REPLY TO MR MASSEY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7847, 8 July 1911, Page 6

REPLY TO MR MASSEY

SIR JAMES CARROLL THE OPPOSITION POLICY OF PLATITUDES. SPEECH AT CirRISTCHXTRCH: Pill «S ASSOCIATION. CHRISTCHURCH, July 7. Sir Jamcvs Carroll. Acting-Prime Minh> tcr, delivered a political address in the Choral Hall this evening. The Mayor, Mr T. K. Tavlor, M.P., presided. Tho hall as filled. The Acting-Premier, on rising, was received with con tin nod applause. He paid they were all looking forward to November. They wore wolf aware of the position of parlies. Ho represented the- party which hud been in power for the last twenty years. It was due to tho Ballance Li bend Administration that the Labour people for the first time in the history of New Zealand got n status, and an established states. On the other hand they had the Opposition party—-in 1891 known as the Conservative party. Ho believed the brand was cu them still. (Laughter and applause.) No matter how many aliases the party had gone under, it could net change its spots, ami was still Conr.ervativc. There was no harm in being Conservative, nor in being in opposition. They must always have an Opposition, and it was in the best interests of the people, because it encouraged keen criticism and rivalry, the outcome of which might bo for the good of the people. But an Opposition to bo useful must also bo progressive; must, grow contemporaneously with the times ami keep abreast of public feeling. If an Opposition party did tin's it would be of greater use than would be tho ease Tf it remained the old Conservative party without any conceiving power as to reform or lines of policy. To-day the Opposition party knelt at the confessional stool and admitted that they wore' in favour of measures pulsed bv Liberals. They claimed that if they were put into power tboir admLnistratdcn of these progressive and Liberal measures would bo bolter than if it was left in the hands of tho party in power at present. That was for tho people to decide. But "by their deeds ye shall know them/' and when they know what they had been doing during" the past twenty years in opposition of every movement in advance, and of every Bill anproved by the government, then by their deeds he hoped they would judge thorn in November. (Applause). HTTB OPPOSITION'S POLICY.

In Wellington the previous night/Hr Massey, in a great speech, had outlined 1 the Opposition’s policy of reform. It was something oven to get that from the Opposition. (A voice: "You haven’t got one at all!”) Ho would tell them presently what they had gat. (Laughter and applause.) The Opposition had come in to the foreground and had delivered what was considered a policy of reform. Among other things the Opposition policy contained the plank of "reasonable borrowing, not wasteful expenditure.” Those were beautiful platitudes. Mr Massey’s great charge against the present Government was its borrowing, and he hold up his hands in horror and tried to strike alarm into the breasts of the people. Mr Massey was in favour of borrowing—"moderate, reasonable borrowing.” Why did he not say to what degree or what percentage? Mr Massey said the Government borrowed too much when it borrowed Perhaps it did, but it was all wanted, and would all bo used. (Applause.) Why did not Mr Massey say whether four millions, three millions, or two millions were! sufficient to borrow? He left it an open question. It was onlv qualified by the term "moderate.’’ It was a strange thing that in tho Government’s loan proposals the Opposition had never voted ageinnt them. Daring the recess the} talked against borrowing, but in the House they never raised their voices against borrowing, or rather did not nopose it. When it came to the distribu tion of the loaves and fishes throughout the Dominion for expenditure on publh works the Opposition were in the fore most. Tlipy were there first with thei: plates, and the applications they mad' ofton exceeded the amount of tho loan. THE LAND QUESTION.

Tho Opposition land policy 'contained the statement “facilities to men ofj small capital." Why, the Opposition! had opposed the Land for Settlements, Act and every law dealing with the cutting up of ©states! Mr Ballance in 1892 brougnt in his Land Act, which widened tho facilities for the closer occupation,, and amendments made year by year had increased those facilities. Yet the Opposition at this lato hour—tho eleventh hour —just to save their skins, came forward with a policy to help the small man. Quoting tho parts of the Opposition’s policy regarding giving the option of purchase to Crown tenants, bir 'James pointed out that Mr Massey was all for the original value. It did not matter to the Opposition how the public estate was treated or disposed of. It was to bo disposed of at its original ■ value, and the State was to lose for the benefit of tho tenant. On tho other hand, Mr Massey declared respecting tho national endowments that he would' sell them to-morrow to raise money to buy other and bettor lauds. Ho (tho speaker) asked them to pause and analyse that statement. On the one hand he would sacrifice the public estate to the tenants at its original value, and on the other hand he would sell the endowment lands to buy with the proceeds improved lands. What benefit would bo reaped by doing this? Whatever changes and phases the land question cvolutiouised there was one thing ho asked the people of the Dominion to do, and that was to keep hold of their land endowments. (Applause.) It would bo well, wise and prudent not to allow a single aero of these endowment lands to go. (Applause.) After describing the purposes for which .they were set apart, ho said the country’s responsibilities, in connection with old ago pensions and education were increasing. They were matters that could not be trifled with, and would become a big strain on tho Treasury’s resources. A BELATED PLANK. As to the plank “Limitation of area to prevent aggregation,” Mr Massey was lato m the day in this respect. (Applause.) The Government had already made such a provision an accomplished and absolute fact. It was useless -for Mr Massey to think ho could make a plank of his platform out of it. As to tho improvement of the conditions of Government employment the Government had been trying to do that during the whole term of its office, and any Government in power must make a high principle of improving the conditions of Government employment. (Applause.) It was not singular to Mr Ma-ssey or his party. How was Mr Massey going to do it? liy eliminating political influence and having appointments made by a board, with the right of appeal from tho hoard's decisions. This meant tho setting up of a Civil Service Board which would not bo responsible, to tho people or Parliament. The board at its own sweet will could control Government employment, and make appointments to tho Civil Service. Where were tho board going to draw the employees from? And what section were they going to draw from to constitute tho board? Supposing the Opposition were in potior, would they get the board from the workers of the country? (A voice: Got them off tho stage.) Sir James said the Opposition were silent on the point. They might get tho board from some other country. The service was already ■ ruder tho re-

