MR MASSEY'S SPEECH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15101, 25 March 1911, Page 9

MR MASSEY'S SPEECH.

PRESS COMMENT.

(FKOM OUR OWN CoBREsroNDEST.*

CHRISTCHURCH, March 24,

Mr .Massey's 'speech at Kaiapoi last night Wi-s air auspicious opening for a campaign which is beloved will have a, marked eltcct x>n politic;:) opinion in Keith Canterbury/ The Leader of the Opposition was 111 groat form, <13 even his critics admit. In the course of nil hour and ahalf he touched on a number of impaitvnt matters. He spake with groat vigour, and lip held to the finish the close retention oi 11. large audience.

Ihe i-ress. refers to (ho sptcch as one oi the bc-:;t j\lr -Mhr.s ever made on a public platform. ill- Macsey," it ays, "is no stranger to a i\a'apoi' audience, but if there were any amon<* his hoarevs last night who hail not heard him previously they must have icileerl why he holds,the petition of leader of the Opposition, and why he commands so fully tho femlidence cj his p:-rly. , His speech was the s-.peech of a "leader— vigorous, clear, and eonvincin?, showing a iiiio gra:p o! the nrmerotis subjects tcfeircel to. A iigthing ip-.ceh, fuJl'cf l:ard hits, and chared also v.ith the contidcjuc hi coming victory."

The Lyttelton Times, though criticising the matter of the Fpce-.-h more or lcrs mildly, warmly congratulates Mr Massey upon the manner of the .-pcecli. "Tke'o of his audiflnce who remembered his liist appearance on the same platform seven years ago mi:st have tieen inmrtesod by the vast improvement b had undo us a public speaker in the interval. At time,? he rose almost to the height.-, of crater, - , and he never .'ell to the'depths of m/ro tain.. He was concise, sonittim.'s ir> cisive, always lucid, and occasionally ct'leotive, even from the party nyint of view. Taken altogether, his sorrch «•;!? easily the best presentation of tho rave from the Opposition that we have yet has! in Cantorbmy. Such gxd m.-:terinl should not be wasted in a forlorn atlvmnt to out one of the meet popular country members of the present Hoaio c.f RcaraEentatives, The. JiCader of the Opp lotion, to do him justice, does net I rim his party sails to catch every pacsing breeze of public cpinion, and apart from the altered time and altered circumstances, there is no great difference between his political platform of 1911 and hie political platform of ISQ4."