THE PRIME MINISTER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 245, 19 November 1914, Page 3

THE PRIME MINISTER.

TOUR OF THE SOUTH. [Abridged Press Association Report.] DUNEDIN, November 18. The Right Hon. W. F. Massev addressed a large audience at the South iHinedin Hall to-night, at the conclusion of the maiden, political speech given by Mi- T. Dalton, the Reform candidate for Dunedin South.

After referring to finance, to the great excess of deposits over withdrawals from the Post Office Savings Bank, and to the advances to. settlers and workers, MrMassey referred to the Hun'tly explosion. He said tliat the attempt to make the Government responsible for the disaster was one of the meanest and most contemptible and cowardly and dastardly things" that he knew of. , (Uproar, with cheers and hooting.) Huntly had been in his district for six years. He had been there many times, and had been on good terms with the people. During that time he* had always heard the mine spoken of as one of the safest in New Zealand. There was never a hint of danger hi connection with Ralph's mine, but it was said, by people who wished to make capital out of the disaster, and to shoot at the Government from the shoulders of dead men, that it the Bill which was introduced in 191 2 had been passed into law, the disaster would not have occurred. This was wrong. When it came up in the House, the man who knew probably more about mines than any other man on the other side of the House—that man was the Hon. Roderick McKenzie —said, when the suggestion was made that it was absolute nonsense. If the Bill had been passed, Mr MeKenzie said, the accident would have occurred 311st the same. (Applause and dissent.) An independent Commission had been set up, with a District Magistrate for chairman, and it was acknowledged £0 be a good Commission. The Commission brought in a very lengthy report, and there was not a single suggestion in the report laid before 'Parliament that the Government or the Department was in any way to blame, lhe old Act relating to the matter provided that where, i u the opinion ot the inspector, the mine or any part of it was found to be exceptionally dangerous, he might require the owner or agent to withdraw men from the mine, except such as were necessary to put the mine in safe condition, and mining operations should not be renewed till it was safe. The Government were going to sift this matter to the very bottom. (Interruption.) It would be thoroughly sifted in the Supremo Court. They would hear of steps being taken within the next day or two, and the blame would be placed, on the right slioulders. According to the evidence at the enquiry the accident was caused through a man going into the old workings where there was gas with a naked light, and this exploded the coal gas right through the mine. (Loud cheers from people out on the footpath, who evidently were holding some kind of meeting of their own.) That was the history of the accident. He did not mean to say that there was no negligence, that no one was to blame, but those were the facts. He would just liko to say this, in conclusion, the man who would suggest that the Government of the country were responsible for the Huntly accident was not fit to associate with decent men, much less—(Uproar.) There were no half measures about him, continued Mr Massey. They got the truth when he spoke. (Uproar.) So long as he was Minister of the Crown, and that was likely to be for a long while— The rest of the Prime Minister's words were lost to the audience, and a section of the crowd counted him put, while another section responded with three cheers.

OAMARU, November 19. The Prime Minister had a hearty reception from the local members of the Reform Party, and will take luncheon at the A. and P. Show to-day. He will speak" at Kurow to-night.