A LIVELY MEETING

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15249, 12 March 1913, Page 8

A LIVELY MEETING

PREMIER IN CHEISTCfIUECH FACTIONS IN THE CROWD. WORK OF SESSION REVIEWED. SUCCESS OF PARTY'S FINANCE NEW REFORMS INDICATED. [BT TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Chuistchcbch, Tuesday. The -Prime Minister (the Hon. W. F. Maesey) addressed a large audience in the . Theatre Royal to-night. The buikling ; was full by seven o'clock, and when the . meeting commenced there were as many outside as were in the building. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr. H. Holland) presided. It was fortunate that special ■ arrangements were made to prevent danger of overcrowding. At an early hour the street outside the hall became crowded with people, and when the doors were opened at -past six it became, only a matter of a few minutes before the seating accommodation of the hall was fully occupied. Just before seven o'clock the position was such that the doors had to be closed and huge • crowds packed back into the stroet. Hundreds just after this appeared on the scene and piled vainly up against the iron gates, which were some times angrily shaken. Inside the frail for an hour before the meeting matters were very lively. ' On the stage there i were seated some three hundred ticketholders, who waited calmly and quietly till the curtain rolled up. Included in their ranks -were many of the leading citizens and prominent members of the Reform Party. Those in the front rank included the Mayor of the city, the Hon. A. L. Herdman, the Hon. R. H. Rhodes, Messrs. J. H. Escott, C. E. Statham, W. Nworthy, G. M. Thomson, and G. J. Anderson, M.P.'s, and Mr. H. D. Ackland, president of tha Canterbury Provincial Council of the Reform League. Noise at the Outset. When the curtain rose pandemonium reigned for some minutes, cheers and groans alternating, until Mr. Holland rose to his feet. "I want to say," said Mr. Holland, " that there are a great many people outside, and if you don't want to listen you can let them have your seats. I appeal to you to give Mr. Massey a fair and impartial ' healing, and to ughold the name and reputation of our city. (Cheers and groans). ' : 'v.: V Mr. Maesey, -upon rising, was greeted with, further cheers end groans, but these soon died away. ' " I thank you for the very hearty reception you have 1 given me, said Mr. Massey. "The : Mayor baa suggested that you should give me a fair hearing. Let me tell you that I am going to say tonight - what. I came here to say. - (Applause, and , a voice,. ' What about Waihi?) '"I spoke-in Waihi, and I got a fair hearing in Waihi and . in' every other centre I have spoken in, and I am going to < make a policy speech.: The publio has now had" eight months' experience of ; the Government, and a huge majority of ; the ' people say—-" (the rest of . the sentence was lost through interruptions.) . ' ' Party Gaining Ground. "While there is a noisy minority of ob-< jectors to-night, the more the people of the' country know of the aspirations of the , leaders of our party, the greater will be pur support. Last session was unique in its way. » . ' ' ' ' "At 'this stage the interruptions again compelled the speaker to pause. " I have : to a apologise "for the manners of a few noisy citizens of Christchurch. It would take' ten; of them to make one decent " man." -v . "After ; the Government came into office we. brought down the most comprehensive Financial Statement that has ever been brought down in this country." k The Mayor again . appealed for order,) ■ saying :" A lot has been said about a • square , deal: Give the Prime Minister a 1 square deal."" (Applause.) Work of Last Session. Mr. Massey went on to describe the ' work" accomplished ' last session. "We 1 went through hundreds of divisions with- ' being defeated. That is unprecedented in the history of New Zealand Parliament. [ We have had numerous difficulties, finan- [ cial and otherwise. Our financial diffi- . culties caused our Finance Minister to go

