POLITICAL SUMMARY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 146, 5 June 1913, Page 3

POLITICAL SUMMARY.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. Auckland. June 4. i A summary of the doings of tinparty was given at a meeting of the Reform League to-day by the Hon. W. F. Massey. When the Government came into office, said the Prime .Minister, they found the finances cf the country in such a condition that it was imperative that the Hon. Air. Allen should be despatched to the Mother Country to initiate new loans. If the Minister had rot been successful in this mission it would have been necessary to clone down various public works, and three-quarters of the men employed would have been thrown out ct work. However, he was glad to say that the conditions were now materially impiored. They l:ad been able to spend £'50,000 in workmen s homes, in addition to advances made Ito workers. In his capacity as Minisi ter for Lands he Lad in the last I twelve months been able to settle

250.C00 acres in various parts of the Dominion. In the last few weeks he had completed arrangements for the I purchase of a further* 120,000 acres, land every settler on that area would I have the right to make the land his I own. When the Government cam.I into office they also had a big strike iat Waihi to contend with. He was I pleased to be able to say that at the present time there was industrial peace from one end of New Zealand to the other. Mr. Massey referred to the recent threatened strike of marine engineers. The seriousness of the situation at that time, he said, could hardly be appreciated by those unacquainted with the circumstances. One of the Inion Company’s steamers was actually tied up at Sydney waiting word as io the reside of the conference between the parties, at v.hich he was present as arbitrator. If that dispute had not been promptly settled the sti'.ke would have been the biggest chat ! haJ taken place in Australasia. As a result of six hours’ conference, however, all signs of possible strike vanished. The Prime Minister also made reference io the legislation of last session, dealing v.-ith the defence of poor prisoners, under which a system would obtain whereby a man not able to employ counsel could receive State assistance. Another point made by Air. Mas.iey was the system initiated for the insurance of public buildings. He said that £109.000 was set aside for that purpose last year. The credit of the co intry had bo n firmlv re-estab-lished among the London financiers, and for that the change of Government was partly responsible. ■ for the ’year ending March 21 st the arrivals exceeded the departures by 12,000. and there was also a re cot d in exports from the* Dominion. The position generally throughout Nvwj t Zealand was a most satisfactory one, i and there was every reason to hope; that it would continue. • THE COMING SESSION. Auckland, June 4. The Prime Minister informed an interviewer that preparations for the work of the foithcoming session are well in hand. Mr. Massey will be engaged in ' Wellington for the greater part of the coming three] weeks in completing arrangements for the session. “Do you anticipate a long session?" the Prime Minister was asked. T do not know ; it will be unusually long for a middle session,’’ he replied ; “but it is what is termed the working session, and a great deal of imoertant business will be dealt with." In regard to the Government’s naval policy, Mr. Massey said that the recommendations of the Minister of Defence had yet to be placed before Cabinet, and he was unable to make any statement at present. In all probability the first announcement of the Government's intentions would be made to Parliament.