ENTHUSIASTIC DEMONSTRATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8192, 6 August 1912, Page 5

ENTHUSIASTIC DEMONSTRATION

The demonstration held in tho Town Hall last night by the Reform party was attended by about threw thousand people. Tho proceedings throughout were most enthusiast ie. and the various, speakers were heartily cheered. The platform was occupied by many of the delegates attending tho conference of the Reform League, as well as members of the Ministry. The Prime Minister (Hon. W. P. Massey), on taking his seat, was receivedwith a loud and prolonged burst of applause and cheering. Mr (J. 13. Alorieon presided over the gathering. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. Tho chairman said tho occasion of the meeting was to enable tho jiublic to tender their congratulations to the Ministry. Tho conference which had been sitting in Wellington would mark the commencement of a new era in New Zealand. Tho Reform party had com© to stay. (Applause.) Mr Massey had departed from tho old habit of political commissioners by appointing the Hon. Mr Mackenzie as High Commissioner. (Applause.) “I feel sure that that sounds the death knell of a system that has done much to undermine tho national life of this Dominion,” ho added. No longer would a man in this colony be afraid to speak his mind. The present Ministry had come to office after twenty years of reckless and dissolute administration. When the Liberal Government took office in 1891 tho cost of construction of 1812 miles of railways was £7751 per mile. In the next fourteen years there was an increase of 532 miles, constructed at a cost of .£13,952 per mile. In the next four years to 1909 a further 308 miles were opened and tho cost was £19,678 per mile. Though there might have been a little extra difficulty in construction through rough country, ithere was nothing to justify such a jump ■from seven to twenty thousand pounds ;por mile. No wonder the railways did iiot pay, because they had net been constructed in a proper businesslike, manner. It had never been his privilege to be associated with a body of men who had so impressed him os those forming the conference. They were men of backbone, and there were no political adventurers. Most of tho men represented the farming interest, which was tho most important in the Dominion. (Applause.) MINISTER OF FINANCE.

The Hon. James Allen (Minister of Finance), who was received with hearty applause, thanked them for the cordial reception. He endorsed what the chairman had said that the Reform party was out to give full freedom of speech. (Applause.) He had been impressed with the type of men forming the conference; and if the destinies of New Zealand were to be committed to safe hands, then the men and women round him had those safe hands. Ho knew the worth and value of Mr Massey, and if they valued proper legislation and administration, they wore quite safe in the hands of Mr Massey. (Applause.) Enthusiasm drove the world along and kept them in the right path. With the help of the Reform party they would make an earnest endeavour to put the finances in order; to make the people happy and contented find free; and to value home lives and all that was good in the people. Not only enthusiasm, but organisation was wanted, and they asked their bearers to recognise the value of organisation to carry these right pviucinles Into effect. "Value your organisation; value your country and bring about the realisation of the hones of all good people to bring about happiness and contentment in the life of the people of Now Zealand.” (Loud applause.) HON. MR HEREIES. The Hon. W. H. Harries (Minister of Railways) said it was something to be able to address a meeting like this in Wellington, when they remembered that fifteen years ago they could only have (half filled that hall. They needed something like congratulations when they recollected the vast task they had before itbem to put the finances of the country in order and to rectify the mistakes of ,the {fast. He thought the position of a (Reform Minister was not to be envied at this stage, especially the Minister of .Railways, who was the unfortunate target for everybody. The general impression now was that the other side had .been wiped out —they might almost be compared to the flashlight of the assemblage just witnessed —puffed out. (Laughter.) That reflected the fate of the Liberal party. They must, however, remember that adversity taught them some big .lessons, and he urged them all to-organise lin view of events to come. Ho acknowledged the grand work done by the Reform stalwarts of the past, but for whose work they might not have been in the (position which they occupied that day. (Applause.) MEMBER FOR SUBURBS. Mr W. H. D Bell, who was characterised by the chairman as a very promising political child, recalled the meeting just before the last general election, similar to the present. When he stood then he felt that the younger men should come out and assist in a movement they all approved. Both parties then professed much the same thing in legislation and administration, but he was convinced that the professions of the Massey party were more likely to he carried out than the Ward professions. He was not in the Ministry, and could not state the Government policy. Ho came out because he believed that Government would not ho reactionary. There were those who said that as soon as Mr Massey was placed in power the interests of the small former would bo neglected. He believed Mr Massey when be said that the prime need of the country was "more land settlement;, more land settlement and still more land settlement,” and the morrow would show whether he was right or wrong. Ho believed Mr Massey was right when he said he would not repeal the old age He knew these things were right, and it was not a reactionary party. There were thousands in this country who would support the Massey Government. (Applause.) PRESENTATION TO ME FISHER. At this stage of the proceedings Mr U. Skinner, on behalf of the Hon. F. M*. B. Fisher’s election committee, presented the Minister for Customs with an illuminated address, in which the hope was expressed that Mr Fisher might long be spared to play on important part in the affairs of the Dominion. The speaker referred to the strong men Mr Fisher had beaten for Wellington Central in the past, and they were gratified at the fact that Mr Fisher was the first Wellington-born candidate to occupy a seat in the Ministry- _ Tho Hon. Mr Fisher, in conveying his sincere thanks, said ho would be unworthy of the position he occupied that night, and his very existence upon earth, if he was ever false to the trust tho people had reposed in him. Ho recalled that in 1905. when he first stood for Parliament, he found it difficult to get an election committee, only five turning up to his first meeting. He had the honour to occupy now exactly the same portfolio hlbot his father held* twenty-1

