THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3332, 26 September 1911, Page 5

THE COMING ELECTIONS.

REFORM PARTY’S PROPOSALS. “CONFIDENT BUT NOT BOASTFUL.” INTERVIEW WITH MR. W. F. MASSEY. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter V, • • .. WELLINGTON Sept 25 ' Confident, but not boastful/'-vras /ie tone of Mr. Massey in a- tal'k about the electoral campaign. “No doubt/’, he said, “it suits the members and supporters of the Government to boast that they are coming back with as good a majority as they have at present. I have heard that sort of thing before, and I take very little notice of it. They told us prior to the last election that the Opnosition was as dead as Julius Caesar, but we never lost a man of those members who went to the .poll, and >we came back with our number increased by nearly 75 per cent. That was what happened last time, and the feeling on the part of the people of the country is much more favorable to us and much more antagonistic to the Government, than it was then. Consequently lam justified ini expecting a every considerable accession to our numbers in spite of all the attempts tliat have been, made for party purposes, to misrepresent and belittle us. The people generally have begun to realise that we stand for the genuine democratic sentiment of the country, and. that w T e are anxious, by sound legislation, to promote its future welfare. We are not fighting for titles or positions, or the emoluments of. office or any of those things, but are content to do our duty to the electors wherever they choose to place us.” “Do you think you are likely to secure a majority in the new Parliament ?” “I never boast, and to that question I will only say that the outlook is very good indeed; much better than it has been at any time within my experience. The arrangements for the elections are not quite complete, but I can say that not less than 70 candidates—good men and true —will, each in his own district, carry the banner of the reform party on polling day. We are not assisted by public expenditure or patronage, as is the case with the Government party. Those are factors that are used against us, and I am bound to say used sometimes very unscrupulously, but we offer to the electors the services of honest, unselfish, and patriotic men. representatives of all classes, and I believe those services will be availed of to a larger extent than many people have any idea of at present. “What do you think of the latestalterations of the electoral boundaries?” “I do not think the final readjustments that have now been effected will make much difference from the party point of view, as compared with the original proposals of the Commission. Personally I am pleased for the sake of old associations tnat Pukekohe is to remain in my electorate of Franklin. I do not think it will make much difference either way so far as votiig strength is concerned, but I should have been sorry to lose the place, that has always been regarded as the headquarters of my electorate, and I think the people of Pukekohe would have been sorry too. THE UPPER HOUSE. DEMOCRATS AND PARTISANS. Mr Massey was asked how he regarded the defeat of his motion in favor of the principle of an elective Upper House. 1 He replied that the action taken by him was a genuine attempt to promote reform of the Legislative Council. a» d to make it representative of the people instead of the Government or 'Lie Prime Minister. “From a party point of view,” he added, “though this may not have occurred to some of these who voted against me, it suits me better to see them go into the lobby against such a proposal than t-o find them with me in support of it. That, however, was not my object. I feel sure that in spite of the fact that a large majority were so undemocratic as to vote against that reform, the feeling of the countrv is very -strongly in favour of it, and there is a growing opinion that- it cannot, and should not. be much longer delayed.” “Far more surprising events have happened,” concluded _ Mr. Massey, “than that the Dominion, of New Zealand may follow the- example of the Dominion of Canada- and come to tne conclusion, that a change of Government is likely to be for the good of the country.” ’ /