gulation of a Civil Service Act, and it was not fair or right that a non-responsi-ble board should have the right to make appointments. The people should have the right to directly condemn abuses, and they could only make their views felt through their representatives in Parliament, (A voice; Don’t forget the Railway (Commissioners—they were a nice lot.) Tho ■people were dissatisfied with the Railway commissioners for the very thing which he was saying would happen in the case ■of tho civil service board. The people (revolted and expressed their disapproval of tho system. An alteration was made, the railways being placed under Ministerial authority and under the management of tho executive of the Railway .Department. The Minister was directly 'responsible to Parliament. There was a difiLsronce of opinion on the subject even among the Opposition leaders. Air Herdman was in favour of commissioners, but Mr Massey said he was not in favour •of them. Mr Massey would like to sea the whole control vested in a general manager, but that official could not be accountable directly to Parliament. The general manager of the department (most be under a Ministerial head. Mr Massey therefore must agree with tho present condition of affairs, LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Another plank of the Opposition was reform by local government in the rural districts of the Dominion by giving ex* tended powers and an assured finance, making it unnecessary for local bodies to depend on Parliamentary grants. The Government at the present time had a Local Government Bill on the stocks which would bo circulated during the session or in the recess. They wanted it to combine the wisdom and experience of the local bodies.'and they wanted the local bodies to study it. There was room for improvement in the system, but they oould not act hastily on this question. The Government agreed that local bodies should have extended powers and an assured finance, but on what principle and by what method were they to ret that? The more it was thought >bout tho better. Tho Government had taken the initiative, and, as he hail said, had tho Bill on the stocks. Municipal town planning was something new. Mr Massey had suddenly taken a fit and embarked on new fields. This question, however, had been dismissed by the Hon. Mr Fow'lds, who had prepared a scheme. The subject was-new to Mr Massey, but again ho had come in. •quite late. The attention of Mr Massey had been directed to this subject by Mr Lloyd George. * (Applause.) The Government had attempted to meet these demands in its own small way, but it bad gone a great way along the path of progress for a country of one million inhabitants. They were quite prepared to take a lesson from any other country. In fact, they would be very slow if they did not. There was the National Provident Fund, which came into operation on March 31st. The Government were getting circulars out giving a sketch of the benefits to be derived from the scheme; and tho circulars would bo sent to every house in the country. Tho measure was a beneficent one, and ho only quoted it to show that the Government had gone a long way to meet what was necessary to help the aged and infirm and invalided. It made provision for both ends of life—by assisting the poor at the birth of children and assisting the aged. ONE LITTLE GLEAM.

There was just one little gleam of radicalism in. the whole of tho long list planked down by Mr Massey, and that was tho proposal to make the qualifying age for the pension for women sixty years instead of sixty-five. (Applause.) But Mr Massey was lato in the day, as that had been advocated, already on the floor of the House by Mr Taylor and other Canterbury members. Tire Government were iu sympathy with it, but they had to go along steadily «.nd study finance. The matter had been under consideration ever since it was voiced. (A voice; How many yeans?) Sir James; Not very long ago. The proposal was tho only redeeming feature of Mr Massey’s budget. REFORM OF THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM.

The Opposition proposed to inform tho economic system by promoting industrial peace and restoring public confidence in order to eneoun-aga local industries. Everyone was trying to do that. The Government had placed industrial legislation on the 'statute book to try to ameliorate the condition, of the masses and to better the relations between the worker and the employer. They wanted to build up the human factor in the community, so that in the aggregate they would find a wholesome and healthy race. (Applause.) Mr Massey talker! about reducing taxation wherever possible and lessening the cost of living. (A voice: It is pretty high now.) Sir James said whenever tho Government could reduce taxation they would reduce it on the necessaries of life. That was the first consideration of the Government. They took it off tho shoulders least able to bear it, and placed it on the strong, powerful shoulders of those who were able to bear it. (A mice: What about patting it on motor-cars?) (Laughter.) Sir James went on to deal with the Opposition criticisms of Jhe public debt on the linos of his previous addresses. He dealt at some length with the Mohan Jones Maori land case, and with tho disposal of native lands generally. VOTE OP CONFIDENCE. At the conclusion it was moved and seconded—“ That this meeting desires to tender the Hon, the Acting-Premier a hearty vote of thanks for his able and interesting address, and expresses its approval of and sympathy with, tho pro-

(Opposition paper’s fervid headlines.)

THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE STALWARTS AT 9.30 (TRUE BILL),

grossive policy now being carried out by the present Administration." An amendment to the effect that 'a vote of thanks bo accorded the speaker was moved and seconded, tho mover being Mr H. A. Campbell, well-known in local Labour circles. He was making a lengthy speech, which was constantly interrupted, and there was some disorder. Eventually the amendment was negatived aud the motion carried by an over ; whelming majority.