GOVERNMENT PARTY’S TRIUR/IPH. CELEBRATIONS OF VICTORY. VIGOROUS SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER. MANY REFORMS PROMISED.

three years ago. (Applause.) Any man who was going to succeed in public life if he was a man of strong character had to run tho gauntlet of unpopularity. He had never flinched from doing his duty and had had his reward from his constituents. They asked that the Administration be watched closely and kept to their promises, and he felt certain that if the people did that they would keep them in office for many years to come. To-day tho tout was in terror, the spy was not happy. The civil service knew that tile Administration was not going to encourage the lick-epittler and crawler, and that merit and service was going to be the fair test. (Applause.) HON. W. F. MASSEY. THE GOVERNMENT POLICY. The Prime Minister, who was greeted by a display of great enthusiasm, with the audience heartily singing, “For he’s a .folly Good Fellow,” said ho wished to thank them very sincerely for the cordial and enthusiastic reception accorded to Mm. It' was a great reception, but it was just such a reception the Reform party might have exjieeted from tho citizens of Wellington. (Applause.) He could not forget that when for many years they sat in tho cold shades of Opposition the citizens of Wellington, speaking generally, were loyal to the party represented on the platform that night, and if the}' were loyal in times of adversity he was sure they would be no less loyal now that tho party had got on to the Treasury benches. (Applause.) Ho wished in particular to oxEress his appreciation of tho work done y the great conference which had sat in Wellington during tho last few days. Ho thought, with tho chairman, that it was without exception the most important political gathering ever held in the Dominion, and it was a strong indication, to him at all events, that the people of, this country had made up their minds' to have the public business both well and satisfactorily conducted. He appreciated the fact that delegates had come to that conference from the Bay of Islands to tho Bluff, and he also appreciated this fact—and he wanted to particularly call their attention to it because it would become historical—that for the first time the native race sent their representatives to arrange with the European delegates present good measures for the better government of tho country. Ho considered: that the results of that conference would he exceedingly valuable to this country and valuable to the government of tho country, because it would help them to get back to democracy and democratic methods, for the Reform party believed that the country should bo governed for the people, by the people, and in the interests of the people. (Applause.) There, in three sentences, was the policy of the party which at present occupied the Treasury benches. They did not expect to avoid criticism. They expected it and invited it. and no one in this country would ever be punished for adverse criticism of tho present -Government. They did not expect to please everybody; they did not expect that their actions would meet with universal approval, but they hoped that they would meet with general approval. They did not expect to please the members of his Majesty’s Opposition even though they continued to exist as an official Opposition. They did not expect to please the. newspaper’s supporting the present op-| position, but they did expect to please 1 themselves, because they had made up their minds to follow a straight-forward course in tho interests of the country, iand they would leave the rest to the I electorate. (Applause.) He was glad to |be able to say—and he spoke with somel knowledge of the fact—that personally ithe Ministry had met with approval from one end of New Zealand to tho other, and he desired to say this, that they had |a Ministry in office at the present moment everyone of whom was able to conifrol and administer his department, and 'able to defend his department either on the platform or on the floor of the House. Taking the Ministry as a whole, they had made up their minds to do their very best for the great country whoso public affairs they had been called upon to manage. There was one point to which his attention had been called by Mr Fisher, that of the nine members of the present Government five were na-tive-born New Zealanders. (Applause.) Seven, including the five mentioned, were colonial horn. The only two members of the Ministry who wore born in tho land they called “Home” were the Minister of Railways and himself (Mr Massey). And he thought he could say that both of them if not New Zealanders by birth were New Zealanders in every other sense of the word. Their interests were here; their sympathies were here, and they wore here to stay. (Applause.) He thought it might not be necessary to mention the financial position of the country, because he believed that when their policy was laid before tho people of New Zealand by the Minister of Finance it would bo found to be so satisfactory, so liberal, so progressive, bo democratic that members all around the House would feel it their duty to join the Government in giving legislative effect to it. (Applause.)

