REPLY TO ACTING-PREMIER.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9554, 4 July 1911, Page 5

REPLY TO ACTING-PREMIER.

SPEECH BY MR; MASSEY

(Per Pbbbs Association.)

HASTINGS, fidy 3.

Mr Massey addressed a crowded mseting hero. to-ni£;ht, and recoived a cordial welcome. His object in speaking was. the approaching genera! election, and he wished to put. things before tho people from tho Opposition point of view. Ho said that tho present Government had been so long in power that a number of abuses had grown up and required to bo remedied. Ho hoped the pcoplo would give attention to public affairs during the next few months. Ho said that one of the abuses of the. present day was government by patronage. Thoy l'ncw of tho promises that were mado before the elections—promises that sometimes were kept and sometimes not. It wag absolutely necessary 'for this country to havo clean, honest administration. Tib publio debt was piling up, and the cost of living was piling up. A reduction of tho cost of living was wanted. Ibe Go-' v'crnnient was borrowing-too rapidly, andgoing too far. Borrowing should Lo kept level with the increaso bf the population. This year wo wero about £ls per Iced in advance- of tho increaso of population. Every five years during the last twenty years tho amcunt borrowed had been (respectively) four and a half millions, six and a half, twelve and a half, and eighteen and a half millions. _ The increased revenue was about 0110 million, and tho increaso in the cost of government nearly half a million. The arrivals in tho Dominion barely balanced the departures. The Goverrmont was going too fast a pace. A yea:: ago tho Primo Minister said the Government ought not to bo pressed to spsud money, yet in the succeeding twelve months he borrowed six and a half millions. Why? Because the elections were approaching, "and,'' added Mr Massev, "I am talking plainly, it was to buy votes." Twenty yoars ago Mr Ballance said, "Our debt is great; wo have marched at a great rate and havo piled up obligations which should make sano men pause," History repeated itself, and wo must be very careful or else in the near future wo might have a repetition of the depression of twenty vears ago. " In reply to Mr Carroll's southern utterances, Mr Massey said it was tho duty of the Government to borrow up to a certain limit and spend tho money to :'ho best advantage of the whole Dominion. They wero not doing this. It wa s a mistake for all moneys to be borrowed through the Government. He instanced the last depression, when tho State Treasury ran dry. It would be better for New Zea landers to invest in their own country than to send money abroad for investment, as they wore compelled to do now He repealed' the statement that when the money borrowed by Government does not return U or 4 per cent, they had to put their hand in the people's pockets to provide tho deficiency. Tho Government had not properly considered tlio Death Dutice Act, It was not intended to affect the small man, yet it did so. Last year tho Government increased tho Customs duties, and that in-, crease had -only just ceased. They had increased railway fares, which aas another way of taxing the people, and the greater part of the increaso was on second-class fares. "Yet- thoy talk ot placing tho taxes on the backs of .those best able lo pay. The incoino tax 15 collected from a merchant who adjusts his profits and hands tho tax en to tho consumers. Tho banks do not reduce their dividends, but pas s tho tax on. It docs not matter what section of the community they tax, it comes back on the rank and iile." No country was 'made to prosper by increased taxation. It was frenzied finance. Had not the time come when thev should look round for some method of reduced taxation and easing the burden of tlio people? Mr Mastcy resumed his seat amidst loud and continued aplause. A vote of thanks was carried by acclamation.