people of this ' countrv should lx> made lianpy, but they ■ >ould not have happiness without con- ' tontment. It was industrv, pluck. ■ tenacity, and enterprise which niado ' the pioneering people from tTio Old 1 Country overcome their difficulties, and with the sumo spirit the people of tho ■i country co-ild meet and overcome all J iho difficulties thev wero now faced ' with. (,1/oud applause.) A vote of thanks to' the Prim© Min- * ister "was carried unanimously, and Mr j Massey was cheered. Mr Massev has arranged to address meetincrs tb's week ns under:— Ticosdny. Ihnlmvi. at <1 p.m.; Kurow, at S p.m. Tie will probably inspect j the Stewart Settlement. |j Wednesday, Tokornhi, at 3 p.m.; !. Oamnru. at 8 p.m. j Thursday, Christchurch, at S p.m. ■I THURSDAY'S MEETING IN ; CHRISTCHUBCH. 1 { In accordanco with the promise ho I' mado nt tho conclnsion of the deputa- ! tion of tho Canterbury Progress [ ; Leaguo on ..Tuesday last, tho Primo i Minister, tho Right Hon. W. F. Mns- ■ i sey, will address n public meeting of citizens on Thursday. Mr Massey is to speak at Oamam to-morrow night, and is duo at Christchurch on Tliurs- : day. The meeting will bo held in the Colossoum nt 8 p.m., tho Mayor of ! Christchurch (Dr. H. T. J, Thacker, M.P.), will preside. Tho entrance at i Armagh street is to ho availed of exclusively by Indies and their escorts. i Accommodation on tho platform will bo reserved for members of local bodies nnd lady friends until 7.45 p.m.