REFORM RALLY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1362, 13 February 1912, Page 6

REFORM RALLY.

FEILDING DEMONSTRATION. MR, MASSEY ON THE COMING . CRISIS. -ENTHUSIASTIC GATHERING;. (By Telcjrapb.—Special Correspondent.) ' Feilding, February 12. feilding was the scene to-day of a political visitation sucli as it has never seen in its previous history. No fewer than fifteen members of tho lioforru party, among them its leader, Mr. AV. F. Massey, arrived from all quarters of the compass, and attended a garden party in tho afternoon, and » meeting which followed in the.' evening. Tho Reformers everywhere had an enthusiastic reception, and if they nave any political opponents in Feilding these did not announce their pre-eiice in any way. The members in the; visiting party were Messrs. AV. 1 , . Massey (Leader of the party), W. 11. Hemes (Tauranga), F. AV. Lang (Alanukau), F. M. 13. Fisher (Wellington Central), vG. J. Anderson (Mataura), D. Buick (Palmcrston), l>. 11. Guthrie (Oroua), J. H. Bradnev (Auckland AVos-i), J. ,S. Dickon (Parnell). A. Harris (Waitemata), C. T. AVilson (Tauuiiafumii), AV. 11. D. Bell (Wellington Suburbs), G.-V. .Pearce (I'atea), and Br. . Poinare (Western Maori). The garden party was held in Mr. Johnston's grounds, and was attended by some hundreds of electors of I'eilding, and by most of tho visiting members. . Brief speeches wcro wade, but for tho most part serious talk of politics was eschewed during tho afternoon. , PRESENTATION TO MR. GUTHRIE. Tho visitors gathered before an improvised platform and endorsed with applause' aildcheers tho remarks in which Jfr. 11. Burrell expressed to Mr. Guthrio ihe appreciation, of his constituents of the services rendered by their representative in tho last Parliament on their bez half. ■' He. presented to Mr. Guthrio a purse lol! 150.sovereigns, accompanied by a numerously signed address, expressing respect and esteem .for tho conscientious Dianner in which he had represented the interest of tho constituency, and of tho Dominion. Mr. Hurrell also presented to lire. Gifthrie a handsome silver cpergiio. . Mr. Guthne, in responding, said that ho willingly accepted the presentation, as he tinderstoad that it wa.s the desire of the park's , supporters,' l 'that ".they shortld bo allowed to ■'.take an active part in ensuring' tho continual representation of Orouii iby a Reform member:' In the evening over seven hundred people assembled in tho Drill Hall to hear nddresscs by Mr.' Massey and His • colleagues. Mr. Alt'. Richmond, Dcputy■.Mayor of Feilding, presided, and briefly the speakers. .... MR. FISHER SPEAKS. , The-first address was delivered by Mr. 'Fisher; whose appearance was greeted by enthusiastic plaudits. Touching upon ' tlic political situation and the prospect of si Reform Ministry coming into power, Mr. Fisher warned his hearers not to npect miracles. Reforms would havo to ho carried out slowly, and time, patience, and the assistance of tlio people behind the party were necessary, in order that they might be carried out. The .party had to ascertain whether tho voting at the late elections was a vote of confidence in it, or merely a veto of want of confidence in tho present Government. It must get into power before it could ascertain this.- Nest week "tho other side" would bo looking as miserable, as bandicoots, but lie had never seen tho Opposition party looking happier than it did since tho elections. All would concedo that during the days of ad'-ersity Mr. Mosscy had kept the flag . Hying, and lia.d shown any amount of pluck and Tiis usual "dog" determination. Mr. Massey was not quite there, but lie was nearly Jshgje'. Ho was confident that Mr.' Massey'. wlieii he became Minister, would well deserve, the confidence of the people of Now Zealand. (Loud ap■pluuscO DR. POMARE ON NATIVE LANDS. Dr. Pomaro liad to wait some time for the applause to subside before he could ho heard. This, ho said, was his maiden speech..-(Laughter.) Had he been in tho House .of Representatives ho would havo asserted, his privilege as the Maori member, and demanded an interpreter., Being an Independent, lie had been called a '.