MR. MASSEY ARRIVES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 8

MR. MASSEY ARRIVES

WARM WELCOME AT STATION

PIS yiEWS JON OUR PROSPERITY.

... .looking the very picture of health, the" Prime Minister' (Right Hon./ W. F. JTassey), accompanied by his private secretary (Mr.. F. D. Thomson), assistant secretary (Mr.. C. A. Jeffery), and the 'Ministerial1 party -which went to Auckland to meet him, arrived in Wellington by the Main Trunk train this afternoon. --I ..■'■ ■.■•■:■

.There .was a large gathering of friends on;»the i platform ito. welcome Mr. Maseey,- including the Minister of Agriculj ture (the Hon. W. Nosworthy), Minister of Lands (the Hon. D. H. Guthrie), the Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P.), Mr. R.. P. Hudson, M.P., the Hon. W. Earnshaw, M.L.C., the Hon. E. H. Clark.-M.L.C., Mr. J. Hislop■■ (Undersecretary for Internal Affairs), Mr. H D. Thomson (Under-Secretary for Immigration), Major-General Sir Edward Chaytor, Superintendent W. B; M'Hveney, and members of the Reform League. ;

• Mr., Massey was warmly greeted, and in the course of a reply to a brief speech of welcome by the Major, expressed his pleasure at being home again. -

I-.; Before the. Prime Minster left the station*, for. his :motor-car, a large gathering ass'enibled and the Mayor extended a cordial welcome to him on behalf of the citizens of Wellington. The people, said Mr. Wright,-had read with interest of the very great work that Mr. Massey ■^the ""Father -of the Conference " — had done at the Imperial Conference, • and they were glad that he had returned strong and healthy in every way, and •looking so fit and well in contrast to ytiat lie did when he left. "We are glad"to see you back," said Mr. Wright, "and we trust that you will be long spared_ to . guide '_the destinies of New Zealand."''.(Applause.) .... Mr.. Massey' thanked -those present for coming down to meet him, and said he need hardly tell them how glad he was to—-get■■ back.-. -"I am coming back fitter and stronger than when I. went away,"^ he said. "I am afraid, that when I went.aWiy I was neither quite fit nor very well:-'We had a very.strenuoasrsession,;with long sittings, and that sort.-of thing,: and \ was glad when,l got on the boat.that night to think that I could sleep for a'week if I were in-clir:ed'-fo;' (Laughter.)"' , ■ . '.

BRITAIN'S DIFFICULTIES.

•'''However; I have done a lot of travelling^since that-time, .and■ seen a good many, interesting'things,- and. I hope that I have been. able to do some little good for, the country to which we be•long, and, perhaps, for the Empire itself. That remains to be seen. ,-Nobody can, tell, what will happen to the work we did. It is unsafe to predict. Thel future is. in the lap of the gods,' but I hope that Great Britain will be able to get put of; her difficulties; "-..'■

"Jhave said. before, and I take the opportunity-of saying, again, that the people of New Zealand do-not know how .-well off they are." ' : '. . A voice: "What about Labour, Bill?" •_ Mrr-Massey- ""Well, I. do not knowthat my . friend there-has authority to apeak on; behalf of Labour."

T,he interrogator: "That tickles you up." .(Laughter.) k . Mr. Massey: '"Are you speaking of-the Labour Party in England?" The questioner: .-'I am speaking for myself.'" (Laughter.) ' .' ■ "Very. weUJ".'retorted Mr. Massey, "I am not quite sure/that you are competent- to- speak?for yourself." ■ (Loud laughter.)... .'"■■". " ,

LABOUR WELL OFF -HERE.

Continuing, Massey. said that the Labour Government -_hr England was quite entitled to fair play and he would Bay that" anywhere, but there" was no country in""the" world where Labour was so well off: as in New Zealand. (Hear, hear.) He had seen what had happened' in the United' States and Canada, and had read, of the condition of affairs on the Continent, and he said that we in New Zealand were well off. "We ought to .'thank Providence for the position we arer.fa nc-w'," -added Mr." Massey. **I dol'not-kno\y-how long the prosperity is going to last; but' this', country is very prosperons".?',Xt''has- never been so prosperous before. I remember when I came back three years ago the country was in the throes^ of. a depression. That time made us veTy sad and ..sorry, but we threw it off and we have left the depression' behind us, and we are a prosperous pepple.- — I believe the outlook is very good indeed; but we must remember that if there is depression in England the difficulty ?will affect us here^. That is what. I am' anxiousl about at. the present." . ■'

"OUR ■ CREDIT IS GOOD.'

"Our credit is as good as ever it was, and I .think.'it is even better. I knowthat" if I asked for-a loan in England I would have to pay more to get it than in -the past two or three years, .but we do not need to ask for a loan at present, and we need'not'do it for a considerable time to come... We have money to. fall, batk .upon -to keep the coiihtry going. I hope'that'as time-goes on money.will be .more plentiful in England, and that we shall be able to get what we want without any trouble." (Applause.) Mr. Massey again thanked the gathering for giving him such a cordial welcome, and, on the call of the. Mayor, ■(ihree cheers were given, for the Prime Minister as he proceeded to his car. Mr. Massey was also cheered by the passengers of a' suburban train' as he passed alqpg the platform. ; ; - ;