WHERE WAS THE GOVERNMENT POLICY?

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 17

WHERE WAS THE GOVERNMENT POLICY?

Had they got one? If they had got a. pclicy. he challenged them to trot it out and let the people judge between the policies of the two parties. He could with ease add another half-dozen planks to those ihe had mentioned of the Opposition platform, bvit it was probably not necessary, and probably he should do so before the election. Moreover, it was not quite fair io expect a practitioner to prescribe before lie was called in ; and practically that was •what be w?e being asked to do, but (to

follow out the simile) he was quite satisfied and confident that the public of this country was heartily sick and tired of what might be called the pills and patent medicine policy of the Government, and longed for a return to a far more wholesome time. — (Applause.) In his Auckland speech the Premier told his audience he was going to extend the boundaries of the colony, or at least was going to ask Parliament to do so. He (Mr Massey) thought they had had quite enough of that sort of thing, and had quite enough to do to develop the resources of their own country without attending to the South Sea Islands. He believed the Premier had got his eye on Tonga,, but he (the speaker) had not forgotten what happened a few years ago when they extended their boundaries and annexed the Cook Islands, or how one morning after passing a bill in favour of that annexation the members of the House stood up and sang the National Anthem. He (Mr Massey) was not there. They were told of the good thing the annexation of these islands was going to be for New Zealand — a market for the colony's produce, while the colony would be a market for the fruit to be imported from them ; but certainly things had in this respect not turned out as expected. They would remember how the Premier went down in his yacht the Tutanekai to take possession of his newly-acquired dominions, and he remembered that the following session there was grumbling at the expense of the trip, but at the actual expense it was impossible- to arrive owing to the item " maintenance of th© Tutanekai" ;' and the. Premier said if they would only keep quiet they could get the ship and all go down and have a jolly good time on the islands. One of the difficulties in connection with the islands was that revenue did not balance expenditure, and every year they had to vote £3000 or £4000 and eend it down to the islands to make accounts meet. Perhaps the most extraordinary thing in connection with, the islands was the placing on the Statute Book of a repeal clause in connection with the special act for the government of the Cook Islands, and when the act repealed itself, as it -did, it was actually six weeks before another act was passed providing for the government of these islands. Pi'obably the people of the Cook Islands knew nothing about it ; but it showed that where- there were no votps to be gained such matters received little consideration at the hands of the Government. The speaker then came- to