LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION HONOURED.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12724, 21 February 1910, Page 4

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION HONOURED.

THE OPPOSITION HOPEFUL. ( Unitjbu fttEsa Association, j Auckland, Feb. 20. A garden party was tendered to Mr Massey, tne leader of the Opposition, by Ms Franklin constituents at tho Helvetia ostrich farm yesterday, aoout iJOUO people being present. In the course of his speecJi, Mr Massey said »he did not pretend to be a prophet, but he thought the time was not far distant when those at present occupying the political stage, wJio were a set of political acrobats, would be told that their season was at an end. -What.. the country wanted at the present moment was men of high principles, who would study the interests of the Dominion in preference to their own. There was an impression abroad that those in power put their own interests before everything else. A policy of economy was want-, ed; at present they had one of extravagance. One of tho crying needs was the opening up of the- huge areas of land now locked up. Mr F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., said the - 'present 'administration, was not a sincere one. Ministers to-day would be freeholders or leaseholders to-morrow, freetraders or protectionists, Protestants .or lloman patholics, so long as they could remain in office. He believed that in the long run Mr Massey was bound to wiii. Messrs Phillips and Buick, M.P's., and others paid tributes to Mr Massey. .