"I do not know,’ ’continued Mr Massey, “what is possible in party government. If there is one way to abolish party government it is the way I am suggesting now. When you have a good Government and good policy, all you have to do is to support them. Wo propose to lay our policy before the people tomorrow night. I do not suggest for one moment that we can give legislative effect to the whole of the proposals in one session. It may take more than one Parliament, but the policy will bo adhered to. We have put our hands to the plough, and there will be no looking back. Wo shall ask Parliament to give effect to every principle for which we have contended in. years gone by. We propose to provide dor financial reform. We propose to provide for reform of the Legislative Council. (Applause.) We propose to provide for reform of the public service; for land reform such as will satisfy the pioneers fighting our battles away out in the backblocks, and which will be good for the country. (Applause.) We propose to provide a much needed reform of legislative methods by which the business of the country has been conducted by Parliament." There were many other reforms which he could not think of at the moment. While they were anxious to see that the people of this country got fair and good value for the money belonging to them—whether such money was provided by taxation or loan—there would be economy, but there would be no parsimony or cheese-paring. No man doing his duty to the State would ho worse off, while a great many would be better off. (Applause.) A voice: Don't forget this side of the House. William. (Laughter.) Mr Massey: I regret exceedingly, Mr Chairman, that I find it necessary to turn my back on so many of my friends, but there is one thing—that even my enemies have never been able to say that I have turned my back on my opponents. (Applause.) I think you will

