POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 289, 9 May 1914, Page 15

POLITICAL.

EX-MINISTER TAKES OFF THE GLOVES.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Gishorne, Yesterday. Mr. W. D. S. Mac Donald addressed hi* constituents at Pakaraka last evening, wheq, despite his recent accident, he spoke for two hours vigorously and trenchantly criticised the Government. He received a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence. '

in tile course of his speech Mr. MacDonald said the Government had been in power only a few months yet spoke derisively of those who had built up the country for years past. The Liberals, for tliis reason, would tight the coming election from the North Cape to the Jilull'. He challenged Mr. Massey to prove his statement about giving 20,000 people the right to acquire the freehold. He twitted the Government with having a leaseholder in the Cabinet. If Mr. .Massey remained in power till the crack of duom lie could not possibly nut as many people on the land as the Liberals had during the past 21 years. He made extended reference to Native affairs and charged the Government .with leaving the door wide open so that the West Coast Native reserve stliou.i be fi'ciiei'. from the Taranaki Natives. He did not believe the country would agree to the lust remnant of Native.land being taken away and the Natives allowed to remain paupers or placed on reservations. .Regarding finance, lie criticised Mr. Allen's attitude, mid quoted his state nient to London financiers that there was a surplus of £8.335,000 accumulated froiA ISill to 1912 and compared tins with his statement . that he had found the finances of the country in ir chaotic condition. Naval matters were not a party question but the people must see they could not afford to -spend £BOO,1)00 a year when the calls for roads, bridges and settlement were so great. New Zealand must rely on the British .Navy. He quoted Hanßard to show that, on .Mr. Massey's own admission, the conference which attempted to settle the biggest strike in the history of the Dominion only lasted five minutes. The Liberals were not out for one section of the cominunitv but out for every section.