LIBERAL TACTICS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18108, 25 June 1924, Page 8

LIBERAL TACTICS.

MR WILFORD ASTRAY. (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON, June 24. In a letter in to-night's "Post' ; Mr G. Shirtcliffe, a member of the recently appointed Taxation Commission, draws attention to a statement made by Mr Wilford as reported in the "Northern Advocate" as follows: —"The chief grievance, however, that the LiberalLabour party had against; the Reform Government was the belief that they were tied hand and foot and leg-roped to the big trusts. To emphasise this point Mr Wilford from personal experience quoted the cheapness of petrol in America, compared with the prices demanded in New Zealand. _ The cure for such a condition of affairs was to be found in the State taking action. In one instance he broached the .subject, and it was offered that if the Dominion took the whole of the output of certain wells in America a deal at a cheap price could be made. Unless the whole output w;ts taken, there could bo no dealing, but New Zealand could utilise it all. In the face of that the Reform Government had appointed Mr George Shirtcliffe, who is interested in the American oil output control, as a member of a committee to fix what duty should in future be paid. That was the way the Reform Party worked." To this statement Mr Shirtcliffe now replies:— "Mr Wilford probably had in mind the Taxation Commission of which I had the honour of being a member, but he must liavo known that the order of reference confined the Commission to a consideration of the land and incometaxes only, and that it was therefore precluded from dealing in any way with uie rates of duty on goods imported into the country. Mr Wilford's remarks, if correctly reported, therefore amount to a misrepresentation (possibly unintentional) of tJie actual fact. He really does me too much honour when he suggested that I am interested in the American oil output control. Any such suggestion is palpably absurd. Had the Commission's instructions included an enquiry into Customs' duties I would have declined to act on it, although, notwithstanding Mr Wilford's implied opinion to the contrary, I believe that in considering matters affecting the Dominion 1 am able to subordinate my. unimportant selfinterest to the paramount claims of the community. Tliis also, I feel sure, applies equally to all my colleagues on i the Taxation Commission."