MR. MASSEY'S WEST COAST TOUR EXCELLENT RECEPTION EVERYWHERE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 71, 25 March 1914, Page 2

MR. MASSEY'S WEST COAST TOUR EXCELLENT RECEPTION EVERYWHERE.

iltr TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) : CHRISTCHUROH, 24th March. After a very fine tour through Westland, the Prime Minister arrived in. Christchurch this evening, having left Hokitika this morning. Everywhere on the Coast the reception accorded Mr. Massey was excellent, and the hospitality was of true West Coast type. Every opportunity was taken throughout . tl l c . .t. tr ip to s »ow Mr. Massey the possibilities of development latent in the district. This was greatly appreciated by Mr. Massey, and convinced t him that the Coast had a- great future, especially in the direction of dairying, which would lie in the hands of the people themselves to realise. ) Interviewed, the Prime Minister expressed himself as delighted with the . reception accorded him on the Coast. " No man." he said, " could have had [ a better reception than I had at every centre that I had an opportunity of visiting. So far as the political "posi- , tion is concerned, while I am not prepared to say every elector in Westland is now a supporter of the Reform Party. I am prepared to say this : That , the people of Westland now understand that the present Government is r not the Government of reactionaries that many of them have been led to believe, but a Government that is . thoroughly progressive, really Liberal and Democratic, and one that is anxious to promote in every possible way the development of the country. lam only sorry that I was not jable to give ' more time to the West Coast. As a . matter of fact. I had intended being with them on the occasion of their jubilee, and then going on through bouth Westland into Otago, but a somewhat severe indisposition, from . which I suffered for a few weeks, interi fered to a certain extent with my i plans." 5 Votes of confidence in the Goveni- "' ment had been carried at every meet- ¦ ing addressed by him. said the Piime ? Minister, with the exception of Nelson, j There was no doubt, however, that . even there that motion would have been forthcoming had it nob been for ¦ interference at that stage by the member for the district. > Mr. Massey arrives from his trip very much benefited in health, ,a|- . though even yet he is not quite re- , stored to normal, bnt he is rapidly , " picking up." To-morrow the Prime Minister will ¦ receive deputations on the subjects of . the Midland railway and a daily service with the" COast, and one 'or two other matters. On ' Thursday he leaves - for Dunedin, where he will spend a j few days. On Monday he will visit . Moa Flat and speak at Tapanui in I the evening. On' Tuesday he returns north and speaks at Fairlie in the evening On "Wednesday he pa-sses . through Christchurch on his way to Wellington.