PRIME MINISTER AT MOSGIEL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2111, 31 March 1914, Page 6

PRIME MINISTER AT MOSGIEL

with. (Loud applause.) s Then thc'ro was tlio tied-house question. A hotelkeeper raised the standard of a house from tlitrd-cltfss to first-class, and when his k'-ase. was up the brewer said: 'You have done, very well, so'your rent will be doubled and .you will b>? charged f 3000 for the goodwill." The Liberal Party neicr dared to touch the browing moiv opo'ly or the tied-house questie.rL Mr. Fisher dealt with the strike.,, much on the lines of his speeches elsewhere, and answered various quostioiis> Asked if. ho would meet Professor Mills on tho platform, Mr. Fisher said ho would meet any member of the. Labour part.v if ho was given a fair hearing, but ho was not going to put up with tho method of allowing the Labe.ur man to speak, and he Sir. Fisher) be prevented from getting a tearing afterwards. (Loud, applause.) In conclusion, Mr. Fisher thanked the audience for the hearing they bad given him, which, he said, was in rnarted contrast to what he ha<l received in Wellington. (Loud applause.) One of the leaders of the flasmill workers then, rose to move & vote of no-confidence in tho Government, but ho was howled down by the audience, and was unable to finish the m-otfoi-L Three cheers were then called for Mr. Fisher, and were enthusiastieftl.ty given. Three cheers were then palled; for the sitting member, Mr. Robertson, but only about 20 responded to the call. Questions were- then asfcl and nnswered by the Minister to the satisfaction and merriment of the a-udiencs. A gentleman proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Fisher for his able and interesting address, and expressed confidence h\ the present Government. This was carried with continued applause, and tho meeting ended with three efcecrs. for Mr. Fisher and for the chairman. (By Telegraph.—Press Association./ Dunodin, March 30, : The llight- Hon. \V. K. SVJassey (Prime. Minster) addressed a' large aitaie-nee at Mpsgiel this evening.. j\if, Massey received a great'reception. After deal* ing with the Defence question (as reported elsewhere) he proceeded to refer to the late strike/ It amv'ised hitii, he ', said, to hear it stated that the strike ] could have been settled in two days.' The strike could not have been ended i without • a complete back-dawn of -the i Government and that was. a position ho was not prepared, to take tip. lie did his level best tfl settle Mm strike, but it was absolutely useless, Ho blamed tho leaders, who were .as obstinate , ] as men could possibly be. lie "had j been threatened that if the strike was j not settled the streets of Wellington would run-with'blood. There was only one thing to do—ask for special constables. -Hundreds came and the strife began to fiazlo out and 'shortly disa.p* I [•eared. He knew of cases ivhei*. ttjtj j women said to their husbands". "Your piace is not-on the farm, but at theharbour;, maintaining law aud "order." (Applause.) Xo grander position ivas ■ taken by any women than tiio wives, of those farmers who cifluo to totvji. It ivas .a i-evelatioii. He svantdd to say that every man had a right to demand, the highest price for his kliimr, but lie would say that no irta.ii or set of men could say. that others -wtftiM not work. Many of tho- leaders- of the strike were not New Zea-ittiiders :tfid' were not Britishers, and tbe.W Stupidity, vanity, and obstiuac.v were rcspons-ibjo for the trouble. They woiild n<sver got back what was lost by tlxe, Railway Department. ' J Touching on the question of infmlaration, the Prime Minister said l !o %&$ pleased to state that the excess of arrivals over departures fest year was 14,219, which figures had been only »s* ceeded once in tlic history of the Bommioii. Of the increase i't was wortliV ot remark that 12,098 immigrants had come from the Old Country. • ■' . On the subject-of finance,* Mr, Masse.v paid special attention to- a staieweiil by tho Leader of tho Opposition that tho Government had borrowed 4 great deal more per annum than ever " tiio Ward Government ■ had b»rrowed. Perhaps that was so, and he prepared to admit it was so, but th© Lead.ef of the Opposition lad not told tho whole, story. Ho had not been can#J. The. Government had, for instance, to borrmv this year £8,000,000 to repay shortdated debentures incurred % its prede» cessors. (Applause.) That was why they had to borrow and it was well for the people to remember tli© fact. As regards Sir Joseph "Ward's , sta-te-»ent, as to taxation, also e'i?.empt.ion of improvements, Mr. Massey quotfed a return from tho Valuer-Genetal showing that effect of the graduated land ta\- was to assist occupiers <sf■ small lipldings, and not owners of large estates. (Applause.) The speaker also, traversed a number of other subjects dealt witlt at Tapanui and on the -West CpaSt

A GREAT RECEPTION.

A vote of thanks and confidence in the Government was carried with cheers and without a dissentient yoiee*