MR MASSEY AT OAMARU

Evening Star, Issue 18254, 19 April 1923, Page 4

MR MASSEY AT OAMARU

SPEECH FOE REFORM.

A MATCH FOE MANY INTEEJEGTORS.

[Fhom Oub Own Eepobteh.]

OAMARU, April 18.

The election calmpaign on behalf of Mr Lee was continued last night by Mr Massey, who spoke to a largo audience in the Opera House. Early in the evening people commenced to enter the ball, anti by the time of starting there were as many people outside as inside the hall. The Mayor of Oamaru-Mr M‘Diarmid, occupied the chair. On entering the hall Mr Massey had a rousing reception, intermingled with some booing. The Chairman extended a welcome to the Premier, and expressed the hope that the election would not result in bad feeling in the Oamaru community, but that the light would be clean. The Prime Minister, who was received enthusiastically, thanked the mayor and audience for tho welcome, and commenced by saying that ho liked a good fight. I!c had many friends in Oamaru, personal as well as political. At this stage large numbers outside the hall broke in the doors, and Mr Massey waited for about ten minutes until the disturbance ceased. There was a chorus of “Poos.”

Mr Massey quickly commented: I have been in politics for a lone time, and know that that sort of thing comes from a party that can’t take a beating. Ho then asked them to give Mr Lee a hearing. Mr Lee, amid interrupting cries of “ You can’t take a beating,” proceeded to give his version of the election petition on tiie same lines as at Palmerston. Four petitions (he said) had been filed—throe by one party and one by another. If it was sporting for the Liberals to present three, surely it was sporting for .Reform to file one.

Mr Lee was proceeding to recount the “ strawberries and cream ” incident in connection with the Hon. C. J. Parr’s election when lie was again interrupted, and so continuously that tho chairman asked the police to eject the disturbers. Continuing, Mr Lee said it was on tho counter-petition of Mr Macpiier.son that another election was asked lor, but he was Hill subjected to interruptions. Mr Lee became a little impatient under the fire of interjections, and replied; f‘ Don’t talk nonsense ” to ono interjector who annoyed him. The crowd laughed. The position was now entirely different from that of the General Election, Mr Leo went on to state. There was a much more important question involved now than a contest between Mr Macpherson and himself. It was now a national question. Mr Lee resumed his seat amid further interjections. THE PRIME MINISTER.

The Prime Minister, who was not disturbed in the slightest by interruptions (which he said came from his friends, “the sports”), said that the dominion had reason to congratulate itself on the tremendous improvement financially and commercially that had taken place in the last six months, die referred to the credit balance of six millions in respect to imports and exports, and said that the country had now returned to prosperity. A member of the audience who shouted out something about wages was promptly told that it would not take much wages to pay him, if he got what ho earned. (Laughter.) The statement of accounts for the year ended March 31, 1023, would shortly bo ready, the Premier pursued, and it would bo found that it was the best financial statement submitted to a dominion Parliament for the last twenty years. The war effort of the country was next recounted, the speaker stressing the financial strain which that had put upon the country. The cost of living went up during the war, and was not back to normal yet. The cost of providing the bonus to Civil Servants was larger,, and additional work was thrown on the departments. He further detailed additional expenditure upon the Government daring the bvar period. When it was seen that there tvas a possibility of the cnmil.ru not being Ebla to pay its way, the Government had

tn make nits in every direction. Things had iirprovcd. however, until there would he, Hus ye,!i-, ii. balance of revenue over expenditure of over a million—probably a million and a fpiarter. The finanoi.il year, moreover, had heen ended without increasing the conn try's financial indebtedness by a single sovi reign.

Yoie;>; What about unemployment? Mr Massey: 1 hope Ibis winter there will be in) unemployment in any part of New Zealand.

There were continued interruptions from certain parts of the hall, to which Mr Massey replied—“ They say they are ‘sport,.;.' but they are not sports; they are so ignorant they don’t know it.”

