BANQUET TO LEADER OF OPPOSITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12452, 23 December 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

BANQUET TO LEADER OF OPPOSITION.

SUCCESSFUL GATHERING.

SPEECH BY MR. MASSEY.

REVIEW OF THE SESSION.

Mil. W. F. Massey, Leader of the Opposition in the New Zealand Parliament, was entertained by a few of his Auckland friends at a banquet in ''the Grand Hotel oh Dec. 14 There were about 120 gentlemen present. Mr. L. J. Bagnall presided, and Mr. J. Batger occupied the vice-chair. Mr. Massey, who was received with loud arid prolonged cheering, returned thanks for the honour tendered to himself and to the Opposition party by those present at the banquet. It was an expression of approval at the reorganisation of the Parliamentary Opposition, and that approval was tne approval of business men and men who had taken a keen interest in public affairs, several of them having practical experience of the public business of the colony. It had been admitted from one end of the colony to the other that the Opposition did good work during last session, and, whatever might be said to the contrary, there was no obstruction and no waste of time on the part -of the Opposition. There were many occurrences in connection with the last session which neither the Government .nor their supporters could look back on ■ with a great deal of pleasure. The business was mismanaged from beginning to end, and members were encouraged in a most shameful waste of time. During the last Week of the session there were brought down the Public Works Statement, the Public Works Estimates, the Railway Authorisation Bill, the Preferential Trade Bill, and the Banking Bill. Fortunately, they were able to stop the Railways Authorisation Bill, but the others were passed into law — all in one week. He believed he was expressing the opinion of many people whose first thought was for a Greater Britain, when he said that the subject of preferential trade was dealt with by the Government in the Bill in a way which was not worthy of the subject. It was not worthy of any British Legislature; not worthy of the colony to which we belonged. Mr. ; Massey then referred to some statements made by the Premier in his speech on Friday evening. The Premier made a statement which implied that he (Mr. Massey l claimed some credit in connection with the passing of the 'Frisco mail service which did not belong to him. ' Why, he never claimed any credit. He.supported the 'Frisco mail service because : t was the right thing to do, hot in the interests of Auckland, but in the interests of the whole colony. He simply did his duty, and he wanted no credit in connection with it, but the Premier was apparently very anxious that he should not get any credit. If there was any credit due in connection with the passing of the San Franeiico mail service it was due to the members from (he Auckland provincial district, on both sides of politics, for the zeal and energy they displayed in connection with it. It had been suggested that the Opposition should put a policy before the country. He did not think the time had come for that. The proper time to put a policy before the country was when a general election was approaching, end when a general election was within view then an Opposition policy would be forthcoming. If the Opposition put a policy before the country now, what would happen? (Mr. Monk: Scddon would prig it.) Well, a few weeks ago he expressed the opinion in Wellington that the present system of electing members to the Legislative Council was not working satisfactorily, and two days afterwards the Premier took occasion to fay that the time had come when the Legislative Council must be ended or mended. It was well known that the Opposition members were strongly in favour of the freehold. (Loud applause.) They were in favour of giving Crown tenants the right to acquire the fee simple of the land they occupy, and lie quite expected one of these day's to hear Mr. Scddon soy he was in favour of the freehold, though he had snid over and again that his back was to the door to prevent the Crown tenants acquiring the freehold. .Early in the session he (Mr. Massey) paid the present land laws wore not really so liberal as those which existed in the colony 30 years ago. and he cited the homestead system, bv which a man could take up 200 acres. and after he had occupied it five years. brought a third of it into cultivation, arid erected a house on it, he was entitled to the freehold. Last week the Premier said lie was prepared to apply the homestead system to certain parts of the North: of Auckland. After that, if imitation was the sincerest form of flattery, lie (Mr. Masseyl ought to be highly flattered at the notions of Mr. Seddon. (Applause.) It was not so much legislation as good administration that was Wanted. In the Agricultural Department, the Education Department, and all the other departments, improvement was wanted and was necessary. Tt had been stated that the country _ was prosperous; and lie was glad to admit it. But why-was the country prosperous? It was not on account of the Government, but on account of causes altogether unconnected with the Government of the country. It had been prosperous because in other countries there had been a good demand for our produce, because our settlers had been industrious in taking advantage.of that demand, and because large sums of money had been coming into the country in consequence. But, he asked, had the development of the country kept pace with the prosperity? The Estimates, so far as new money was concerned, for roads and bridges, were cut down last year almost to the vanishing point. He contended that the Government had no sympathy with the settlers in the out-districts, and cared nothing for the development of the colony. In flic interests of the country the waste lands should be made productive at, the earliest possible date, and this in the interest not merely of the country people, but also of the cities. In practice the system was not working satisfactorily, and proper encouragement was not given to the settlers. He was not by any means pessimistic. He was not going to tell them that the country was ruined. He did not believe it was ruined. The country was far too good to be ruined by any Government, however grossly mismanaged it might have been. The resources of the colony were so numerous, the people so industrious, the soil so productive, that, given a chance, the country would always recover. He had heard the opinion expressed that the Seddon Government was inflicted on the country as a punishment for Iho sins of the people; they could only imagine .the enormity of the offence by the measure of the punishment. But it was not eternal. There would be an end to the term of this Government, and he believed that then the country would enter upon an era of progress and prosperity such as it had never experienced. (Applause.) In conclusion —(Cries of "Go on!") —he would take another opnortunity of addressing the people of Auckland'(applause)— wanted to thank them for the splendid reception that had been accorded to him. not only because it would be an encouragement to himself, but also to the #reafc party with which he was connected. (Applause.)