THE OPPOSITION LEADER.

Evening Star, Issue 13099, 4 November 1908, Page 2

THE OPPOSITION LEADER.

Air Alassey addressed uv-large meeting at Carterton last evening, He strongly denounced the second ballot, ami predicted for it a ghastly failure. The old 999 years’ lease was no good, hut it was replaced by a worse one—a thirty-three, years' renewable lease ; consequently there was hot the demand for land there, was two years ago. In regard to the functions of the .State or Government, he held that prfvate industry.-and enterprise should ho assisted by Die State. It was wrong for tho Government to come into opposition with; private industry and enterprise, mile?:; it was necessary to break Up some monopoly.! He was strongly against ’the dairy regulations, ospecially the taxation clause. '~Anypraotical hum who - 'had read’ (ho regulations would know that here man would be 1 able; to carry out these. . Air ACNab was’ anything hut successful. He was drivn"! tho .best moil in the VGovernmant service' out of the Dominion fo Australia and Canada. -Volunteering- had never been so low- as it was ,qt, present. Mr Alassey’s idea .was., to commence with cadet corps’at schools, and require all -youths-- under twenty-one years of- age to ‘-join-; a : volunteer cprps paid leprn "tq’ hqndio a! rifle Then in .'teji years they would be able, to defend , The Time would come when New Zealand and Australia would ' liave'To - defend Themselves.'" Australia was leading the teay, and-Now-Zea-land should follow. ■ They did 'the right thing in Parliament in increasing the naval subsidy, but this was net enough.. Ships’ would bo required, tp defend "our...commerce. . . . Speaking on the financial .position, he said it was necessary ‘ they should go on borrowing, to. build.,-railways .and other works, but! Ho hoped the time would come when the Government would taper off. He thought th.c. Legislative Council should bg appointed 'by thci'people themselves; similarly bb the election of members of the House‘ of Representatives, A vote of thanks to Air Alassey was carried amid applause and, cheers.