Grey River Argus and Blackball News MONDAY, MARCH- 23 1914.

Grey River Argus, 23 March 1914, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News

MONDAY, MARCH- 23 1914.

Delivoced overy ■ t morning ■im : Qtayomonth . Kumara, Hokitikn, Opbson, "WRllsejid,: Taylor, villej Brunnerton, Stillwater. tf yah are, Blackball, Nelson Creek, Ahanra, Ikaomtua, Waiufca, Seeftoa, Cronoaan, Ranauga, Danollie, Cobdeu, B&xtei's, Kokiri, Patafa, KainiataY Aratika. Kotuku, Moana, fiuru, To Kinga>, Kotomauu 1 Poaraa., I bonaie, Jaoksona and Oticftt

The greatest opponent of the Reform Party cannot deny the magnificent reception • received by the Prime- Minister when he g-ave his political address On Friday. In "point -of numbers the ■ audience was one- of^the largest ever addressed: by a public speaker in Grey, mouth. Mr. Massey- : gripped: his audience'from: the start; and 'during- the pourse of the two hours- and more that 1 ■he spoke he was followed- with closest attention. With the exception :of ithe one incident at the when a would-be interrupter ;\vas summarily] ejected, the' audience' was not only: cr-1 derly but enthusiastic, and. the Bre.mie.r's remarks on. defence and the recent strike 1 were applauded to the' echo. No matter how som c of the audience might differ from him on min or -points of his policy, -they were at one- in acknowledging the masterly . way that the jGoyernment handled the recent industrial crisis. Although their opponents are loath to admit i^ there is no. doubt that their, settlement of the recent strike .' placed the "Massey Goyernment £>n a higher pinnacle of, public esteem than ever before, and many who opposed them at previous elections will be found at the forthcoming election filing into" the : booths and '-re g-isteving- /their votes in favour of the # Reform nominee If there is one- trait of character in a, man, or in a Government that; people admire it is firm ness and consistepicy of purpose arid the present Government individually and .collectively is ' exceeding strongand .resolute Mr Massey's referenceto the attitude" of the Opposition Party in New Zealand compared with : that . of the Opposition .Party in South : .vras iully : appreciated;' by. the .audience^ who well remember . the way' the Massey t Government was hampered in settling the 'strike "by the rail-sitting atti. tude if not open encouragement of the

/ ..'■■■ strikers by several of the Liberal lead-ers-Jor' the Liberal Party has; several soi-disant leaders. Mr. Massey 's iemarks, on the defence question were clear and concise, and were a, masterly reply to the attacks made by various -Opposition members who are stumping the country. The- |crux' of the difficulty is that the Admiralty tre so obsessed with the importance of Home defence that they quite forget that for the. Dominions theTe is an even graver peril in the Pacific. Mr. Churchill's statement that the saferjr of Australia and New Zealand was amply safeguarded by the Anglo-Ja-panese alliance, was strongly deprecated by the Premier, who said that if Mr Churchill meant by his statement that Australasia should depend for protection on Japanese sailors and Japan ese ships then he was very -much mistaken Mr. Massey emphasised the mv portance of bulding up a strong fleet in the. Pacific, and towards this desirable end all the Dominions interested must contribute, .and the British Admiralty N should also add its "quota.. Mr! Massey in referring to the import ant question of land tenure made out a very strong case in favour of the freehold. Great capital had been made by the Opposition out of the fact that a number of bo^-s were brought out by the Government, to- work on farms in the Dominion.' These lads have been sarcastically referred to as. the C 7S 6d boys," Mr Massey's explanation put quite a different aspect t\" the question. He showed that ; s td was the minimum that these lads received, and where they were worth more, a larger wage was given. Mr. Massey incidentally mentioned that the previous Government had brought <vt 50 boys and the minimum wage that they received was 5s per week. It >s strange that we have heard noVning of the "5s 'boys" in the speeches of Mr. H. Atmore, the member for Nelson, and Mr G. . W. Russell, member for Avon, two, leading popguns in. the) no Policy Brigade The Premier did not -depend for the 'success of his address on .rhetorical and appeals to; the passions and prejudices of his hearers. He hammered home his i acts with relentless logic, and those whe (came to scoff were forced to admit that the Massey 'Government had a clear cut policy, and that it was Jiber al and progressive in every way. The visit of the Premier will.- do. -a vast amount of good to the Reform cause, for formerly the whole idea that the people had was that received from such sources as Semple and Co., who pictured Mr Massey as one of the ; cloven footed species. Any one who tells these fairy tales in future will get a bad reception.