POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13274, 1 May 1907, Page 5

POLITICAL ADDRESS.

MR MASSEY AT NEW PLYMOUTH

Per Press Association^ NEW PLYMOUTH, April 30. Mr Massey, in tlie course: of- an address said t-her? was little to discuss, apart from the Land Bill as most of the' Government, measures were introduced to give effect to tlie suggestions of the Opposition. He instanced the. extension of the Audit Department's function:,', the adoption of the principle of sinking funds, and charging the c-osfc of the. maintenance of a roods .to revenue instead of the. Public Works Fund," which mainly consisted of borrowed mors'ev. He .claimed credit- for the National' Annuities Bill and provisions for the extension of the Advances to Settlers A&t, enabling occupiers of homes under the Workers' Duelling Act to obtain the. freehold.. He thought the latter Act should apply to country districts and towns as well .as to ciiipsT Referring to the Legislative Council aopointm-sats, he said he believed that with the .exception of -the member appointed from Now Plymouth (Mr 0. Samuel), the selections were worse than those of the. preceding Government. Re said that the administration of the railways was such that there was a- loss, not only to the people, who should use 'he railways, but- to the colony generally. He condemned the administration' of the Public Works Department in Taranaki. Mr Massey discussed the. Land Bill much on the lines of forjner speeches, and denied the implication that he had said he was in favour of increasing'the graduated land tax. What he had -said was that even a graduated land-tax would be preferable to the cast iron limitations of the Minister, because it would give . the landowner a freer hand in dealing with property. The effect .of the Government limitations, of land would tend to decrease the value of country landed security, while leaving the city lands as they were. If; country holdings were' to be limited, so should city lands.