MR MASSEY’S TOUR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16193, 20 March 1913, Page 9

MR MASSEY’S TOUR.

VISIT TO TIMARU

OPENING OF HIGH SCHOOL,

DEPUTATIONS AND ENTERTAINMENTS. [From Our Correspondent.]

TIMARU, March 19

The Prime Minister (Mr Massey) spont to-day botween Waimato and Timaru. He received one or two deputations at Waimato before leaving by motor-car for Timaru. A request for an extra grant of £IOO or £125 for the alteration of the Technical School met with the reply that the request would be laid before the Minister of Education, and there was little doubt that it would bo granted. To another deputation, Mr Massey stated that if a guarantee could be given that the sections would be taken up the Government would (purchase and cut up an area of 65 acres offered for workers’ homes. .He promised to convey to the Ministers concerned the requests for a stationmaster at Willowbridge, and the establishment of a telephone exchange at tho station. In reply to Mr W. G. Paul, tho Prime Minister promised to send an export to report on the coal scams in the district. Ho also promised to look into the proposal that the old show ground should be exchanged for the borough reserve to give greater playground spaco at tho school.

Messrs .Rhodes and Hart, on behalf of the Waimato County Council, asked that the limit upon which the Government subsidy upon rates was paid should bo raised; that tho Education Department should pay a subsidy to children riding to school in addition to children driving to school, and that an amendment should bo made in the Rating Act to enable rates to be collected more promptly. Tho Prime Minister promised to look into each question.

The ministerial party drove on to Timaru, stopping a few minutes at St Andrews to meet some of the residents. On arrival at Timaru. Mr Massey lunched with the committee of the 'Reform League. OPENING OF HIGH SCHOOL.

In the afternoon the Prime Minister officially opened the new Boys’ High School in the presence of a fairly large gathering. Tho Mayor (Mr T. Hawkey) handed tho Prime Minister a golden key for the purpose, and the speeches were reserved for a ceremony inside the building. Mr J. Bitcliener, chairman of the Board presided, and on the dais were Messrs J. Craigie, VI. P., W. Nosworfchy, M.P., and IUIO Mon J. Anstey.

The chairman said that the school was not the end of the Board’s building scheme, and extensions would soon have to be made at tho Rectory, which was full to overflowing. The Prime Minister congratulated

tho district on the erection of the building. Tho people of New Zealand, lie said, had reason to bo proud of their education system and their public men, md the people themselves should be particularly careful that the main principles of tho system were safeguarded. Details had to bo altered,

nd agricultural education should re-

vive careful attention in order to keep abreast of other countries. He was proud to say that ho had never seen a division called in Parliament on an ncrease on tho education estimates, md tho people were evidently deteruined that future New Zealanders

should be the best educated young people in the world. (Applause.)' The

•cachers wore ns able and enthusiastic a set of men and women as it would bo possible to find in the world and those who were administering tho Act hi tho capacity of members of High 'chool Boards and so on were deserving of tho deepest gratitude from all sections of the community. (Applause.) Mr W. B. Howell, one of the pioneers of tho old High School, also addressed the gathering, adding a few kindly and stimulating words to tho boys. Mr Craigie also spoke, and the function was closed with a vote of thanks to Mr Massey, proposed by Mr R. H. Bowie, and carried with musical honours and cheers MORE DEPUTATIONS.

