MR. MASSEY HONOURED.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 693, 18 December 1909, Page 6

MR. MASSEY HONOURED.

;.;,:;;-A ;FURTHEp : ;pRESENTATiONt -Vr.; '•v?''.INOTEASIN6'''.Cb^PID|NCE'.'IIi- ; .T.HB' ; '"''. oppQ'smtiN./;: '■ .;■;;;■ ■!;■;■' •! ;The.: members 'of tho Opposition, met. 'last night ;at' : tho/supper udjourliment in conne'e-' tiouSvitli.a- presontntion to Mr. Massoy, Leader of:tho Opposition.. 'It will bo remembered that rece.ntlyjjn Auckland, Mr. Massey received as:a national testimonial- a cheque for ono thousand guineas, and, in, addition, a valuable clock:arid, a', still nipro valiiablo present for .Mrs; >, MassoyV •'.' Since ' that date subscriptions, have continued,to come in'from all parts of' the;. Dominion, even, though the subscription' lists were supposed to have been closed, with tho. v result that, last' night 'another .£100.; was added to. the testimonial. : ; .■)!■■..'.'.■■; '■.Mi , .' Lang,, member for Manukau,. who'was the,' originator,, of ithe movement, asked Mr. James Allen (Bruce) to make the presentation. .Mr.-Allen, said the.additional cheque was:a further evidence.of, the appreciation by the. people- of tho great work- Air; 'Massey was.; doing for the Dominion, and tho party hejepresented. "■?■"■ v •*■-./ v "■ ' ■■•''■ ■■ '■'■ ■'•■ "".' '■•'■,' :,-' ' "This," said Mr. Allen, ."is only part of what.■•»-b:',6nght.'to.-;do,.:though: knowing, him.as. I dp J. know that this.cheque from, a mone-tary-point of view has' very'little meaning .to' hini.-What he does value is tho expression of goodwill and'loyalty! of tho people of tho Do-: minion."-Mr.'Massey had also the feeling: that.he hadinow a strong and loyal, party be-. hind him—a party that was prepared to follow its-leader., for the'good of New. Zealand.' (Cheers.) i :■■ '. . ' ■ . ' ■■' ■■.".'.••. Mr./Mossey's health' was toasted -with musi-: cal v honours.-^' .\,: ;., : .:; .■..:■' . - / Mr. Massey, in. reply, spoke feelingly, of the expressions of lpyalty_ and goodwill that,; had been so much in evidence in his case since the , recent election. He regarded, the national testimonial not so' much as a compliment to himself as to the loyal band of members who were working with'him. . \lt; was particularly, ■pleasing' ti i '..him''to"know\ that 'thousands.' of the people- of Uhe" Dominion had appended, their signatures/to that testimonial- ■■;. '..'■..!.- / "1 feel certain',", he said in. conclusion, "that no. Parliamentary Opposition everjjiosscssed the confidence -of' the people of', tho'reountry as wo now-r.possess rt. : : The mass of- correspondence, .that, passes ''through. my glands nowadays—an ever-increasing record—iinply proves that,; and -.shows;-that- an', ever-increasing section of. the community is.at the present moment looking to ' the members who sit on the. Speaker's left to exercise a more marked and beneficial:influence V; upon the, legislation a"nd upon-'the'administration of ..the affairs, of this , country." j .:■■.- '. ' ; -'.':.-; '■'-■.'-. '■". .-. :'■ ', Several members epoke. of ; ;Mr. MasseyV •splendid ; 6ervices, and■ after 'the health : of the Whips, Messrs. -_C. A. C. : Hardy jand.R. Heaton Rhodes had been 'toasted,-, almost pleasing and harmonious function terminated,-' .>';';.■ ■;.:.:■:■■• ■: .