The chairman took a hand, and asked a conslaMe to take Ids place in the aisle of Ibo hall and lake a note of ono or two persistent objectors. TAX AT lON REDUCTIONS. In refeiring to proposed reductions in taxation. Mr .Massey said that a drop in the co-1 of living would follow, and those who were interrupting would thank him. A Voice : Good old Rill. You’re not a bad sort. Then a tjiin piping voice added—Rut we don’t like Lee.” —(Laughter.) Tho country, continued Mr Massey, was in a better position than for years, and the Government would extend its development in many directions. When Mr Massay stated that the report that the taxation per head in New Zealand was higher than that in other countries was wrong, a persistent interrupter said—“ The lowest in tho world.” Dir Massey: No! You are! Further interjections caused the chairman to point to a voumr man in one corner of the hall and warn him that ho would be ejected if he did not desist. The Young Man ; Do you mean me? The Chairman : I’ll give you only a few i more minutes. The Young Man : I’m off. As he left the hall, the Prime Minister asked those of the audience who were interrupting to go home and think over whether the present Government had iBl done more for the workers and wage j earners then any other Government. He was not going to have any exploitation in tie- dominion. Mr Leo would take over tin' Board nr Trade next month. (Uproar.) The iir -.; way to help the workers, continued Mr Massey, was to keep the country prosperous. The Government has done 1 everything possible to help leaseholders lof laud, and in many cases these were Letter olf than they were some time ago. Thu rate of interest was too high at present, mud although it had been reduced from 7 per cent, to per cent., he hoped the time was not far off when a further ivumtion would bo made. Tire credit of tile country had to be kept good. LOAN REPAYMENT. Enormous sums would be required in I tho next few years for repayment of loans. In 1x24 the loans falling due amounted to i £9.5-13,000; in 1325 to £11,560,000; in 1926 to £16.404,000; in 1927 to £4,542.000: in 1928 to £3,678,000; in 1929 to £1,292,500. What was a second or third cla-s Government going to do with a position like that? (Applause.) He hoped this would induce them to vote for the Reform candidate. (Applause and dissent. 1 FANCY ELECTION SCHEMES. Party government, he claimed, was useful for keeping a solid majority behind a good Government. That was why he opposed any such fancy schemes of election a.s Proportional Representation. Other matters touched upon by the Premier wer’ education, the treatment of returned soldiers, and immigration. Voice; Why don’t yon bring them out at tho psychological moment? Mr Massey: This is the psychological moment tor you to be put out. (Laughter.) Continuing to speak on immigration, Mr Massey said the Government would not close tho door against our kinsmen in the Old Country, and in reply to interjections regarding Asiatics, he said that the Government was going to keep and maintain a white country. The taxes here, in spite of what was 1 said at Tauranga, were lower than in any other country in tho Empire. They were very much lower than in Australia.

Mr Massey proceeded at length to deal with the financial programme of the Government, and said that it had steered the country through some of the most serious difficulties ever experienced. (Applause.)

TFIE GENERAL POSITION.

Turning to the general situation, Mr Massey said he was not afraid of it.

A Voice : Why do you come down here when vou are not afraid of the position? Mr lifassey: “Because I have a perfect right to come.” The late Mr Secldon had come into his (Mr Massey’s) electorate at a by-election, which lie contested and won, and ho had told his people at the time to treat Mr Seddcn well. The present majority of the Government was three, and when Mr Lee was returned—• (Applause and dissent) —it would be five. Those who had interjected had given the show away. Their conduct had done Mr Lee and him more good than it would be possible for them to remedy. (Applause.) When the report of the meeting went out (and after all there wore only a few interjcctors) no decent man or woman would vote for their side. It might be necessary for him to ask the GovernorGeneral for a dissolution. He did not want it, but lie was not afraid of another election, because ho would get a majority. (Applause.) Heaven help the country 'if it were peopled by men of the class who had tried to break up that meeting. He believed it was one of the greatest meetings ever held in Oamaru. He thanked those who had listened attentively, and believed that Mr Lee would bo returned as their representative by a thumping majority. (Loud applause.) ° On the motion of Mr F. Milner, Mr (Massey was accorded a hearty voto of thanks and confidence in his administration, the motion being put to the meeting and carried on the voices.