MASSEY’S HINT.

Grey River Argus, 20 July 1922, Page 3

MASSEY’S HINT.

' TO DISSOLVING LIBERALS. Mr Massey referred to th? break-up of the Liberal Party in the Address-in-Roply debate. He said that, when (addressing his constituents in the Town Hall of Westport very recently, the La- | hour Leader, said:—“The Liberals could never take office without Labour’s consent, and in the event of Labour holding the balance of power in a Ihw-party Parliament, they could only retain office while they obeyed the Labour Party. Labour would vote Mr Massey out at the first opportunity; but if Mr Wilford came in. Labour would also vote him out on the first occasion that he refused Labour’s demands. Mr IL Atmore (Nelson): Is it a fact that they arc lotting you stay there now. Mr Massey denied that it was a fact. The Dunedin election showed, he declar- ‘ cd. that the party the Government had to fight was the party on the Labour Benches. 'Mr Veitch: That is a very wrong staiement for the Prime Minister of New Zealand to make. Mr Massey: It is my duty to make it. -Mr Atmore: Whom did you fight at Pa tea ? Mr -Massey: The Liberals. Mr IL Poland (Ohinemuri): How did yon j; - Dixon in? .Mr R. Masters (.Stratford): Who did

you fight .. Bruce? Air -Massey: That is another story. (Laughter.) We have had six by-elec-tions, and I think I am right in saying that we won four of them. That was , the position, ho added, ami the public understood that they had got to choose between him and the party on the Labour benches. Every vote recorded for a Liberal candidate at the next elections would be a vote for Labour. (Laughter and diss-ent). Air W. T. Jennings (Waitomo) : That ! won’t wash. (Hear, hear and laughter.) Mr Massey: I know perfectly well that it is so, and the people know it. The I.ibcral party, he declared, was down and out, and he wanted the people to know it. Tho T.iberais were down and out and they knew it. Mr E. J. toward (Christchurch South): Speak well of the dead. (Laughter.) There were men over on the other side, proceeded Mr Massey, who sympathised with the Reform party, and he would give them an invitation now which they would be glad to accept later. (Laughter). I say to them on the other side who think ns we do. “Come over with us,” (Loud laughter.) I say to the others (pointing to the Labour Benches): “That is where vou belong.” (Laughter.) Some lines from Russell Lowell applied to the members on the other side, he added: Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide. Ln the strife ’twixt truth and falsehood for the good or evil side. Some great cause, God’s new Messiah, offering each the bloom or blight; Parts the goats upon the left hand, and the sheep upon the right; And the choice goes by for over between that darkness and that light. He remembered that ivhen Mr Statiam was somewhat newer to polities, re had taken the House into his conTdence and told them that in the Whip’s Room, before the Reform Party

went to the elections, he (Mr Massey told them that they were not to anything that would interfere with th' credit of the country. He did r think that that was being done n But he was going to do his duty by his country, and he was glad to say that his friends were backing him up The Reform Party was going to bring tue finances of the country into a sound position.