MR MASSEY AND MR FOWLDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2985, 31 May 1911, Page 4

MR MASSEY AND MR FOWLDS.

ANOTHER REJOINDER. (Fhom Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, May 24. "I have just a few words to say in reply to the latest outpourings of the Hon. G.. Fowlds," said Mr Massey to a press representative to-day, referring to a statement of the Minister for Education published in the New Zealand Times. "He takes out four lines of my 6peech on tho Financial Statement, and repeats them without the context, so giving my opinion a twist which was never intended by me. This form of misrepresentation is unfortunately customary with Ministers, and it is a species of politics that one would imagine would not be indulged in by any fair-minded politician." "Mr Fowlds repeats what he said at Pukekohe in regard to his single tax proposals, and he goes on to say that such proposals would give a large reduction in the taxation which the small settlers of New Zealand at present are paying. With his usual want of candour, the single tax member of the Ministry omits to tell the people whom he addressed that, whilst there might me a slight reduction in the amount of the taxation to be paid by the small settler, the capital value of his land -would go in. Men who have given their lives to providing a home for themselves and their families will appreciate this point, and that is what is meant by single tax—viz., the selling value of the land is intended to be appropriated by the State. So far I have been interested to notice that there has been no disavowal of Mr Fowlds's single tax policy from any of his colleagues, and we may take it that the Government has at last found a policy." "There is just one other point worth noticing, and I may say that in the future I propose to deal with Mr Fowlds only on the platform. He refers to my vote on the Advances to Settlers' Bill of '94. Again he has forgotten to tell the public that I have supported every advances to settlers bill since that date, but at that time I was absolutely pledged on the platform at the previous election to oppose everything in the way of borrowing. That -pledge I have kept, and have been rewarded fox keeping my pledges ever since by being returned to Parliament to fight the cause to which I have given my services. The pledge I gave (it is taken from a circular addressed to the electors at that time) was as follows : 'I am opposed to any increase of the public debt, and think the time has arrived when our expenditure should be kept within our income.' That," said Mr Massey, " was my platform, and I adhered to it during the term of that Parliament. I may say by way of explanation that at that time I advocated making post office savings bank funds available for the purpose of loans to settlers, as I thought then, and think so still, that it would be very much better in invest the savings of the people with those on the land of our own country. But what has Mr Fowlds got to say ? This : In 1906 I moved the following clause, ' That a loan is required for the erection of buildings on urban" and suburban land which is not subject to any encumberanee, and the cost of the erection (not exceeding £4OO on the whole and not exceeding four times the value of the land) may, in the discretion of the board, be advanced in instalments as the work of erection proceeds,' when I proposed that Mr Fowlds voted against it. I know, of course, that the Government brought down a similar proposal, which is now the Advances to Workers' Act, but there is no getting from the fact I have mentioned, that when it was moved by myself Mr Fowlds went into the lobby against it. " I have thought it necessary to straighten up the two or three points I have referred to, but I am quite convinced that the public of the country beginning to realise that in the policy of the present Government self-interest, the interest of individuals and of party, comes first every time. Very little consideration is given to the interest of the country. " So far as our political campaign is concerned I have already addressed 29 meetings in different parts of the Dominion. I have been enthusiastically received in every part I have visited. I have fully another dozen meetings to address before the House meet.i. I am quite satisfied that more interest will be taken in the coming elections than has been the case for many years, and if it were not for the wholesale bribery that is going on—the attempt that is being made to bribe people with their own money—it would be very easy to predict the result. I am glad to be able to say that I have come across many instances where both local bodies and* private individuals have refused to sell their political- principles for the prospect of public expenditure. lam no prophet or the son of a prophet, but I will simply say that I am confident the Government is going to lose a number of seats at the coming election. I believe, speaking generally, the electors will vote for men of sound political principles, and men who are prepared to stand by their principles rather than support those whose only policy is to retain the position they at present occupy."