THE OPPOSITION AND THE PAMPHLET.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13905, 2 December 1910, Page 8

THE OPPOSITION AND THE PAMPHLET.

FURTHER REPUDIATION. LETTER FROM THE OPPOSITION ORGANISER. (SPECIAL TO "THE PRZBB.") WELLINGTON, December 1. If further proof were needed to showthat the Opposition had no connection with the Black pamphlet, it is supplied in a letter that appears in this evening's paper from Mr R. A. Martin, the Opposition organiser, iv reply to the Premier's reference to his connection with the pamphlet. He says: —"The pamphlet published by Mr Victor Brannd was given to mc in Southland on September 15th, 1907. I skimmed through portions of it in the train on tlie following day, and also in the evening at Gore, and, to the best of my knowledge, there were only four men who knew that I had even seen the pamphlet. On my return to Wellington on September 29th I was informed that Sir Joseph Ward knew that I possessed a copy, wliich I was using for political purposes. I explained my connection with the pamphlet to Mr A. L. D. Fraser, who was at that time member for Napier, and asked him if he would convey to Sir Joseph my assurance that I had never used the pamphlet in public, and never would use it to injure him, either privately or publicly. Mr Fraser told mc he had seen Sir Joseph on my behalf, and lie (Sir Joseph) willingly accepted my statement. I am glad to say that since that time, which is now considerably over three years, I have never even handled the pamphlet in question, and I am much surprised that the Prime Minister, after having accepted my explanation, should have made tlio statement which he-did. "Coming now to the pamphlet of more recent issue, I challenge anyone to say that I have ever spoken other than in terms of strong indignation in regard to those who are responsible for its publication and distribution. In Auckland, during the last by-election, I was approached by some one connected with the pamphlet, and asked if I would supply a list of names of people in the other provinces who would assist in the sale of the book. I made it very clear that I would have nothing to do with it. In July of this year I received *a communication from Mr W. A. Quin, of Hawera, who stated that there was a rumour to the effect that the Reform Party had some indirect connection with the pamphlet, and hoped it was not true. My reply, written on July 23rd, stated that 'neither the New Zealand Political Reform League, nor any member of the Reform Party, have any connection with the pamphlet.' In Hastings, during the Hawke's Bay Show, 1 was accosted by & man who was selling the wretched thing, and when asked to buy one I told the vendor I would like to see him put in gaol for selling them. Lying rumours and statements have been persistently circulated to the effect that the Opposition were assisting, financially or otherwise, with the production of the pamphlet, and it was only a desire to avoid giving undue publicity to tlie pamphlet that prevented us from publishing an open denial. A persistent attempt has been made by friends of the Government to use this pamphlet against the Opposition for political capital, knowing well that we would stand discredited in the eyes of the public if we stooped to despicable | tactics of that kind to injure the party in power, and I cannot iet the opporI tunity pass which has arisen unsought by us of again dissociating the Opposi-

tion in every way from any connection whatever with the publication of the pamphlet which has now achieved so much notoriety."