[PRESS ASSOCIATION.] PRIME MINISTER'S TARANAKI TOUR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 86, 11 April 1912, Page 3

[PRESS ASSOCIATION.] PRIME MINISTER'S TARANAKI TOUR.

ENEEGETIC SETTLEMENT OF. THE LAND, ELTHAM, 10th April. A. complimentary, "social" was tendered to the Prime Minister (the Hon. T. Mackenzie) at the Town Hall to- ! night. Mr. Mackenzie was accorded- v civio reception. At the "social" the*© was an attendance of about 400, a large j ! proportion of whom \vevo ladies. The toast' of Parliament was proposed by Mr. W. T. Jennings, cx-M.P. for Taumarunui. The Hon. G. W. Russell responded. Mr. Mackenzie, who was.greeted with | prolonged cheering, said the' gathering was a tribute he would never forget, for the reason that those men and women in the electorate who accepted him oil credit had now had their action vindicated by the Parliament of the country. Mr. Massoy ought to rise to higher levels, and at least give them credit for good intentions. policy of anathema and ! denunciation others and self-laudatiou I partook of the Pharisee. He challenged Mr. Massey to put face value of his services to the country against his (M r . Mackenzie's). Regarding local, government, he considered the activities of local bodies should be enlarged, and their revenues assured. Local interests came first. They were household affairs, and consequently very important. The Government was going 1 to endeavour to win. the- esteem of the people by going in for energetic settlement. It was not so much tenures as territory. The Government Avould 'reach and open up all available lands, deal sympathetically with Native lands, and break up big estates. They would increase the graduated tax, but would show the farmer that the record of twenty years was going, to be continued, and he -would not be over-burdened with taxation. If, when Parliament met, it extended its confidence, the Government would go on. If Parliament did not think fit to do cO, they would use no means to influence a man to do other than what he I thought right, and they would accept the verdict.