MR MASSEY'S CAMPAIGN.

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

MR MASSEY'S CAMPAIGN.

SPEECH AT PAPAKURA. THE PARTY SITUATION. (special to "the press.") PAPAKURA. November 7. The Prime Minister had another busy day in Auckland to-day. He had spent the night at Pukekohe, but he got back to the city early in the morning and was at work until the time came for him to go to Papakura in the evening. Mr Massey works very hard in normal times when his job is that of being Prime Minister of New Zealand, but just at present ho has also the tasks that fall to the leader of a great political party at election time. It may be guessed that a big team of candidates, experienced and inexperienced, takes spnie handling. The meeting that met the Prime. Minister at Papakura was very big aud very enthusiastic. The" chairman mentioned, when he was welcoming JVlr Massey, that the Opposition candidate for the Franklin seat had spoken in the same hall on the previous evening, but it did not appear that the Liberal-Labour nominee had left any impression behind him. Revolutionary Socialism. Mr Massey opened his speech with some pointed references to the party situation. He said that he wanted to state the position without heat or exaggeration. New Zealand at present had three political parties—Reform*, Liberal and Labour. Nobody imagined that at this election either the Liuerai Party or the Labour Party could secuse a majority of its own. The effort of the opposition groups was to get a combined majority big enough to oust the Reform Government. Just what that would mean had been made quite clear, as Mr Holland, the Leader of the Labour Party, had declared that directly his party got power, the process of socialisation was to begin. This process, 'he declared, would be undertaken either by orderly methods or by civil war. Mr Holland had said in Parliament: "I do not pose as a pacifist, but I am prepared to carry the brand of revolutionary socialism, and a revolutionary socialist does not take up the attitude that he will never fight. The time comes wheiij he is prepared to fight, when he will never refuse to fight."" Another member of the Labour Party had said that he supported a volunteer I force for defence "purposes, because I such forces would be necessary to protect working class interests when, socialist government came into power. He could make other quotations, if necessary, to show that Mr Holland's group in Parliament stood for revolutionary socialism. Mr Holland had said also in very plain language that his party would be willing to assist the Liberals to put the Reform Government out of office, but would insist then on dictating the nolicy of the new Government. That policy, of course, would be socialisation, which could not be attained except by confiscation. The Labour leader in the House of Representatives had said, this after describing the Liberal-Labour negotiations. Liberal-Labour Negotiations. "I think I have shown that the Libr era! Party's emphatic denials to the contrary notwithstanding, their leader, acting apparently on their behalf, was quite willing to enter into an arragementor understanding with the Labour Party for the purpose of securing proportional representation. • This meant either that the Liberals would take office with the support of the Labour Party in the event of the defeat of the present Government, or that the Labour Party would take office with the Bupport of the Liberals, | according to which was the majority party. It seems to me that the Liberal Party wanted to run with the hare j and hunt with the hounds. "It is quite clear that while they were quite prepared to make an arrangement and to take the Government' benches with the support of the Labour Party, they were declaring to the people outside that they would not take office with the the Lar bour Party. .Either lnferentially or directly. They were calling the Labourites 'Red Feds,' 'Bolsheviks,' and other names, and leaving it to be understood that they were altogether too disreputable for them to associate with.", The Danger of the Bed Flag. Thexdanger that faced the Dominion, Mr, Massey went on to say, was plain to see. The danger was that the Wilford and Holland groups would succeed in combination in getting political power. He did not think they were at all likely to do so, but the possibility had to be faced. He was not casting any doubt at all on the loyalty of the Liberal Party in general. He knew that the Liberal members of the House were as loyal as the Reform members—but the Liberal were affected by the admission of Mr Wilford, the Leader of the Liberal Opposition, in the House that he had been willing to negotiate for an "alliance with the Labour Party against the Reform Party. The Liberal Leader had admitted that in the House. He had not undertaken the negotiations himself, but. with his consent two intermediaries had interviewed the Labour Party and those intermediaries had been the single taxers in New Zealand. That was a fact for the farmers to examine and remember. A combination of Liberals, single taxers, and revolutionary Socialists would hold out a nice prospect to the farmers. "You cannot have the Red Flag in the same country as the Union Jack," declared Mr Massey. "The two flags won't go together. I have said that before and I stand by it." Proportional Representation. Mr Massey proceeded to condemn proportional representation vigorously. He said that this system of election meant the abolition of the country quota, the creation of very large electoral districts, and the making of numerous small parties. He could say with expert authority that the country quota could not be preserved, under proportional representation. The system had failed in other countries, and he saw not the least reason to believe that it would succeed in New Zealand. His political opponents were fond of saying that the Reform Party had been put into office on a minority vote. He did not admit this. The Reform Party had left fifteen seats uncontested in 1919, owing to the short time available for preparation, and it would be absurd to say that Reform had no support in those electorates. Mr Wilford and Mr Holland had both been elected by minorities in their own electorates, but as. the people of Franklin knew, he (Mr Massey) had been elected by a very big majority. (Applause.) "Wool will Continue to Rise." The Prime Minister referred to the general financial situation of the Dominion. He emphasised that the position was improving. The Government had still many difficulties to face, but it had made big reductions in public expenditure, and its revenue was showin-j

