The Press Wednesday, November 8, 1922. Mr Massey's Speech.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17606, 8 November 1922, Page 8

The Press Wednesday, November 8, 1922. Mr Massey's Speech.

A considerable portion of the Prime Minister's speech at Pukekohe was devoted to an account of the achievements of the Government since the last general election. "When account is had of the fact that the Government had' to face the effects of a financial and economic depression of unexampled severity it is impossible to deny that the Government's record is an extraordinarily good one. When the depression was nearing its maximum, multitudes of people began to think and to say, some regretfully, but others with glee, that the Massey Government's doom was sealed. There lias been a change since, then. Thanks to the recuperative power of the country, and to the cheerfulness and courage of the . Prime Minister, the storm has been weathered, and Mr Massey is able to fgive. such an account, of his stewardship as makes quite natural the expectation of most people that the Government will be commissioned to carry on for another tenn. "We have not seen many of the Opposition criticisms of the Prime Minister's «pccih, but from those which we hare seen it is apparent that the Liberals would, if they could, prohibit. Mr Massey from giving the facts and figures which establish his claim to be attending effectively to the needs of the country. They even complain of bis reference to the difficulties created .by the.-world-wide depression. It is, perhaps, not surprising that they should feel like this, but Mr Massey is entitled to refer to the difficulties' he has had to contend With, and the public is not likelv to forget them. ' The financial position, is continuing to improve, and the lars of the revenue and expenditure for October are very satisfactory indeed. The figures for the half-year were not at all had, and if the promise now held out by the figures for Seven months is realised, it is quite likely that despite the remission in taxation provided for last session, the year may end with a surplus. , One of the most interesting portions of Mr Massey's speech was that in which he discussed, the position of parties. The position of the ( Reform Fifty is perfectly plain. It goes before the countryon. its own merits, and in alliance with no-other party whatever. When an elector votes -Reform, he knows exactly for whom and for what, he is voting. He knows that he is voting for a: Party which proposes to carry out such a progressive policy as is desired by the sane majority of electors, and which is under no obligation to any. third party and will remain independent of extremists of all kinds. The elector who votes for a Liberal, on the other hand, simply does not know what his .vote may do. All he can bo sure of is that the Liberals will be a minority of the hew House of Representatives. He cannot feel sure that they will simply be one of the two. sections of the Opposition. He runs the risk of helping to elect a Liberal who with to defeat the Government. Our own opinion is that Mr Massey will obtain his necessary majority, but those Liberals who do ~ not share this opinion ought to reflect upon what a majority consisting of Liberals and Reds will mean. As Mr Massey again reminds us —the fact is thoroughly well known by now—Mr H. E. Holland has declared that if the Reds and Liberals can eject the Government, the Reds will support the Liberal Ministry only so long as it carries out a policy acceptable to them. In such an event Mr Holland will give his orders, and disobedience will mean the immediate withdrawal of the Red support. The Liberals can carry on only by carrying out Mr Holland's instructions. The official Liberals have sufficient wit to understand that their projected co-operation with the Reds is damaging thorn in the eyes of many thousands of electors who have not hitherto been supporters v of the present Government. But they have not the wit or the courage to repudiate the Reds altogether and give the country * an undertaking that they will not at-

tempt to reach office -unless they have a majority of their own. Since they cannot hope to win more than 25 seats., such an undertaking would, of course, amount to a definite renunciation of the hoi>9 of office. And the difficulty is that, whatever the rank and file of the Liberal voters may think n b^i: 4 it, Mr Wilford and his allies desire offioe above all things, and on any t?rms. In striking contrast with Mr Massey's plain declaration concerning his narty's position is the care with which Mr Wilford abstains from defining his, although he knows that tr.e prospective relations between the Liberals and the Reds make the ispmo in which most interest is being taken throughout tho country.