MR P C WEBB MP, AT GREYMOUTH

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2018, 27 March 1914, Page 10

MR P C WEBB MP, AT GREYMOUTH

LABOUR AND THE LIBERALS. (Br Tolegraiih.—Press Arjoolatlon.l Creymouth, March 26. Mr. P: C. Webb, M.P. for Grey, ad : dressed a very largo audience at the Town Hall to-night. Tho county chairman, Mr. J. M'Carthy, occupied tho chair. Mr. Webb began, by stating that "tho party now in power.opposed-every social proposal brought before them. In dealing with party politics _ Mr.-Webb said that tho Government tried in every way to oppose Sir J. G. Ward. Ho said that Mr. Massey's party approached Mr. Hickey, the Red j'ed., of Waihi, to induce Mm to stand against the Liberals, but he (Mr. Hickey) refused absolutely. The Second Ballot Act was dealt with at length by Mr. .Webb. He advocated tjie power of recall and instanced cases where Liberals turned over to tho Reform Party. Nearly all the land for settlement was held under a monopoly. If tho Government was 'anxious to help tho people it should endeavour to put them on tho land. The money-lending institutions of which he said Mr. Massey is a leader had a splendid time last year. He suggested a heavy tax on tho unimproved land so making it impossible to' hold large blocks. Mr. Webb doalt adversely with the land defence question, criticising the present Act. He characterised the local navy as being absurd. He also said that the contributions to an Imperial Navy should be increased and so lot tho matter of defence rest with the Imperial Navy. Mr. Webb next dealt with the question of unemployment, such as existed nearly all over the Dominion. Prosperity in Now Zealand, lie.said, had never yet extended to the working peoplo and never would while it rested with tho Massey Government. In connection with the recent strike Mr. Webb said that members of tho Tory party in Parliament practically said Sir Joseph Ward inspired the strike. Ho gave a very lengthy blood-curdling outline of the proceedings in Wellington during the time of the riots there. He said that many of tho specials were criminals, just out of gaol, but when it came to shooting down workers any old thing would do. Ho (Mr. Webb) had applied for a commission to inquire into the conduct of the specials, hut this had been refused by Mr. Herdman. He'congratulated the Opposition, on tho stone-walling tactics of last session. Mr. Webb said that Mr. Massey's policy would lead New Zealand.to a state of chaos.

At the conclusion of the speech, which lasted over two hours and a half, ho said that Labour and Liberals must engineer the situation so that the Masse? Government must go but and that this time next year would see Sir Joseph Ward back iu office. A motion of confidence in the Social-Democratic Part? was carried.