MR. MASSEY AT ASHBURTON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 799, 23 April 1910, Page 5

MR. MASSEY AT ASHBURTON.

AN, INTERVIEW,

■■■.-HEXT 1 .. SESSION/.'HJIJITE LIVELY;" '■;". (By TeleeraDh.—Frees 'iB!oc!»tlon; ■ - \:V:';! f V :Ashburtoni; April; 22.: -.-.-- ..In. an iintemew! with a "Guardian" .: *eporter, : .; Mr. llassey,,. Leader of 'the. Opposition, who is spending a day in , the district,, said that,: bo..far as 'the ".'. party with .which he was connected was concerned, ihe might say that matters 'were;brighter than they had:been dur- ; ; ing.j'tho . past : ..l6 ' Referring ;to .^ihe; ; Government's .'.promise ; to ■ bring ■ •'■■ mewl; in the local,go^ernm^nt': ■ for '.country TMiv' L 'Massey' ; .•etated'rthat. he sincerely, hoped thabthe. -promise would be kept, because the pre- •■ fient; system was..very v much; behind; the v times. ■■•Esistmg >'bodies,\were.;/given much of;the .work in connection' with ! roads'.and.bridges, : which wes supposed . to ; be done by: Parliament, but was really done .very' .badlyj-S and would be inuch : better ■ done' by men on the' spot. ? i He : did'not know, what the -.Govern-. . jnent intended to do' in' regard. to ,tho . land question. They;had- brought down ■ ft -..Bill"last'; Eession, .but [abandoned it, ; yery: much ;to "the; amvieeiiient' of the :. ■ Opposition,;and. the relief:of the 'Gov- ' ernment'e.own supporters. Mr. Massey -, futthe'r expressed the .opinion that the ■ ; 3«rrning:question. k> the "North was ..Rally, the'.settlement of■• Native■• lands, '-.■but,• much as he would likeito see that . ; .question ,'tacHed, he j doubted \very. - . inuohv , whether 'it- would be , , dono.nert , session."; Hβ. ooEsidered■; that it was a bhimefnl state of/things'that-millions ef?acres of land, good, bad, and indif- ■ -iereni, should be :allowed to. lie idlej .'.paying neither rates'.'.nor/'taxes, and etffl .improving ih.v value, through .'..the -'. inakingof'.roads .and railways, -and the V jndustry. of' European settlers'on'ad- ' joining-lands, while settlers were actu- ! i allyUeaving the country, because they . jßonld not get, land. ■';'. . ' ..'-.' : . : ■■'. ..Eegarding Mr. Massey . iwd tbit : they "were looking,', forward with interest to the details of the re- . • faianchment. scheme of,-. which J;hey had' Jieard so much.."'■ .:-.; '~,'.■ ■:.■■.■:•., ■ "• • "A nmnber 'of. , interesting questions . .!had cropped up during the recess, which ,!had'been only partly dealt .with'last • Bession—for instance, that'of the Ofß- '.. cial Advisor in •■.'., London, and ■.. tie;... dkcloßure .in. . oonnection with ~ "tie, High , Commissioner'e Office. ■- 'Different inquiries -had been held •'•'. in ■■' regard .; to ...the, working of ■'-. the Land and Income Tax; Department . :'.. and-the'Knyvett'case/ All these ques■itions:'and many others .-•must.' be dealt' •'"'|With during 'the coming sessioii, and he -.'thoughtWt. quite safe .to predict that ; "next , session would be quite lively and ■ ; -interesting to those interested in poli- '•. 'tics.-•'■■;,.; ■■';.■-. >.-. ;..-,' "■■■■,'■ .,",.'.■.■■■..■■•