ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17329, 28 November 1919, Page 8

ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

SPEECH BY ME. MASSEY. ADVICE TO ELECTORS. DANGER OF EXTREMISTS. LAND SETTLEMENT POLICY. [BY TELEGEiPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CROMWELL. Thursday. Tho Prime Minister, Mr. W. F. Massoy, addressed a public meeting to-night. The lareo attendance included many ladies. Tim May»r, Mr. A. M. Brodrick, extended to Mr. Massoy a hearty welcome on his first visit to Cromwell. Mr. Massey, who was warmly received, thanked the people for their cordial welcome. Continuing, ho said ho believed the industry that the settlers of the district would depend on in the future was fruitgrowing. New Zealand's trade in fruit would in future go through the Panama Canal to England and to tho west coast of North America. If the fruitgrowers could secure shipping space for their products thoy need have no anxiety as to the future of the industry. (Applause.) New Zealand fruit had a particularly good reputation on tho English market. He had been asked about it over and over again during his visit to England. (Applause. ) Speaking of party government, he said ho had seen the interests of the country subordinated to the interests of party, and he hoped they would never get back to tho extravagant and mischievous system of which they had had far too much in tin* country. (Applause.) "I want, however," said Mr. Massey, "to show ycu the possibilities in connection with tho election. I want you to distinguish between the Parliamentary Labour Parly i and tho workers and wage-earoara of this, country. There is a clear line of de- ! marcation between them. I sav that the men who call themselves the Farliaiiumtary Labour Party, and who are led by Mr. Holland, do not represent tbe intelligent section of the worke.-s of this country, (Applause.) * Faith in the Electors. " I have faith in the good sense of the electors, however, and I do not believe that more than perhaps ten of that party will be returned. The danger is, of I course, that the party may hold the bal- ! ance of power, and only the other day i Mr. Holland aaid that "members of his , party would support Sir Joseph Ward if I that gentleman granted them the legislation they wanted. But I want to have nothing to do with the Parliaa entary Labour Party. If the party working I with me do not gain a majority at the election we are not going to take tho assistance of the Parliamentary Labour Party to keep us in office. (Applause.) Continuing, he said he believed the shipping difficulty would be overcome. An Empire organisation was to be established to control the shipping from the heart of the Empire to the outlying Dominions. It would be under the control of representatives from Great Britain and every part of tho Empire, and it would be its business to see that sufficient shipping was supplied in each case, that fares and freights were reasonable, and that mails were carried at fair rates. He was not one of those who rushed into nationalisation on every occasion, but if they required ships to take away their produce it might be advisable to start a State lino of vessels. It was justifiable for the State to use nationalisation to stop monopoly, and to assist private enterprise. It was not justifiable, however, for the

State to compete with private enterprise when private enterprise was doing the work better than the State could do it. (Applause.) The Nationalisation Question. A favourite proposal was to take over, the Wellington-Lyttelton ferry service. There were many things, however, thai they wanted more than the ferry service. The money could be more usefully em- j ployed. It was the same with. the Citato '• bank. They could not secure the Bank of New Zealand, except for a very large • sum, it would run into manv millions, j and there was a limit, not only to their' borrowings but also to the amount of ■ money the Dominion had in hand. Some people proposed to nationalise the flour ' mills, but there were other things that \ ought to be nationalised before the flonr ' mills. It was more important to increase the quantity of wheat which was grown. I (Applause.) It was important, too, to make roads I and build bridges for backblock settlers, > and these things must be done if pro- j duction was to be increased. Attention must also be given to hydro-electric systems. "If we are going to have continual difficulty with regard to our coal supply,'' ! said the Prime Minister, "let us hurry' up with the electricity, and bring it into ! operation as soon as possible." (Applause.) I The ""go-slow" policy was still in existence in New Zealand, and it would go! on for "goodness knows how long." He, was sorry to say that the people who suffered were the poorer people with limited incomes. That was another argument for the development of hydro-elec-tricity. Settling the Land. Mr. Massey advocated farther landsettlement, and read a list of properties in Otago which are to be devoted to' settlement purposes, especially for the settlement of soldiers in the next year or two. Included in the list was the Mount Pisa Run, of 14,700 acres, which it is proposed to subdivide into 12 runs and 10 close-settlement small runs. The sur* vey of this area is to be put in hand as soon as a surveyor is availab'e. I The Old Homestead Act had proved exceedingly useful in the way of the settlement of rough country. Many a farmer in New Zealand to-day owed his success in life to that measure. The Act had now been revived. There were large blocks in different parts of New Zealand, probably Home in Otago which settlers did not feel inclined to take up if thev had to pay for it. It was second-class land, not fit for wheat-growing. There were huge tracts of this land in the North of Auckland, and in tho Waikato a block of 1000 acres) would b e set apart, and settlers would be given the opportunity of taking it up. I Money would be lent to them if necessary at 5 rer cent. This scheme had been re- i introduced by th e Government because they believed it was better to have good settlers and cultivated land than to have lands lying idle. (Applause.) Naval Defence. Referring to defence matters, he said that. Admiral Jellicoo in hie report had suggested that each of the Dominions should form a local unit of the imperial Navy. Ho regretted that an attempt was being made by a. getleman who once occupied Ministerial office, to slow that the '•out to New Zealand would be £20,000,000. ' The rjlain truth was that some members had become <v, used to talking of millions that they talked of millions when they cudit U. talk of thousands. What Admiral .Icllicoe said wan that in five or mx year New Zealand's contribution would amount to £1.000.000 per annum I I'hn sneaker believed Lord Jellicoe was light when he said the Pacific would be the storm centre of the next war. I After touching on a number of oth«r I questions, the Prim e Minister resumed his' hTur 8 amid apr>lause ' "aving spoken for two! m™.-' JaJncs Rit^ e proposed, "That this meeting accord the Right Hon Mr i alr ey , p a 1 hc ait - V v " te of thank, for his Speaker», " ltCrefiti,, « address." The! Wmi ß 4 on th n Collß ', a^ la, l €d the p,il,lll i "is rrK°'^-) d 0 l ,lK '