The Star. FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1922. AN ELECTION SPEECH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16749, 2 June 1922, Page 6

The Star. FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1922. AN ELECTION SPEECH.

The speech made by -Sir Massey at Invercargill last evening may fairly be described as an electioneering speech. He pointed to the Government’s record of administration, and contended that it was entitled to another term of office. It is somewhat difficult to find the merits which would justify a vote of confidence. The speech was largely an apology for the financial condition of the country, followed by a senes of hopeful promises that things would take a turn for the better before long. Mr Massey declared that the duty of the Government was to endeavour to make burdens easier, by reducing the cost of government, the cost of living and the cost of production, and then would come a reduction in taxation. He took credit for the Expenditure Adjustment Act last session, which he said aimed at getting hack about half the bonuses given the public service. The fact i« that Mr Massey is only trying to extricate the Government from a pit of its own digging. During the prosperous years Departments were swollen and salaries increased with a reckless prodigality which completely ignored the possibilities which lay ahead. The Government was urged to set its house in order and prepare for the inevitable slump, but it showed small inclination for the task. When the financial position absolutely compelled action the matter was tackled in such a way that the country was presented with a disgruntled and rebellious public service, which talked largely and loudly of throwing in its lot with the Labour Party. The Government, by its neglect to exercise a proper oversight of the expenditure of public money, had allowed the various State Departments to attain such extraordinary dimensions that the public services threatened to become a veritable Old Man of the Sek on the shoulders of the community. Mr Massey is unable to . promise any definite reductions in taxation, simply because the country has to pay for the period of squandering, and the boom revenue period has passed. Mr Massey’s references to soldier settlements were interesting, but it is common knowledge that many of the settlers, owing to the high prices paid for their holdings. will have to he carefully nursed through a period of years. The purchase of land was carried on during the boom period, and everybody but the Government could foresee the inevitable end. The prospects of many of the soldier settlers would have been far brighter if their interests had been more carefully studied when their holdings were purchased. It is rather amusing to find that in his concluding peroration Mr Ma-ssey referred to the alleged combination between the Liberals and the labour Party, basing his remarks on a. statement made by Mr Holland. He virtuously declared that he would not hold office for two minutes longer if he were dependent on the support of the extremists. It is part of the Reform press and platform propaganda to ally the Liberals with Red Feds .and Bolsheviks. but that sort of stuff deceives nobody except the Reformers themselves. Mr Holland is reported to have stated *that h> would help Mr Wilford to turn the Government out on condition that the Liberals did what Labour dictated when they occupied the Treasury benches. The thing is really too absurd, and Mr Massey must have thought his Invercargill audience an extremely gullible one when he tried to make them believe that his Government was the only alternative to one which would be Liberal in name and Bolshevistic by compulsion. The Liberals will certainly do their best to turn th© Government out, and if that eventuates Mr Massey will have the ooportunlty of conferring with Mr Holland on ways and means to defeat the Tiiberals.