•rail-sitter" and a "cat-watcher." (Laughter.) ■ '.'I want to make tho announcement to-night." Miid Dr. Poniarc. "Hint 1 am . a Keiomw." (Loud applause and cheers.) The i'eilding people had two members Toprese'ntiig their district, Mr. Guthrie was one, and i)r. Pomare was the other; in fact'," J.p (Dr.Poiuare) represented 2G different districts. His bounds extended from Auckland to this district. Ho would do whsit lie could lo assist their member in getting what they wanted, and in return for that he hoped that there would be no punctured tyres when the Maori electiops came- round again. (Laughter.) Due of the burning questions of the day ■was the Native land question. That was more in his lino than general politics, but he would take just as keen an interest in general politics os in special politics , . In regard to the. Native land question, Jio had no announcement to make, but (his policy would lie definite, and-it would jint be a "tnihnn." policy. The position must hf- grappled .with, and that soon. It rtuft bo dealt wiih justly, speedily, and equitably. Ho did not want the pakeha io advertise the Maori landlords as plutocrats in their papers. "First take the beam out of your own eve," said Ihe speaker. 'Hoar, hear.) He wanted pakeMas to assist his race, and to bjj fair. The Maoris had been assisted in the past, and they wanted assistance a"ain The ultimate aim of the Maori was absorption. "At ono time," continued Dr. Pomare. "the boot was on. the. other foot. AAe absorbed you a bit. (Loud laughter.) In fact, I believo that is whv I urn Of . Scotch extraction. That is the ultimate aim if tho Maori, absorption by tho pakeha, and that means perhaps that the . future New Zealander will fulfil Macaulay s dream of a New Zealander standing in the midst of a vast open space sketching the ruins of St. Paul's. AVe hope it wont come about." Tho Maori and the pakeha would be one race in tho future. Already in the South Island over eighty per cent, of the Maoris had pakeha blood in their veins, and in the North Island something like. Jβ per cent. In future years people would have to go to tho museum to see the Maori. Tho tiino had come, when there must be no more separatism, but a irrnoval of all distinctions., and the creation of one law for the Maoris mid for tho pakoha. (Applansr. and hear, hear.) Dr. Pomare concluded with the poetical quotation describing how (ho Maori was subdued but not conquered. There was a veritable storm of spplause when he concluded.

REFORM AND LABOUR. Mr. W. H. J). Bell, v/ho followed. said that he never had hoard and never hoped to hoar a better maiden address than hail iii.it been delivered by Dr. Pomare. Mr. Bell vigorously combated the statements thnt the "Reform party was out in the interest of rich men to the detriment of tho rest of tho community. Tt was absurd to sax thnt because the party did not agree, with Hie Labour parly's platform it did not agr«> with tho ivnrkin.i man. It did nsree with liim. and wanted ,to see him l>f(r?r Ms position. f>o far as lie (Mr. Hell) could see, the "Reform Party was tbo nuly true Liberal parly in New' Zealand. (I.oud nnplause.) Mr. Bnick said that he belieypd (he Reform party would turn out the GovernTi'ent next week, unless they went out ef their own accord, and if Mr. Mnvey r.ouhl not pick eight or nine men to run the country better than it was being rnn !"f nresent, he (the speaker) would eat his MR.;MASSEY ON THE OUTLOOK, Mr. Miissey, who had a nmst onthusiaslic reception, said that this was not his night out. It was a night with the colt.s. lie dated the ri=e of the Reform party from thi! general election of 1!W8. The parly wa? growing, and it had absorbed J)r. I'omare, and it would be all the lx;tter for the absorption. (Hoar, hear.) He ar-nur-d thnt the. time- had come when there sh'.uld h<: one law for both races. Physically and intellectually the Maori was the »qnal of tho European. He must not bs

troated as a child or an imbecilo, but as a man and a citizen. Tho sooner this was realised the better it would be i'or both races. All would agree that tho approuehing session was liio most interesting ami important held for tho liist 21 years. Inspire of the tact that the Governnient controlled tho vast public expenditure of this country, and had made all sorts of promises to all and sundry, tho people had returned a majority of members pledged to turn it out of office. A majority wore pledged to turn out a Government which, according to one who had looked at it from inside, had outlived its usefulness. THE COMING CRISIS. . The House would probably not get lo important business that week, but he was confident that when it did, members would keep their pledges to their constituents, and tho present Government