A deputation from the Levels County Council asked for a grant of LilrOd lor a bridge over the Tcngawai, and £2400 for two bridges connecting levels and Geraldine. Mr Massey said that lack of money was the chief obstacle in his way. The grant of £IOOO would be reinstated, hut he could make no promise regarding the other. A deputation representing the Farmers’ Union urged the establishment of an experimental farm in South Canterbury, worked in conjunction with the schools of the district. Ashburton it was said was not representative of the land of South Canterbury, and Lincoln College did not profess to show a farmer how to make a farm pay. The Prime Minister said that he was going to reorganise Hie fields and experimental divisions of the Agricultural Department. He had received complaints, largely in the North Island, that farmers were not getting the benefit of the experiments. Ho believed there was something in the complaint. He did not expect an experimental farm to pay, but there should be an adequate return for the money spent. Ho repeated his intention to establish an Advisory Agricultural Board. He did not find fault with the farmers, but the plots had been much more successful. A farm of 500 acres would mean £15,000 for land alone, apart from implements and stock, and the greatest difficulty of all was to find a scientific expert and a practical farmer in one as , director. There were very few ,men in New Zealand capable of carrying on an experimental farm. The deputation also asked for the removal of cropping restrictions on lease-in-perpetuity tenants on land for settlement. The Primo Minister said that the restrictions were out of date, and in ninety-nine per cent of the cases were absolutely useless. The man with a 999 years’ lease was the best judge of how his land should be cropped. He proposed to deal with the ! matter by removing restrictions in accordance with the nature of the land. A CIVIC DINNER. Mr Massey was the guest of the Mayor and borough councillors at dinner in the evening, and the toast of his health, proposed by Mr T. Hawkey, was honoured, with cheers. Mr J. Craigie, member for the district,_ urged the extension of small farming and suggested that Mr Massey should immortalise himself by increasing the exports from twenty-two millions to thirty millions. Ten millions spent in opening up the land in the next five or ten years would well repay itself. A stream of immigration should bo encouraged and branch railway lines should be opened. If Mr Massey carricu out this programme the people would bless him. Mr F. H. Smith, M.P., said that the Government was carrying out land | settlement, but ho objected to the pre-

ference clause, debarring young men at tho ballot. Mr W. Nosworthy, M.P., also spoke. Mr Massey said that, barring Auckland, tho most progressive and prosperous town in New Zealand was Timaru. He regretted that farmers were reducing their cropping areas, | and if importations were necessary it would bo a sorry state of affairs. Mr i Craigie had offered the Government a j policy. He asked whether, if he adopted that policy, Mr Craigie would give liis allegiance? (Laughter.) He was trying to establish a thirty millions export and a stream of immigrants, and in the matter of branch lines the Government had sent a successful engineer from New Zealand to tho country that was the homo of branch lines to report on their practical administration. The immigrants required were young fellows of sixteen, seventeen or eighteen, who would take two or three years’ training and in turn become employers. The preference clause at the ballot required straightening out, but it was working well in Hawkes Bay where the single man on being barred twice became a disappointed applicant and was eligible with the married man. 75 Manse). Tho toast of the Mayor »as honoured on Mr Massey’s motion. A NON-PARTY SOCIAL. POLITICAL SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER. THANKS FOR “LYTTELTON ’TIMES.” A social was given to Mr- Massey in the ovening. Mr J. Wallace, chairman of tho Reform League, presided. Brief speeches of welcome dealing mainly with naval and land were delivered by Messrs Craigie, Nosworthy, and Lee. Mr Massey, who was very well received, naively remarked after referring to the non-party nature of the 1 social, that ho tlid not know what party politics meant and the sooner Mr Craigie applied for a seat on tho I Treasury bench the better. Mr Massey banteringly asked where the prophets of evil had got to since his accession to office. They were silent, ho answered, because of their disappointment on seeing that the Government had not committed tho dreadful mistakes they had predicted. Ho added that the possibilities lor closer settlement in Canterbury had astonished' him. . At the eai'liost opportunity 'the suitable Crown land would bo subdivided. He dealt at some length with land settlement and passing on to the extension of workers’ homes remarked that from his inmost soul he lielieved that the propel- way to combat the. socialistic wave passing over the dominion was to make as •many freeholders as possible. Speaking on the conclusion of his Canterbury tour he wished to say that nothing could have exceeded tho kindness and generosity extended to him by tho people of Canterbury irrespective of party politics. “ There is one man,” Mr Massey said impressively, who Ims contributed more to tho suecess of my visit by his attitude than anyone else in Canterbury, and that is the editor of the ‘Lyttelton Times. I only hope his friends the ‘Red Teds and Socialists will not think too liarslily of him or deal too harshly with liim for what ho has done without intention, but whether intentionally or otherwise it is only right that I should express my obligation to tbc gentleman.” (Laughter.) The proceedings ended with refreshments.