POLITICAL GATHERING AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13285, 18 September 1906, Page 6

POLITICAL GATHERING AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

A PRESENTATION.

SPEECH BY MR, MASSEY.

THE LAND QUESTION.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION".]

New Plymouth, Monday. The Theatre Royal was crowded to overflowing to-night, on the occasion of the presentation of a puree of sovereigns to Mr. H. J.. H. Okey, the Opposition candidate for the Taranaki electorate .it the late general election. The presentation was made by Mr. Massey, Leader of the Opposition. There were also present, Messrs. Jas. Allen. Lewis, Hardy, and Malcolm, M.H.R.'s.

Mr. Massev referred to Mr. Okey as a politician after his own heart, and hoped he would yet represent Taranaki. He had noticed it stated that he would lay down a new policy for the Opposition that night. That was not so. At the last election the Opposition had been badly beaten, but they would not take that beating lying down. They had been beaten by superior organisation, misrepresentation, and implied promises of grants of public money to districts which returned Government supporters. At the next election the Opposition would be better prepared, and the people would understand their policy better, and know them as representatives of the most genuine form of Liberalism. The Opposition believed in equal opportunity to all. He referred briefly to the death of the late Premier, which all regretted. The same party was in power, but with a fresh Administration. A very interesting point to the Opposition in the Government policy waS the fact 'that many Opposition proposals had been adopted. He referred particularly to the provision of sinking funds for unproductive loans, and . paying for the upkeep of main roads out of revenue, instead of out of the Public Works Fund. As regards national annuities, the party in power had strenuously opposed these proposals foxyears, and now put them forward as their own policy. The Opposition would support the Government in these proposals. The Opposition had more proposals in stock, more demands for reform, which would be forthcoming at the proper time and place. Dealing with the land question, he strenuously opposed the Land Bill, which under the pretext of setting aside endowments was really intended to make it. impossible for the Crown settler to acquire the freehold. The freehold was to be abolished, also optional and lease in perpetuity systems, and there was to be substituted a 66 year lease, with revaluations. That form of tenure would not suit the sturdy settlers of this colony. Men would not go on land under such conditions. There was no security of tenure. He felt certain what was proposed would do more injury to settlement than anything that had happened in recent years. The £50,000 limitation proposal would a.ffect very fewonly two estates in Auckland and Taranaki. He would not take up time in criticising the proposal to limit holdings to 1000 acres first-class land. The Government had surrendered to the leaseholders and land nationalises. There should be no subdivision at any time that would cause injustice or hardship to landowners. He believed in the freehold. (Applause.) Let every man have a chance of becoming his own landlord. Had the present land' proposals been the law, settlement would have been retarded, and the colony would have been poorer in consequence. Although the Government had. adopted some of the Opposition proposals, still much was left for the Opposition to do. Their duty was to keep an eye on the expenditure. They would not .sell their principles at any price. They wanted to see the colony governed honestly, both Chambers of the Legislature directly representative of the people, appointments to the public service according to fitness, native lands opened up and settled by Europeans auid Maoris, and the latter raised to a higher scale of civilisation than seemed possible under the present system. A capable and vigorous Opposition ought to be appreciated by the country. Mr. Massey concluded amidst great applause. Mr. Jas. Allen, M.H.It., criticised the Government's action in raising the interest on money lent under the Loams to Local Bodies Act, considering that it should be lowered to the lowest possible rat£, the colony bearing a share of the burden. He wanted an actuarial investigation of the superannuation schemes. The man in the country had more right to the freehold than the man in the town. Mr. Lewis deplored the increase in the number of purely professional politicians in the House —the wjnning sides. At the same time he recognised that no New Zealand Parliament would be complete without some of the most advanced thinkers on the Radical and Liberal side.

Mi-. Malcolm said' the Opposition had never been out of sympathy with the honest needs of the working man. . The meeting was enthusiastic and successful.