A REFORM RALLY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12686, 13 February 1912, Page 3

A REFORM RALLY.

MORE ABOUT BORROWING. (Per Press Association.) FEILDING, last night. At the Reform rally here to-night the Drill Hall was packed, there being present Messrs Massey, Hemes, Lang. Bradney, Dickson, Harris, Mander, Dr. Pomare, Wilson, Buick, Guthrie, Fish er, Pearce, Bell, and Anderson, M.s'P. The meeting was presided over by Mr A. Richmond, acting-Mayor, and wat most enthusiastic. Mr Fisher was the first speaker, and said the Reform party was m a precarious position at present, but if one or two members came to thei; support the reformers would be m office. Borrowed money was necessary, but it should be spent m the interests of the whole country, and be interest-bearing, j Dr Pomare announced himself as a reformer of native land, but said he would not be "Taihoa" with reforms. The ultimate end of the Maori was absorp- 1 tion. Maori and European should be put on one footing now regarding land. Mr Massey said, m spite of the fact that the Government had control of the public works, and used them for political purposes, they went back from the election m a minority. The Government had outlived its usefulness, and the returned members were going to keep their pledges to the people, and the Government would go out and be replaced by one more liberal, stronger, and more democratic. If the Reform party could not form a Government, a dissolution would be necessai'y, but he did not want dissolution, neither did the members nor the people. When the House met tlie Government would make a last appeal for support, and would offer anything to retain control of the Treasury benches. The reformers were not allied with rich landlords, but they believed m making every man his own landlord. The country had done enough for land settlement, and the Government should distinguish between the' man who used his land and the man who held it for speculative purposes. Other speakers were Messrs Herries, Bradney, Dickson, Harris, Mander, Buick, Peai-ce, Bell, and Anderson. The meeting closed with the greatest enthusiasm. ■