OPPOSITION V. GOVERNMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14446, 12 February 1909, Page 5

OPPOSITION V. GOVERNMENT

GOVERNMENT POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION. CRITICISM BY MP. MASSEY. (From Our. Own Correspondf.kt,) WELLINGTON, February 11. Mr W. F. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, went to Palmeiston North from Wellington this morning, In order to attend the first of a series of complimentary gatherings on the West Coast to successtul Opposition candidates at the recent general election.

In an inkrvie'.v in (ho train with a repreMutative of the Dominion, the leader ot the Opposition made mi interesting statement in regard to the Government policy and 'lie political situation. "From a farmers' point of view," said Mr Massey, "the season in the north has been a fairly "ood one. Dairy formers particularly" have reason to be satisfied, Tlitre has been ail abundance of feed, ai:d alter tho refit which tho land received by the drought of last year the growth both of grass and crops has in many places been abnormal. Unlovttmately, ihp prices of cereals are likely to be lower than they have been for some years past, This is on account of tlw oxccptionaily good crops in Canterbury and Utago, and tno larger area which has been cultivated. On the whole, I think that- the reason will be a .satisfactory one tor the agricultural community.

STRINGENCY OF THE MONEY MARKET.

Settlers in many places complain of the stringency of the money market, and the increased rate of interest which is now being charged for borrowed capital. This is a matter which 1 have no doubt time will remedy, although 1 am sorry to have to say that I see no immediate prospects of any great improvement in the near futuie. i do not think it will be possible for the Government to raise much money ill the country by way of loan just, at present, nor J u 1 think it should do so. 1 see that- it lias been placing loans in .Australia and in London, and at what seems to me a higher J'aU ot interest than the Dominion should be called upon to pay. That, however, is a matter which I have no doubt will be discussed exhaustively when Parliament meets.

_ THE TREASURER'S ESTIMATE. "I noticed the other day liiat the Treasurer said he expected to have a surplus of somewhere about £140,000 at the end of the financial year. Even if that is the wise—and we 'aro al) anxious to have the balance on the right side—it Means that there will he loss by at least £600,000 to transfer from the Consolidated Eund to tho Public Worka fund than was tho case last The consequence will be that there*will be so much more to borrow, or so much less to spend on public works, I do not think 1 am at all pessimistic, but it seems to me that the outlook requires tho, utmost caution on the part of the people who have the control of our finances, THE RAILWAYS. "Recent events liavo confirmed me in ihe opinion which 1 havo expressed on previous occasions-namcly, that under the existing circumstances there is far too much interference in connection with the management, of our railways, and something will have to be done in tlio near luturc to place the heads of the Railway Department in a more independent position than they are now in. Jam quite satislied that with proper up-to-date management the railways of tlio Dominion will pay their way—that is to say, will pay interest on the whole of the. capital invested, and oven th.en give more facilities to the public 11 tan are provided now; but if that is to be tho ease they must ho managed on purely busniess and commercial and without ,'uiy regard for party or political interests. TROUULE WITH THE MINERS.

" As to the rc-cont mining trouble," paid Mi' i\l;ts?oy, "what hi? been done is only a temporary ;oiut;ion of tJic difficulty, and not hy «:iy means a satisfactory ono at that. The act of List year will, of course, have to come up for amendment when Parliament meets. After reading and hearing the upinions o[ medical and legal experts on the subjects dealt with, .•am very strongly of opinion that, fliouwh lliero has been a .tremendous fuss, the section of the act of 1903 dealing with miners'complaint is of very little value, and would not stand the !o.?l in » com of law. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE GLS130P.NE LEASES. "\es," said Mr Massey, "I have noticed that' Sir Joseph Ward in his capacity as Minister of Lands has backed down on tho question gi the- Gisborno

oases. This subject, was discussed in Parliament on several occasions last, session, ?' len oppressed Ihe opinion that favouritism was being shown to a very prominent Government supporter at Gisborne, whose lease was being renewed. At. the same time other men who were as nearly as possible in a. parrallel position to the man referred to, but who were not Government supporters, were notified that their runs were required for subdivision. All is well thai, end well, but the action of the Minister in renewing the wholo of the leases is an admission that we were right, and that the Government was wrong in the position which it had taken up prior to the portfolio of Lands being taken over bv Sir Joseph Ward.

UNSATISFACTORY STATE OF OUR LAND LAWSS. " Speaking on the land question generally, I have not the slightest idea what Hip intent-ions of the Government are with regard to the matter, but I do know that the settlers generally are not satisfied with somo of tho more important alteralions made by the act of 1907. For instance. settlers will not lake up land HlulrMlio renewable lease if they can get it n -ier any other form of tenure which giv- ih?m a hope of the freehold, and what. 1 am saying now applies both to land purchased under the Land for Settlemoots Act ami to ordinary Crown lands. 1 beneve that as time goes on and (lis land which has not been set apaj-f. under the pretext of endowments becomes occnpuul there will be a very strong demand for the optional system lieing extended tcr those lands where the onlv tenure now it the renewable lease. I 'know lint tilt changes which were made in 1907 have had the effect of pradicallv locking large areas of really good' land in' ths northern districts. 1 consider that as th® prosperity of the Dominion depends upon successful land settlement a very stupid mistake was made by altering the tenure in the way provided bv the recent V.aml Act, and the sooner Parliament and the Government recognise that fact and set about putting the matier the better it will be for all concerned."

TIIE GOVERNMENT AND THE FARMERS. Dealing will the question of the possibility of the Prime Minister retaining the portfolio of Lands and Agriculture™ tile Leader of the Opposition scid " T m;tv point to this fact, that there is onlv one farmer in the Ministry. I refer lo Mr Buodo. and, speaking from memory, I. think ho has always voted on the lease-* hold side of the land question. I suppose that the Prime Minister consider!) that it would not be wise {<> entrust, liinr, with the administration of the Lands Department just at present. PRACTICAL MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE WANTED. "So lar as the Department of Aorieulturo is concerned 1 mn ijuite s-atislied that with a good, practical man as its Ministerial head many thousands of pounds might be saved to the country and much more benefits be conferred upon the farmers and settlors than is the c;-.gc at present, but there is no such man in the Ministry available. NEXT SESSION. " Next session should be a very interesting one, and 1 think it will be move than usually important, as there are several tjueslions of magnitude which must coins up for. settlement. Not the least important, 1 thin!;, will be the probable scarcity of employment during tlie winter months, owing to the shortage of money as compared with a year or two alio. As a party," concluded Mr Mussey. I may say that the Opposition lias no do?ire or intention to harass the Government in connection with anything that might be for the good of the country, but you may be quite sure that we shall look after it carefully and endeavour to keep it up to the mark."