Home lam speaking! of the legacies left us by our predecessors, the snort-dated debentures, which in the case of the loan last year meant that, the whole thing has to be gone into again. The policy of the present Government is to spend loan moneys. in a manner calculated to bring the greatest benefit for the Dominion, and the. people of the Dominion. We are giving local bodies money at the same rate as it ooste us to get it.' That is what I call a square deal/' Signs of Prosperity. " Lot me refer to sime of the canards put -round the country prior to last election. You were told that if the Reform Party came into power there would be no wages and money would be tight. Now, what is the position to-day? The country has never been more prosperous. (Applause.) One of the best financial barometers is the Post Office Savings. Banks. Deposits now exceed the withdrawals, and we hope that soon money will be cheaper. ' (Applause.) Mr. - Allen deserves to be congratulated upon 1 the •; success 'of his mission—(applause)—and the country deserves to be congratulated upon what he achieved. It proves how well the country and its Government stands in the. estimation of those at Home." Three Loans Compared. Mr. Massey then dealt with the £5,000,000 loan, which he said had cost £4 12a Bid per cent. The loan of last year cost £5 Z» 8d per cent. The loan raised a month or two ago cost £4 5s 6d per cent. That proved that it was easily the most successful. It said much for the Government of the country. A voice: "What about the Southland land transaction?" r Mr. Massey laughed. " Yes, what about it? Who is on top now? What did Judge Williams say V A voice: " How much did you pay him?" Mr.*lassey, "Such a remark is a disgrace to the city of Christchuroh. Judge Williams is a man whom we hold in the highest respect." (Applause.) Proceeding, Mr. Massey quoted figures in regard to finance. It was necessary for the people to understand how prosperous from the point of view of ordinary revenue the country undoubtedly was. Amendments to Defence Act. " Now I want to talk to these military people, or anti-military people. We amended th© Defence Act last year. The refusal to take the oath was met with a fine, which, if not paid, was followed by imprisonment. (Cries of "shame.") The Act was altered,, and instead of imprisonment, the penalty was altered to military detention.' After some interruptions and interjections a section of the crowd sang Rule Britannia" lustily. The Mayor again had to appeal for order. Freehold the Greater Asset. , Mr. Massey; speaking on the land question, said that authorities the world over" agreed that , the . freeholder was a greater, asset to the country than the lease- , holder. They had given the L.I.P. • settlers a square deal .by enabling them to acquire ; the fee simple of their holdings. He believed that the Reform GovennnejLt'a land, i^ 4VS "> y;>i- i,

XXXJJ policy had done a good thing for the settlers, and a good thing for the country. He proceeded to criticise the land administration . of the previous Governments, and also referred to the increasing population in the towns to the detriment .of the land. He added that the tide had to be turned, or there would be depression, and the Reform Government was endeavouring to increase, {he settlement of the land." Southland Land Case. Mr. Massey next went on to refer to the Southland land transaction, and said that the minerals on that estate belonged to the Crown, and he meant to so© that they were kept in the possession of the Crown. The meeting again became boisterous, a call for "cheers for Semple" was re- | sponded to, and cheers were also given for Mr. Massey, followed by the singing of several choruses by , students. Another section's efforts were drowned by the discordant notes of a tin whistle and " Rule Britannia," ■while the Socialists gave " We'll Keep the Red Flag Flying," and then Mr. Massey was able to proceed again. The fee simple or freehold that excluded the minerals, he said, was an old English law. Coal belonged to the State. . ;/ The Mayor again had to appeal far order, and his remarks were greeted with oheers. Fair-minded people, be said, resented the attitude adopted by a section, of the audience. Work For Next Session. Interruptions became more frequent and noisy when Mr. Massey went on to deal with labour matters, the Waihi and Roefton disputes particularly. From matters arising out of the recent troubles, he said, it would be necessary to have further industrial legislation. They would stick to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, and endeavour to make it perfect. Another reform they intended to give effect to was in connection with the Legislative Council. The House of Representatives passed a Bill providing that the Council should be elective. The Upper House had thrown that out, but the Government was going to see that through. There was to be no halfway house. Up to the present time they had never had a depreciation or insurance fund for public buildings. The Reform Government had altered that. They had dealt with things in a businesslike way. Dealing with the general Estimates, he said they had in Parliament a Public Accounts Committee, which had the right to inquire into every item. The Government courted publicity. It meant to take the people of the country into its confidence. (Loud applause.) Approval of Pensions Scheme. The applause was repeated when Mr. Massey dealt with the pensions provided for the Maori War veterans, and the amendments to th© Widows' Pensions Act. The State, he said, had a duty to the widows and the orphans, and they intended to carry out that duty. (Loud applause.) The Reform Government, said Mr. Massey in conclusion, had conducted the business of the country in an open and businesslike fashion, ' and placed the country's finances on a sound basis. Their object was that when they went out they should be able to say, " We have left our country better than we found it." Mr. "Massey concluded his speech amid loud and prolonged applause, the opposition having considerably diminished during the last three-quarters of an hour. Mr. H. D. Acland, president of the council of the Canterbury Reform League, said that ha was sure the .citizens of Christchurch were greatly indebted to Mr. Mas- i sey for his excellent address. He moved, "That this meeting of Christchurch citizens thanks the Prime Minister for his address, and expresses its confidence in his Administration." Mr. F. Cook, a Socialist and antimilitarist, moved as an amendment, " This meeting of Christchurch citizens has no confidence in Mr. Massey or his brother Ministers, and expresses its dissatisfaction at his whole policy, as being against the best interests of the country. We believe the Government's land policy is in the interests of the land-owning classes." The amendment was first put to the meeting, and then the motion, and a great many held up their hands for each. Amid cheers and groans the Mayor declared the motion earned,' and the meeting closed.