MR. W. F. MASSEY M.P.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15272, 12 October 1911, Page 5

MR. W. F. MASSEY M.P.

LEIDKR OF 'illI! omiSITKIX. a max ok Tin-: people. JIT " DEMOCItAT." With the hour comes the man! In all the groat crisis tlwt have Ivon recorded front ii.iie to lime in the history of (ice people.', leaders have arisen to pilot the liar<pie of Statu into safe water.*. In political as in oilier alTairs. dangerous periods .rrc tored ui>on, when the lHierties o( the ]>-i|)lc nro imperilled through the insidious attacks made upon freedom of the right- of public meeting. and upon that "watchdog of the people Ihe press, and it tommies i-c«*-ary lor the democracy to aaert it.-i right: l . add to iisist the sweeping away of abuses, Mid the Intrixlflction of iimeii needed ami Jons delayed leforms, One suelt crisis is ti;tt» the people of New Zealand to-day. A Uunxiucfaiio Government is in office., wedded to tho political patronage idea, filling one chamber of the General Assembly with its nominees ami rewarding its political supporters with Government appointments, (lispending the public moneys like po much largess amongst the electorates favouring its Ripjiortors ami exploiting tho country on tlio "spoils to the victors" principle; denying the people, under the notorious Criminal Code Act Amendment of 19C5, the right of froo speech in public meeting; pagitir.ir the press with the infamous clause--7 of the Law of l.iliel Amendment Act of! 1910; increasing the cost of government at th« rate of £450.000 |x>r annum, and plite- j ing ruklitienal taxation burdens upon the country, in order that more money may lie available for tho bribes it holds out to the yoople, tho taxation of tho last 12 months (according to one of its supporters, Mr A. M. Myeis l . representing an advance of £1 Is 7<l per head of the imputation—i.e., from £4 6* 10d in 1909-10 to £5 &7d in 1910-11. And. despite tlio claim of certain of its supporters l.lmt the continuous Liberal Administration, has merely entered upon its majoritv, the fact remains that, politically, it is in the sere and yellow leaf, decrepit. and tottorinp to its fall— a prey to its own extravagant, follies and to its weakness ami fh'irtIt has long since censed cJleetively to represent, tlio people; lustful of power, if has hedged itself round and about. with almost .sovereign prerogatives, usurping the richts of Parliament, of the local governing bodies and the people alike. Satiated with long enjoyment of , the "sweets" of office, the otic object of its existence seems to he to perpetuate the life given to it toy the people, whom it alternately threatens and cajoles. It introduces laws in the most, slipshod fashion, not. even troubling to ascertain if one law conflicts with another, aiid coiifoqtiontly compels t.hfl Hoiiso to sitend half il<. time revising the faulty lepslation which has been forced upon tho country and the people with little or no consideration for either. This is shown br thi fact that- during the first five sessions controlled toy the Ward Administration more than half of the public acts introduced by the Government were amendments of former nets passed toy the continuous Administration, two. three, and even more bills being needed before the tancled skein could bo unravelled, and in some instances the law is .still very faulty. Thr Administration is virtuous only in the indignation with which it regards criticism directed against its financial methods or modes of administration, and it is beenrtiiiKr moTf and more conscious of Use fact that it. is steadily alienating the sympathy of tho workers, and that it is viewed with feelings of growing distrust toy the people, who are awakening to a sense of the true position of affairs. They realise that they have reached a crisis in these affairs thai calls for careful pilotage, and tho presence at the helm of Plato of a strong man—a man of eouranf. capacity, and resource; a mart of high ideas. and of unimnoacliabie character.—and they are already asking themselves where such a man is to be found. Tha eiisis fnds the strong man ready and Waiting to step into his rightful place in the counsels of cur young nation. Mis ninny years' faithful sciviee in the higher interests of tile people of this country deserve. and should receive, recognition in the cordial confidence of Iho electors. Not that William l'erjti>o:i Massev is lookintr for reward, or that the s»rtic«s he has freely rendered to the community (vin too measured in mere pounds, shillings, and pence, or toy the emoluments of office. Mr ! M.i.vev never has been a man M-ekmc . /x-l-itical preferment or MinMerial office. , jt is only his |>olitieal opponents, who fear j jiiin, and the people who are not acquainted | with him who speak of the L -ader of the i Opposition ati other than a strong man. Mr Mawey is brumd question the | man of t.ho New- Zealand Parliament today. If has 'been well wiid of him that j " toofort' aiid jilxivo all he is an honest ' man, a steward >vhn will he found faith ful, faithful to Cod and his country e.nd to ]iis fonsrienco: whose word, given oniv after his own calm, unbiassed judgment, is j his boiifi," Mr Massej- l:;w been long j <'tiough Ivfore the public to enable tho>" ; who have taken the trouble to study his j career to Tceogniso the .sterling worth and i int n grity of the man. 11l n very real sense , of the term he has made himself iije sorrant of the public. He is deservedly reKpectctl and honoured toy his constituents, Mid is looked up to by the party he loads .s the most lsai'd-working and self Kicriiicng man in the House. Level-headed, dle.ir brained, quick-witted, always on ] the alert, he is otic of the uio?.t efleciivc. j ipsakeM in tho House, and his voiio and j brains are both used in tiie interests of the ' ]>ooplc at large. It has hem said, with j pericet truth, thai tho toil Lil>?rals in the-: Vlovtse are not to be found ou the j JrovOinnrent benches, but on Mr .Ylat.\>ey s | pic. The Leader'of iho _ Opposition has, tccii described hy* his political op[tot:ent.s 1 is "a Tory -of iho Tories," and it has' boon alleged ngainst, him that, he is a Mip- j Kirtcr and .-wlvocato of the wealthy hind- 1 fcolders 'The oxact contrary is the cas-;', ho«'ovcr. Mr Mns-'oy is far front l>?.intr « i wealthy man, lie has been a hard worker ( nil hi.». days; he is a hard worker still, and i is likely to remain such' until the end of j his career. Ho started life in » very | lrJintole way. toiling knr<l with lis hands | and earning his brciii! literally by the j Rwc.it of his biow. lty sheer energy and ! industry, coitfilwl with a forcv of will that I is infimt'olv to his credit, he caned out his own fortunes, lirst as tin empioyeo, ihon -as an errnloyer, awl, <lus'in« the whole of his career, lie has done nothing cf which he needs to lie ash,'lined, lie roirains as much a wvrker today, and is as nrneh ill smpalhy with the leu-itimafe aspirations of tho woikors. as tho most in- ! dustrioiii; and zealous advocate of the rights 1 of Lalxiur in the ranks of tho unknists I lJie.iiise.lvcs. I|.> recognises I hid i

