WHAT IS WANTED

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 825, 25 May 1910, Page 7

WHAT IS WANTED

SPEECH BY MR. MASSEY. NEED FOR PROGRESSIVE- POLICY. SOME KEEN CRITICISM. . (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Thames, Mav 2i. n. Mr A W - ■?' Mnss( T> M -f-. Leader oi the Opposition, delivered an address on political matters to a largely-attended public meeting in the Central Hall this evening. The Mayor of Thames (Mr. H. Low) presided, and in introducing Mr. Massey spoke of him as a politician who by the energetic, able, and courteous way iii which he had carried the duties of Leader of the Opposition, had earned the respect, confidence, and admiration of the entire Dominion. (Applause.) Mr. Massey, who was received with loud applause, was accorded an attentive and appreciative hearing. Alter a brief reference to the great loss just sustained by the Empire in the death of the late lung, he went on to deal in the- first place with the recent speech of the Prime Minister at Winton. . . No Government Policy. Mr. Massey said that although he had read Sir Joseph Ward's recent speech carefully he could find very little in it beyond the usual promises in regard to future lcgis'/ation and the customary onesided statement respecting taxation and finances generally. There was no policy, nor was there any attempt to put forward a policy. The country was now again fairly prosperous, but it would be more prosperous if the Government would rise to their opportunities and encourage private enterprise as it onght to be encouraged. He believed there was plenty of money available for the development of our resources, and he felt certain that English capitalists would sooner invest their money in v this country than in countries not under the British flag. , If they were encouraged to do so, and if we had a Government in whom they had confidence, and who would place the public good before party interests. (Applause.) When a Government placed a policy before the country they should stand or fall by it, but when the present Ministry, did put forward anything in the shape of a policy it was in a timid and hesitating way, and they were quite ready to run from it if appeared that the majority of members or people were of the opposite way of thinking. What the country wanted waa a progressive policy of Crown and Native land settlement, and the cleansing of the Augean stable .of maladministration that had been piling up for the last twenty, years. Other reforms were also necessary, but those that he had indicated were the most urgent, and tho party that would give effect to them would deserve well of the country. (Applause.) Given theso necessary reforms, evervthing elso that was necessary to the welfare of the country would follow. (Hear, hear.) Rights of Parliament. One of tho difficulties that the Opposition had to deal with was the usurpation by tho Executive of tho functions . and powers which properly belonged to Parliament as a whole. He instanced what had been done by the Government last year in regard to the appointmqnt of the financial Adviser in London, the" Crown Suits Act, the Wellington.caso of Motorman Barton, and the Farmers' Distributing Company, the failure to lay before Parliament returns which had been ordered, and the postponement of tho business of Parliament last year in order to allow the Prime Minister to attend the Imperial Conference. Mr. Massey, as another instance of the Government's unsatisfactory methods, alluded to tho reversals, by means of a Governor's Message in the late days of the session, of the decision of the House as twice expressed in regard to tho sinking funds of local bodies whose loans are not guaranteed by the Government. Incidents such as this showed that it was very necessary that the calibre of Parliament should bo raised. (Applause.) If Parliament would only assert itself, or if the electors would insist.upon their representatives asserting themselves, there would be no need of all-night sittings, and there would bo better legislation . and nioro satisfactory administration. (Applause.) The Finances. He enumerated the different directions in which increased taxation was proposed by the Government last year. Sir Joseph Ward hail said that it was necessary to have increased taxation in order to meet the increased expenditure for defenca purposes. As a matter of fact, however, although the taxation had been increased for this purpose, as it was stated, there had not yet been any increased expenditure on defence. In fact, last year's defence expenditure showed decrease. Then again, tho Prime Minister had said that the increase in death duties was necessary in order to meet the outlay incurred in connection with the battleship gift to Great Britain; but although the greater doath duties had been in operation for some months, there had yet'been no expenditure in connection with the battleship. He referred'to the fact that, tho Minister for Finance had declared that there was, a surplus of .£432,000. For, many years it had been customary ta transfer, the greater part of the surpluses to the Public Works Fund, but last year nothing was' transferred to tho Public Works Fund, and consequently tho whole of tho .£184,000 of the previous year's surplus was carried forward, and thus was included in the £432,000. Yet Sir Joseph Ward had declared that (he •£132,000 was the actual surplus for the year. Sir Joseph had been called the wizard of finance, but his methods of keeping accounts wero not the methods that sane and sensible people would) adopt in conducting their business. (Applause.) • The Defence Question. Mr. Massey, in touching on the defenca nuc.ttion, said that he had supported the act of Inst year, but if it was to bo successful the administration of the Defence Department must be such as to inspire public confidence. Tho Act must be administered with tact, common sense, and ability. He believed that Lord Kitchener had suggested, not "that the age of compulsory training should be extended in regard to all male adults to the age of 25 (as had been stated), but that it should stop at the age of eighteen, and that between that age and 25 they should go on with one-thM) of the nv raher. If they took the entire; adult mal3 population between those ages" they would have a force of about sixty thousand, but Lord Kitchener.apparently did not believe this was necessary, and considered that a well-trained force of twenty Lhousand was preferable to an indifferently trained force of sixty thousand. With this opinion ho <t.Uo speaker) agreed. • (Applause.) Too Fast and Too Slow. Mr. Massey dealt with the Crown land' and Native, land questions on the lines of , previous speeches. He also referred to instances in which certain newspapers opposing the Government t had been punished by being deprived of Government advertisements. A motion affirming that the expenditure on Government advertising should be distributed for tho public benefit and not for party purposes, had been defeated last year by the Government majority. ' This was tho greatest niece of Tammanyism that ha had ever'heard of in any British country. In conclusion, he said that the debt aud taxation of the Dominion had been increased to a. greater extent during the present Governments period of office than during any similar period previously, and the number of people who bait left the country had also been greater than during any other similar period. The people Knew that they were leaving a good country, but they left because there was a bad Government. The present Government' was too fast in regard to improper practices and extravagant ".xponditure, but it was toe slow in regard to everything that pertained to the country's welfare. Ho believed that when the Government went. next before tho electors they would be told that they had been weighed in the balance and found wanting, and that they must give way to better men. (Loud applause.) After Mr. Massey had answered a number of questions he was accorded a hearty and enthusiastic vote of thanks for his able and interesting ■ address.