undcr-tand how busy we have been during tho few weeks since we were called upon to take office. We had to overtake arears of work and had to do a great deal of work which very few outside Parliament buildings can think of.” The most important duty was preparation of tho Financial Statement, which would soon bo submitted to them, and he believed it would be tho most important Statement submitted to this country during the last twenty years. It was a Statement which was intended to give confidence, and would give confidence to people both inside and outside this country. In saying this, he did not want to reflect upon preceding Administrations, because a sportsman should take defeat or victory with equanimity. In the case of defeat there should be no whining, and in tho case of victory there should be no unnecessary jubilation. “We cannot shut our eyes to the fact that the credit of this country—good as tho country is—is not what it ought to be,” said Mr Massey, "and that is proved by the reception accorded to the last two loans placed on the London market. What happened in London was not the fault of the country. We have a good country, a good soil, a good climate. magnificent harbours, plenty of rainfall. (Laughter.) Well, you know, you can’t do without copious rainfall. How glad some people of Australia would be to°have tho rainfall of Wellington in winter months! From every point of view you have a good country. You have an industrious. energetic and enterprising population. It will be tho duty of the present Government to take such measures as will restore our credit till it stands equal to that of Canada and second only to* Britain itself. The way to restore our credit is to go in for a policy of energetic development of the country, and there is plenty of room, for such a policy. Lot us do everything wo can to develop our resources; permit land settlement and increase the number of our producers. 1 believe this is tho way to induce prosperity and to restore our credit. We must not forget to encourage the inflow of capital from outside, and we can aid this by giving outside investors to understand that their money is safe, and will be used for good purpose. (Applause.) . .... There was, concluded tho Prime Minister, one otner point; in some respects the most important point of all. The present Government intended to join with the Governments of other nations of the Empire to do everything it could to strengthen the Imperial organisation. (Applause.) Whatever the Government believed to be its duty in connection with Imperial matters it would do. There had been no hanging hack so tar as Imperial matters were concerned, and the present Government would ask the people to do their duty in the first instance to the Imperial Navy and then to tho land defences. The time would come when the Empire would call representatives of the younger nations to its councils. That time may not have arrived, but there was one point of which they ought to feel particularly proud, and it was this: That there was no more loyal part of tho Empire than the Dominion of New Zealand. (Applause.) lu conclusion, a good democratic principle was “Trust the people.” The Government of this country was going to trust the people, and they in turn asked the people to trust tho Government. (Loud and continued applause.) THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE.

The Hon. A. L. Hcrdman, who was enthusiastically- received, said that when he last had tho honour of audressing an audience in the Town Hall he was merely a candidate for their suffrages. Since then times had changed, and Mr Massey had done him tho honour of conferring Ministerial distinction. That he regarded as a distinction for Wellington, too. He represented a capital constituency in the capital city. (Hear, hear.) That was an evening for rejoicing, and none of them would forget the magnificent reception given to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Customs. (Applause.) It was also a time for serious thought; whilst thrusts had been made and they had emerged conquerors they were fully alive to their responsibilities. The men composing the present Administration ware men serious about their duty, and regarded their position as one of great trust and responsibility. What, ho asked, was the prevailing feeling throughout New Zealand? It was! a feeling of joy and gladness. Tho people rejoiced because they believed that in the future, instead of having a Government that had been vacillating, they would have a Government that w r as strong-hacked. In his belief there never was a time when the difficulties of public administration were greater than they were to-day. He instanced the huge industrial convulsions in the Old Country and the titanic struggles in naval shipbuilding between Germany and England, and referred to the rise of Japan, out of barbarism. These great questions interested New Zealand, and tho men governing this Dominion had greater responsibilities in this regard than Governments of years ago. , He hoped that in the position he occupied he would be able to do good for the constituency he was proud to represent, and that he might bo of some good and advantage to the national life of this country. DR NEWMAN. Dr Newman proposed: That this meeting has confidence in this Government, and that it is glad to have confidence in tho Hon. the Prime Minister and the Government he is establishing. The mover said it was very interesting} to have so many promises, but it reminded him of tho old saying, “Courtship is bliss and marriage is sometimes a blister.” (Laughter.) It was very nice to liave joy meetings, but there was a serious side to the question, and that was for the members of tho Reform party to govern this country wisely and well. 1 He believed the Ministry was trying honestly and well to do its duty. (Applause.) The motion was carried amidst loud cheering. Tho Prime Minister, on behalf of his colleagues and himself, thanked the audience. They believed in democratic principles, and were prepared to stand or fall by these democratic principles. In proposing a vote of thanks to the chairman, Mr Massey said that 1 Mr Morison had been a good friend to' the party outside Parliament, and he hoped that in tho not far distant future Mr Morison would be found a good friend to the party inside Parliament. (Cheers.)