"fho I'itik is but the guinea stamp, Th.o nian\s ilio for a' thin." | He iri consequently one of liie most literal- I minded men in New /jfidaud. li \wus well j fciid «t Jiiui by Mr i£. \V. Ali«on tln'« nihil* day that "Mr Ak-hsoy io\vor« <;vor tin- ! ordinal*}* MifiisU'j* like a grout j alx.vo the ordinary hack. Ilr quite j to tiiko Ills plilt'l* aiJloti <5 tIM ; Mora df 1110 nation, and if ]io aaumws I the ivrns of oflicr )m» will pa-,« lt%'i.*|ation • that will he ii; tl» Ihs.l uitc.<,-i* of t.hf. . wl»oh of the peopii „f .New Zeal;in:l." To : uh: the word, of a urn j*..- ol M , rvpr „f ] eicnlA. Mo jHilisicinti in ;J,e Dominion I lias ken to ~ or ; cruel sca.ehheht t|,,n Mr Ma.-rv, and vet ! -V, K> >,! »'ds In'.'her i„ ~:iblie ...(w,, I hari he ever did. He ■ through the Han." nf tii „ w| I fanned by a Carroll „ r U -.,„| „ r ;1 I'OWlds. I 111' precious « (t ld (if hi- e.Vinetor shine, more bri-hlly wnh a richer pkrm, yet is calm and M.-uily, Innuendo f.'l.ise ac.iiKrtliiii, mineiJiefeiitation, | i»rkvittire, (Mid defamation has Ikm-B" and st-il) bear-, not indeed with ir.sen-.i-bility. Imt. with a quiet conscious puver nad self-rwtratnl. His warmr-i friend; will not claim thai ho has m;:de no ini--tiike.;—'to err is human,'--or thai he ha, nlways _ seinvl opportunity by j.ho foreloH;; bul his hillvreil opponents nm.-l admit ; lllit lie |i,ns ';i k pl.:iyc(| throiiiilioiit his hi:,'; i ami strenuous <-in-"i- ar, cxivptiowil ami ! splendid *4f-restnjint. I l:o;ie (o live to ! fre Mr Massey* .-''lf.victory itowihv! by I the '■luireuio at>]>rolxitKm and tribute <'f the IJoimnmn."