THE PREMIERS' TOUR

Grey River Argus, 29 May 1914, Page 2

THE PREMIERS' TOUR

POLITICAL ADDRESS -'AT INVERf* CARGILL/ , ' A CORDIAL PECEPTIQN. .i. , (Per Unjted«P ? ress .Association.) lIWERCARGILL, May 27. This evening 1 the Prime Minister addressed a meeting^ which crowded the Municipal Theatre in all parts*. Standing rooir was at a premium, and^ .^U^the accommodation at the 'back', of the sta'ire was' overtaxed. Mr. -Massey was loudly cheered on entering-, and again on rising- to speak, and while there jiyere a number of inI terruptions in the course of hisl address they) came from a limited section. , The Premier's reception from the meeting as ai. whole being extremely cordial. 1 In some respects the address was on the lines of JuGSe delivered elsewhere but the Prime Minister rc-phrd to one or two statements made by Sir Joseph Ward at Blenheim. He said- 1 - that he was noc in the ' habit of shedding- crocodile tears. 1 Be had nevepS&tated that -the population -Jiad decredsfed, but had pointed out that ten years ago the population of the country 'difsricts was more than, 1 the population of the towns and cities. 1 That position Bad been reversed^ and the greater percentage of the population was now in the towns and cities, 'and that was not 'a safe position for a' country like this. ~~ That was his m regard to population and he_stood t» it. It was" Quite . <he Government had borrowed largely, but the reason was thatiir had to meet the debits 'of its predecessors. j Tnat was the real position, and any ' politician touching 'upon it should be candid enough tq explainr h. I The statement v that the Government , had increased custom taxation by 9-0,3 j per cent, was-absolutely and wholly incorrect. * \ ( • The, Government had not increased customs, taxation by a traction" of a farthing-., ">ut the! people, being more prosperous were' Inlying larger ;'qiiantitie& J S| goods. 1 -' • Dealfa^witli the statement 'that the workers pa%d\n<>hing- towards the cost the gift battle fcruis'er. Mr. Massey said that the r payment^ were made from the consolidated funds-, to which eyery raan and 'wdman qontribnted. The statement that the workers had" not paid, was only put forward for , electioneering purposes. The Leader of the Opposition was inaccurate when h£ said that the Government succeeded to a surplus of £780,000. That surplus existed on March 31, -1912^' but owing to interest and' othgß payments the amount had dwindled to £1 88,000 when Hosu 1 James Allen took, control of the treasury. - Financially the dominion was not out of the wood. ' Referring" to Sir Joseph Ward's- daim that he could' have settled 1 the strike in two days' Mr. quoted figures -that v 63 strikes had occurred during Sir Joseph " Ward's ' premiership, and asked why on earth he had not settled some of these in two days. In conclusion Mr. Massey expressed I confidence that when the- people had 1 to choose whom they would support at the , coming elections they would choose wisely and well. - A vote o fthaniks and confidence was mbved by Mr. , J. E. Watson and was "seconded In several* places and carried 'by a yery' large majority.*