A WORD TO FARMERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 618, 22 September 1909, Page 8

A WORD TO FARMERS.

■: 'THE. HON.: ''•S? MACKENZIE'MAY 'WlTH-rf^:::^2-:r;VI)EAW;]mpM.POLITICS.,;; /::, ; \ '■'■■: ' Speaking, 'particnlnrly.'to.'tho farmers, the : :, .Hon.'T. 'Mnckenzie-'remarked at Eata that by. ;..' a course; ; of action that''-waeV.being pursued , 'they'were:.losing\a : splendid : opportnnity,..',To ;V°.them.he would say. that they.had: in.offico a ■ii'-Government that was' genuinely dealing with a '•.-- great financial difficulty. ".-•': By: j reason of tho ':!■'■ fact that the /Government -were honestly .por-.-'ii.forniing their:work,numbers of people were V.; endeavouring to. form themselves into a eepar- '" .ate - organisation. : Tho peoplo 'to -,whom. he re'•■ferred .would .either form, an' entirely new : .party to hold the balance 1 of power, or would :--Tote 'with-Mr.-Massey, in order, to destroy the ;'..;' influence of the; Government.> If. Mr. Maesey '.'. got , :into ofiico and followed tho samo lines .."vfhich;the. Government :,was. following .theso veanic people would do the 6aine. for him arid his party! . He (Mr., Mackenzie) was dissatisfied r : ;-withrthe;po3ition that these.people were taking • : '.'iip,."-because, iin h"is opinion,-: the Government :. Was- enacting' reasonable legislation'' and ad- '. - "."ministering the .affairs-;of rihe,; Dominion on

eonnil lines, During the.eight months that ho had .been in the Ministry lie had had an opportunity of seeing behind the scenes, and he challongcd the people to whom lie referred to point to a'single corrupt act that had been performed within that period. On the contrary, the utmost.care had been exercised that honourable work'might be done. "Personally," concluded Mr. Mackenzie, "I will have completed twenty-four years of politicnl service next general election, and unless I see the country coming, to a right-frame of mind it will be useless for me, wasting /more of my time on- political work." ,:',' ' . ; : /INTERESTING INCIDENT. ; AN OITEE THAT WAS: JfOTACCEPTEI). . Whilst at'Marigaweka yesterday, Mr. Massey had an interesting experience. As he was roadinj} ; inv the sitting-room of the -hotel, a local "celebrity looked in, and said to the occupants: nVcll, lads, I am going to'dress Massey down to-night." In his usual quiet, way, Mr. Massey - looKdd up, and remarked, to the intense, amusement of those present: "Hadn't you-better commence now?" It was.not until the meeting in the-evening that this elector again became prominent. Then ho questioned a statement which Mr. Massey made. "Look ■here,' - said the .'.Leader- of the' Reform party if yonr vjeir is the correct one, I will give to the Hospital Sunday fund at Taihapo. Will you give an equal sum-to the same fund if 1, p,rove,-as I know, I can, that my statement is absolutely correct? Como on now: a bargain." Nothing further ■in the way t ti?- c P^ tl ? ns .- Tns heard from aat quarter of the hall during the rest of" the evening. -■ >;' SECOND BALLOT ACT; : - ;.THE . PKQPOSAL ' EXPLAINED. <_;Eef erring ■; to', the Second Ballot' Act :at •Eastown last night, Mr. -G. .Hutchison told liis large audience that the reason whv.it had ;peen introduced had never been explained ■ except asji means of preventing the Labour party' rom: obtaining a separate share of representation, a development which: the Prime Minister intensely disliked and feared. If pressurehad not to bear,by the press to have the gaf, clause eliminated every meeting held after a first ballot would have been broken up police, and everyone taking part'subjected., t? heavy.: penalties. '. .No. newspaper 'would;, without'infringing the law, hixve printed one, line as ■■ to the ..question now before the electors, nor-even,mentioned .what in the slightest degree have had roferenco to the subjects now not only,the attention of the electors o/ Ratigitikei, but of the whole colony.' From midnight of ; - last' Thursday— possibly, from , an. earlier.hoiu--if the result had had been : . known ■.."before—a ! silence", as', of-.the tomb , w.puld enforced upon' every activity , of. , every, kind connected with.the election—that is/'unless there.had been such a protest as Sir/ Joseph might have > heard in therecesses of the.Rocky!Mountains. , Yet that gag w6nld;:have been \ tried on '■ had; the Gbvernin. having their way. "One almost regrets," he .added,, "they i did not have •their \ray.;it ;wou)d have been' their last 6p- r portanity of '• legislating for some considerable time, because, not ' only, would the law have been ignored but the law-makers would-have been sent where Sir Joseph's Dreadnought is to Hong-Kong." .'. (Applause and laughter:) .'NU-fe■■;■■■,'■'--: % : - ■•.-■;.,''■■ : ' .:- ; -- >;; :'' '-