OPPOSITION MEETING.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8013, 19 September 1906, Page 3

OPPOSITION MEETING.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, Last Night. Speaking at a presentation to Mr Okey, Opposition candidate at the 1 its election, Mr Massey said the Opposition had been beaten by superior organisat oa, misrepresentation and implies promises of grants tt public money to district* which returned Government supporters. At the next elections the Oppositions would be better prepared and thn people would understand their policy better and knuw them as representatives of the most genuine form of lioeralism. The Opp sitii'n believed in equal opportunity to all. He said he w»3 not there to bring do«n a p )hcy for the Opposition, but he declared the Government had adopted many Opposition proposals. The Opposition had more proposals for reform in stocK which wjold be forthcoming at the proper time, tie strenuously opposed the Land Bii), and said he believed mthe tre. hoid, find if the present proposals had been law they would have retarded seltlouieat. He wintod to see both chambeis of the legislature representative of the people and app.mt wonts made to the civil seivice in accordance wiih fitness. Mr Massey urged that the Native lands should be opened for settlement by European and Maori 'in 1 the latter r used to a higher scale of civilisation. Mr J. Aliea criticised thd Government's action in iacreasing the rate of iut»r s on money loaned to locil b"dies aaiconsi 1 rod should be lowered at tbe lowest p isible rate the colony b-aring a share of the burden. He wantou an actu ui il inve-itiga-tion of the superannuation schemes. Messrs Hardy, Lewis and Malcolm .ilso spoke.