MR MASSEY AT TUAKAU.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16702, 10 December 1919, Page 11

MR MASSEY AT TUAKAU.

A REMARKABLE RECEPTION. ASSOCIATION TT.Lr.Or.AVI.) AI'CKLAND. December f». Ti;< Prin:e Minister ha/1 a remark- .*■ '■ reception at Tuakan this aftor11.>n. Tho town imo caily decorated, and children lined the approach to tho i;. 111. which was crowded. The chairli..in os tended a hearty wokomo to Mr Ma-* •*, whose name, he said, was : i:n:;i.ir i hrniighout tho ■world as tho i nf In- ' iinspir-uoiis work as tho h«.'i! i.f the National Government. Mr M.i-soy iva= rrceinnl irith cheers, :i-id 1•- -pi irh T\a., jiiinctuated with A!llidini_' tn ilcienco. ho said he 'lid n. t a cro.it standing army, but : v. i>> < s-rntiai to keep the Xavy ■:.-rr:iif. 'Ayiplause.) !>• ilii'.' v. itli the Opposition and cxn- " I.ab-nir parties, which he said ap-p.-.ired to In- iu conr,)etition as to which ■' i u'd have the greatest number of iia; : riti:ili-.ition proposals, he sai<l it roI bim of the doctor who pre- - " ib.'l the samp pill for every ill. i [..umiiter.) In tliis casn nationalisa-tii-i 'aus the one pill. While believing nationalisation was necessary to I'icik up monopoly, ho laid flown the principle that tin- State should not interfere with any industry which could better lie run by a privato individual. lie declared hi« belief that the principal cau>o of the increase of tho cost ci living was the tremendous i.vsUc of pater currency, whi<-h had had tho inevitable effect, of cheapening money. II • did not believe that tho cost of living would bo greatly reduced until lunch of th" paper curroncy was withdrawn. and thi* would l)e a gradual liri>ee.-s. New Zealand, he would welcome t lip ex-servico men Britain was going t i a-sist. to go abroad, und in glowing terms he spoko of the great ideal of Kioling--British people under tho flag. A unanimous vote of thanks and coulitlenco wa, carried, amid chccrs.

THE ISSUE BEFORE THE ELECTORS. hrtCIAl TO "THE TRKSS.") WELLINGTON". December P. To-night's '-Post," in its leading article, .--ays: —"The unfortunate demand of tho Liberal Party politicians f'»r •Jlusincs.s as usual' has been realised in one scum? to almost the fullest possible extent. In another sense, which far more intimately concerns the wcljare of the country, it has met with tin- utter failuro that was inevitable. Tho dissolution of tho Coalition act tho party game going onco more, and the restraint which wi«o_ leadership placed :ip«n its excesses during tho session has not been extended to tho constituencies. Liberals ar e fighting Reformers in almost ererj- electorate with all the energy that they can command. With ft lees eager zest, and with a stronger leaning towards independence, the Reform Party is returning tho compliment." Putting the issue beforo the electors to-dnv, the "Dominion" says:—"Tho only question that really matters is whether Parliament is to be reconstructed in such' a sliapo as will afford free -rope to a policy of progress or is to he -riven over to faction lighting, which would entail the neglect of national interests .-aid the hampering of useful activities. Thanks to the lines on which the Warditc.s have conducted their campaign, t!ii." issuo is sharply and clearly dc/iitod. The tide of talk with which they have flooded tho country 6inc© Parliament rose all resolves itself into a weak attempt to explain away or distract'attention from tho false movo made by Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues in August last, when they withdrew from tho National Cabinet. Liko the Ancient Mariner in Coleridge's famous poem, the Liberal Party is weighted down with a load of remorse. It has no means of banishing the guilty memory that at a moment when the country had all possible need of loyal service, it turned aside from tho plain path of duty and meekly followed a leader whose solo idea was to flourish an electioneering manifesto, which lor wild cat extravagance has never been eotiallcd in tho history of the Dominion. The outstanding feature of tho Wardirts' campaign is qaite obviously an attompt to erado or cover up facts they uaro not fran&lv face. The question they must finally answer at the bar of public opinion is why they aro attempting to split tho forces of progress in the Dominion at & time when it is supremely* necessary that these forces' should be united."

MR MASSEY'S FAITHFUL FRIENDS.

'.SPBCUL TO "TO* FRE&S.") NGARI'AWAHIA, Dccombcr 9. Mr Massey is famed for the faithfulness of his old friends. This fact was strikingly shown at his meeting at Tua-to-day, when a vote of thanks and confidence was moved. Tho mover and seconder wore Messrs H. Wilcox and P. Oerraty, who 26 years ago, when Mr Massey wan fighting his first and unsuccessful election, moved and seconded « similar uiotion in the samo hall.