MR. MASSEY'S TOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14691, 27 May 1911, Page 8

MR. MASSEY'S TOUR.

SPEECH AT. OAMARU.

REPLY TO THE HON. J. A. MILLAR.

[by TELEGRAM. — ASSOCIATION.]

Oamatiu, Friday. Mr. W. F. Massey (Leader of tho Opposition) addressed a large meeting in the Opera House this evening. He dealt with the Hon. J. A. Millar's speech in Dunedin. Referring to tho Minister's claim that a large surplus was a good thing for a country, Mr. Massov said it was not always so, as a large part of the surplus was made out of taxation. That taxation came back largely on to the shoulders of the people. Such was the case in regard to the death S duties tho increased railway fares, the Customs duties, and the special taxation on bank accounts. He went on to refer to an extraordinary provision in tho Customs Act, which left it to the Minister to determine what duty should be levied on certain articles. This was without a parallel in any country in the British Empire, and it was the first thing his party would repeal if they came into power. Mr. Millar had referred to the enormous sums that had been transferred from the Consolidated Fund to tho Public Works Fund since the Government came into power. That was what Mr. Millar stated as a, Minister, but the speaker quoted from Mr. Millar as a private member, showing that, deducting sinking funds, the whole amount that had really been transferred out of the revenue was only about a million and a-half. Mr. Millar was on tho horns of a dilemma, from which he would have to extricate himself the best way he could. Continuing, Mr. Massey said that Mr. "Millar claimed that the railways had paid over four per cent, last year, lint this was due largely to tho increases in railway fares, and also to the fact that tho grain season was an early one. Mr. Millar had charged him with having changed his views, but ho did not know to what Mr. Millar had been referring. Circumstances changed, but his principles never. The principles that he now advocated were the principles that ho and those associated with him held and always advocated and would continue to advocate, i Speaking of tho difficulty of getting information as to expenditure and other matters, Mr. Massey said that they had sought information as to the cost of raising loans, but had been refused it for years. They had asked for details, but had never been able to get them since the Ward Ministry had been in power. A suspicion was naturally created that things were not satisfactory, and, moreover, * the people, through their representatives, wero entitled to the fullest information as to tho country's financial operations. He intended to make a stand to secure information with respect to tho five million loan. The next session would bo a short one, and there might not bo time to do this then, but he hoped that whoever they sent to Parliament would assist in asserting tho right of the people to the information. Mr. Millar, continued the speaker, had quoted him as saying that 90 per cent, of those put into tho Government service were appointed through political influence, their fitness being quite a secondary matter. Well, ho held that the State was entitled to the service of some of the best of its own men. He believed that the public service of New Zealand would compare favourably with that of any other country, and that was in spite of and not because of the system. So far as the Civil Service was concerned admission was by examination, but it was not so in regard to the general public service. Therein appointment was duo to political influence, and they could easily, understand that under such a condition great wrong might be done. What ho had proposed was that thero should be a public service board, who would select the very best men available for every position. What he wanted . was a system under which the son or daughter of any man without political influence might have the same chance of getting Government employment as the son or daughter of a Minister of the Crown. He was satisfied that under such a system there would be much less dissatisfaction in the railway service, for men would be promoted according to their ability and their length of service.

At the conclusion of his speech, Mr. Massev was accorded a hearty vote ol thanks.