SPEECH BY THE PREMIER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 82, 26 March 1908, Page 2

SPEECH BY THE PREMIER.

KEI'LY TO MR. MASSEY. THE COLONY'S POSITION. I'er Press Association. I Auckland, Last Nignt. The Prime Minister, in a speech at Onehunga to-night, replied exhaustively | to Mr. Massev's Hamilton speech, and to recent liimncial criticism in Wellington, lie declared that the country was never iu a more prosperous condition, and dealt at length with iiuunci.il mattors to show that the loans maturing had been properly met and that the public debt per head was outweighed by the public assets per head. He went ou to speak of the Land Hill, showing that flic Government had not attempted auy nationalisation of land, but had endeavored j in every respect to promote close settlement. He denied that the Government had ever opposed advances to Settlers and workers.

licforriug to arbitration, he would not at that juncture refer to the Blackball strike, except to say he deeply regretted the sirike hid occurred, and no man was a well-wisher of the miners who advised them to take the course they had taken, lie »as opposed to imprisonment, and recognised that an amendment in the law in this direction was necessary. Parliament must consider schemes to remove anything like a (lend level from the Court awards, so that an individual working harder or more scientifically than his fellows should receive Lhe benefit of his labors-

He denied that socialism of the Government was revolutionary in any sense of the term. It was a socialism jthat had done more for small farmers than any legislation previously. The Government determinedly opposed that revolutionary socialism which destroyed individual effort. Referring to the cabbage-garden policy, he suid the people of the country were strongly opposed to the growing up ill New Zealand of a Chinese population, aud to the footing they had already obtained. The Government would do all in its power to prevent the continuance of Chinese iu branches of industry which brought them in direct conflict as competitors with Europeans. No jeering from anyone would deter the Government from the course it was pursuing in this respect. He denied that the Government in the tarill had injured either mining or agricultural industries. On the contra'iv, both mining and agriculture had been helped in numerous directions. No suggestion of coalition cune from him, nor had it come to him from the Leader of the Opposition, as the line of party demarcation was clearlv defined. The project need not he. seriously discussed.

In conclusion, ho claimed that the Government had recognised its responsibility to tile full, and the same principles of progress, and prosperity that had guided the party in the past' would guide it in future. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried with cheers.