would give placo. to a stronger, moro Liberal, and more democratic, Government. It had been said in some places that members would not keep the pledges they had made to their constituents. He did not believe a word of it. He believed that members would keep their pledges, but if they did not it would be necessary to um ali constitutional means to bring about a dissolution. In nil likelihood a dissolution would not bo necessary, and a general election involved tremendous expense to the country which must be avoided if possible. In his opinion the Government would make a last wild appeal not to the people, but to the members of the House. The 'Government would mako wild-cat proposals in order to induce them to keep them in the position they occupied. The Government appeared to havo lost nil sense of decency and to be prepared to do anything so long as by doing so they might be allowed to occupy the Treasury benches. Mxmil applause.) Since the elections the Government had been given every chance by the Reform party to rise to the occasion, but they had failed to do it. He knew what he, or any rightminded man. would Invo done in similar circumstances. As soon as he found that the Government of which ho was a member had not a majority in tho country and in Parliament he would have sent in his resignation. Instead of the Government taking this course tho campaign of misrepresentation and calumny had been continued. It had been said by the Government organ in , Wellington that- tho. Reform party was the party of landlordism, and this had been said over and over again as . a fact. One of the most important tenets of the Reform party was that every man should become his own-landlord. "If that means that we arc the party of landlordism," said Mr. Massey, "then I agree with it. I . believe that every man in a city or country town or village should become his own landlord." (Loud applause.) He was very strongly of opinion that in recent yearssiiot enough had been done- lo promote settlement. The exports, of agricultural products must be increased, and that meant increasing the producers. NOT HANKERING AFTER OFFICE. Mr. Massey went on , to state that ho was not hankering after office, and that ho was not particularly anxious for office. This was a positive fact. Hβ felt t.Yat he could bo just as useful on the Opposition side of the Honso as on the Treasury benches, but lie was not going to shirk his responsibilities. Ho know perfectly well that this position or that of any Minister of tho Crown, after what had gone on for the last few years, would not bo a bed of roses. One of his troubles would bo in forming a Cabinet. He had not got to this yet, but expected to in tho following week. It had been said by some of its political opponents that the Reform Party had not sufficient talent to select a Cabinet from. A voice: AA'hero did they get their talent from? Mr. Massay: They never had any talent. "I say," ho continued, "that there is sufficient talent in the Reform Party to form four Cabinets, and every one of the four would bo superior in capacity to the Cabinet which at present occupies tho Treasury benches." (Loud and continued applause.) THE INDUSTRIAL UNREST. Mr. AY. H. Herries (Tauranga) said that the party had made a great advance, and ho believed that next.week it would capture the first entrenchment, biit its enthusiasm must not bo allowed to die away. Great reforms were urgently., needed by 1 -the country. Several -important ones had been suggested by Dr. Pomare, and tho need of those he heartily endorsed. The labour question was a most intricate one, and it seemed that Mr. Massey would enter into power in a period of great industrial unrest. The Reform party recognised thai the workers had real grievances and its policy was to devise remedies for those grievances, and apply them to the, complete removal of them.Brief speeches were also delivered by Messrs. Lang, Pearce, Wilson, Kradney, Harris. Anderson, Dickson, and Mander. On the motion of Mr. Guthrie, 1 Mr. Burrell seconding, a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the visiting members for their speeches. Tho meeting wa.3 remarkable for the unbroken enthusiasm which obtained throughout its progress, and for tho evident appreciation and sympathy with which tho various speeches were listened to. " Mr. Massey and the members by whom he is accompanied will travel to Wellington by the morning train, arriving shortly after noon.