Taranaki Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1905.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11730, 4 December 1905, Page 4

Taranaki Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1905.

MR MASSEY'B SPEECH.

The fact that it is very many years since the people of Wanganui'have had the opportunity of hearing the Leader of the Opposition, that there was naturally -a good deal of curiosity as to his* oratorical powers and as to what he wonld liave .to say in reply to the Premier's speech, irnd that the electors were desirous of. judging for themselves -as to the respective nierrta of the claims' of the two parties in"^ the country,' accounted for the large attendance in the Drill Hall on Saturday evening. It is, however, very significant* that the .audience was not nearly so large nor anything like so enthusiastic a3 that which greeted* the Premier "the previous week.. Many of these present had previously read the reports of Mr Massey's^ utterances in various"' parts of the coiony, and were freely conversant with the hashed?up diatribes of his two local satellites • which, have, been repeated from time to time .in. various parts of the electorate during the course of the present political campaign. Consequently the audience must have been struck with the sameness of' matter' and illustration to that which they were a'l-, ready familiar. The speech was really .a repetition of the old platitudes which session after session, election after election, Mr Massey has used. There was the usual onslaught on the Government and .all ite. works, the integrity of the Government was again questioned, the. same old allega- . tions were trotted oiit about the constituencies being bribed by votes which, were given to sweeten them, there was the same parrot-cry about the Public Works Fund being used as an electioneering fund, and once again Mr Masssy claimed for the ' Opposition the whole stock of public purity and honor. Tho audience manifestly, wearied of the ancient unfounded and unsupported charges which Messrs Bassett and Haselden have ineffectually endeavoured tp cajole the electors' iiltb believing. 'Just heite we are reminded that in. seconding 1 , the. vote of tharikß to the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Purser expressed the opinion that Mr Massey was a politician, a statesman, and a gentleman. How far Mr-Mas-sey merited these claims we- will^leave to the intelligence of our readers to judge for themselves. It may strike Mr Purser as gentlemanly for Mr Massey to indulge in vague and offensive inuendoes-^-rbut without supporting them with a" tittle of •' proof— that tho Public Works Fund i*

' merely used to bribe supporters and that ."the Government was a political organisation thriving and fattening at the expense s of the industrious people of New Zealand," but such remarks do not strike us as boning- -particularly gentlemanly or even •tatesmaulike, though we are prepared to V admit Mr Massey may think they are justifiable from his point of - view as a politician. It may also appear to' Mr Purser that it. was gentlemanly of Mr Massey to cast gross ■ insinuations against 1 the integrity, of tlie audit officers of the •Railways, the Customs, and the Lands Departments, and to infer that, the Premier (did jiot "possess a_spark of generosity or honor in his whole composition-" (we' quote from. -Mr Maesey's own words), but to. us such reflections do not savour of gentlemanly conduct or statesmanship. It niay be the method of politicians of the Conservative- order to accuse the Government of "incipient Tamm'anyism," and to deliver speeches bristling with imputations - : of misconduct and allegations "of corruption, but when such misrepresentations are only snpported by distorted arguments the electors cannot be blamed if they refuse to believe that Mr Massey possesses in any marked degree the qualities his friends would have us believe he is entitled to. A contemporary has- come to the conclusion, after hearing Mr Massey, that through some perversity of mind the Leader of the Opposition, is unable to tell^ more than half the truth at one time/ and this view is certainly strengthened by his laboured misrepresentations with respect to the Public Revenues Act, the, Advances to Settlors Act, .and other .statutes. We have neither the time nor "tli© inclination to follow Mr Massey through his string of unsupported allegations, but will content ourselves with remarking that ho did not tell his audience that the Mapourika trip was suggested by the Opposition, who desired to sea for themselves the- islands recently annexed. Neither did he inform hie hearers when referring to the Premier's trip in the Hinemoa that. Mr Seddon's health had broken down in the service of the country and in fighting the battles of the people, and it would have been a mean and contemptible act to deprive him of his usual allowances. Mr Massey also neglected to remind the audience that the Ministers of another Administration of which he speaks so highly drew their travelling allowances even when visiting another colony to see the Melbourne Cup. He complained of servile followers of the Government being bribed, but he did not deem it expedient to mention "that he and other Conservative members had been forced to admit that they had been well served in their districts, and had received even larger grants for their constituencies than many Government followers. The system , of making, appointments to tlie civil service he denounced as corrupt, but he was candid enough to admit that he and his friends, recommended candidates. So much foi^bi&: political =iS -£ ? *■?■■> k r~- *" ~ '.' -And tls to hia' so-called policy. He follows the lead of~the Premier in regard to 'extending educational advantages to the extent of enabling the youth of the colony to step from the- primary school to the university. He will, widen the operations of the. Advances to Settlers Act, a measure he. persistently, opposed. Old age .pensions, another Act he tried to prevent being placed on the Statute Book,- he will improve by .making, general.. '.He' will set up a Civil Service Board, thoiigh the colony's experience of taking the public services out of the hands of the Ministry of the day, as exemplified in the Eailway Commissioners' Board, is not a happy one. He advocates the same policy with regard to nat%e lands which th-a Acts passed last session enable the Government to carry out. In fact he will undo .nothing and do anything and . everything if the electors will only place him in power. Of course these promises < must not be regarded in the nature of a bribe to the electors, but if the Government dare to carry out any promises or grant any requests it is gros3 corruption — at .least, in the eyes of the Opposition. The fact is neither in the House nor outside has Mr Massey given any evidence of constructive ability, nor has he fathered any definite policy other than the bribe he offers to the leaseholders by way of advocating that the State should break faith with its lessees and grant them the privilege of turning their leaseholds into freeholds at the original value. We must not omit, however, to give him credit for the jackdaw-like attitude he displays with respect to" the legislation already oil the Statute Book. It matters not to him that he and his party opposed such progressive measures as the Land for Settlement Act, advances to settlers, old age pensions, conciliation and arbitration, and various industrial proposals: he, of course, is privileged to change his views. But we strongly object to his now seeking to strut about in the borrowed plumes of the party lie' has persistently opposed, and ask the country to grant him the opportunity to administer the laws he so bitterly condemned. Tlie fact that he and his satellites in Wanganui — Messrs Bassett and Haselden — frankly confess that it is not their* intention to vote for the repeal of a solitary, measure now on the Statute Book is an admission that they cannot venture to suggest any serious modification "of the principles or the practice oi" Liberalism. The truth is, the only plea Mr Massey and, his friends can offer is that they should, be given a turn to govern the country. The electors, however, will scarcely consent to throw over a, Government with which it is well satisfied merely to experiment with a number of new administrators ,^ho < ...havp. absolutely no claim on their confidence. A leopard cannpt its spots, and all the wealth of anathema and insinuation with Mr Masseyjs Saturday night's address was clothed, will not disguise the fact that he is the leader of the party which but a few years ago denounced the Government for introducing, legislation which. they. said would driy« capital away, cripple industry, and generally, bring disaster and ruin upon

the colony. And the electors will not forget that Mr Massey is the champion ,of the party which for fifteen years has been trying to destroy the jiolicy which has been so boldly constructed, and given the opportunity they would not hesitate to wipe away every Liberal and Labour measure on tlie Statute Book.