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a comforting amount of strength. Produce prices were showing an upward tendency. He could say with absolute confidence that wool would continue to rise in value for the next two years. It was tL great pity that the flocks had been: depleted by over four million sheep during the last few years. The North Island could feed" those sheep at the present time. State Advances. Some Opposition candidates, said Mr Massey, had been stating that the Government had neglected and starred the State Advances Department. That was a strange accusation in the face of the facts. r The records for the year ended March 31st last showed that the loans actually paid over had been as follows: -.■■'. £. To settlers 1355 loans amounting to ... ... 805,975 To, workers 820 loans amounting to ... ... 407,580 To local bodies 372 loans amounting to ... 708,410 Total 2547 loans amounting to '•• ' ] £ 1 »92 1 .960 He might mention at the same time that during the year the Public Trust Office had lent £1,583,976,' and the Government Insurance Department had lent £201,860, and during the first seven months of the current year the State Advances Department had made 1651 loans,.; amounting to £1,149,126, comprising £479,835 to settlers, £331,740 to workers, and to local bodies. .•;&.■. Tariff Matters. ' * ' The Prime Minister made a brief referenoe to tariff matters. He predicted a big advance in the policy of Imperial preference. "I believe that the time will come when we shall have practical free trade within the Empire, and a tariff against countries outside the Empire," he said. "I thought at one time that would be impossible. 1 don't think it is impossible now. Recent events have shown that it is possible. We can produce everything that we require within tbe Empire and the sooner we realise that tbe better it will be for us all." The Freehold Policy. The old political battle about tenures had ended. The freenold policy had won and was the law of the country, but there were still in New Zealand some very large areas of freehold land that were held by the State under the conditions that made it impossible to settle it except under the leasehold tenure. No man would touch this inferior land as leasehold, because he knew that he must spend years improving it before it would become productive and have any real valuo at all. "I believe that in the next Parliament there will be a sufficient freehold majority to put on the Statute Book a law that will make possible tbe settlement of this land," said Mr Massey. "We want to open this idle land to industrious settlers, and put them upon it on terms that will encourage them to make homes on the land and add to the production of the Dominion." The Dairy Pool. The Prime Minister urged the dairy producers to get together and decide what they wanted done in the matter of the dairy pool. The meat producers had derived very great benefits from the establishment of their board, and he believed that similar advantages awaited the dairy farmers. The Government and Parliament would have time to deal with the Dairy Produce Export Control Bill next year, and would desire to know what the producers had decided to do. Vote of Confidence. He proceeded to declare that the Government had given practical effect to almost every important plank of its 1919 policy. The Reform Party had not the least reason to be ashamed either of its programme or of its achievements. It bad kept its promise and it would continue to do so. After speaking for two hours 3fr Massey was accorded a hearty and unanimous vote of thanks ahd continued confidence by acclamation. The audience cheered mightilv and sane; "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." with great vigour.