MR. MASSEY IN REPLY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 608, 10 September 1909, Page 5

MR. MASSEY IN REPLY.

•-; . ::"■;■■ "■':.'•'■-■■','. ,' ~ o-— '..".'.'■ "■■ '■•'•''l.'"-.-. ':..%Ak; 'answ^'Wß.-- FbWtbß.V. ij l-.;/, IMPBRIALISir Al^p-POLITICAL . ; : j:,: : : y: : ;.:. -,V. <W~.-/ ".y- : '•./•■ '".'"; (BJ 'rileEV?pt|-Speqlal;'(3orrcstio!i(lonl,l : . _;■;;.;^ ~;,■. Aucjilandi September 0.,;.7 r .v.Tha''leader ! ;of, : 'tlio.; has:' , : tno ..qualityof. tenacity, is not, inclined to a]-' kwanopponentltosidlb put of a dispute. on.'a side issue. •; Ho has; lfcturned, ta ;• tho' charge ?ii. his endeavour to pin down thcHW- Gcq, Fowlda.to.a definite "point;--;" ■ : t ,' . . ■-'.'; ;.'."There.are," ■Massey.-f'one' or iwopqints.in Jlr. "I'owlds's raost ; recent. interview'on 'whioh, I- think' it -desirable that : a little ligjit should be thrown.' ... ;.:.;''■ ■ ■■■ "First, ! .!with''regard .to '■ tho QhainberJain resolution.. Mr. rowlds says he >vas,absent from hjs, place when tlie resolution oairie on. /Well, so. much; the .'worse : for /.tho hon. jhflinber and hjs constitueiite. , I hive, howa clear recollection of a copy, of the .uiotioh being .forwarded by Mr.; Seddon. to myself early in ,'tho afternoon, .with the object of lotting .Opposition 'members know of the business which was intended to; be taken at 7.30- p.m..,. Tho. motion-was very fully- discussed, and whon,, the : division was tak'jn:s2 voted 'forj. and'-'only, two against, the-Wo-noes..being Messrs. ...Bedford and Ell. -.Mr.Fowlds; hadjio been prcseiit he ehould haye been found iwith lir. ;Duthie opposing: tho motion;., but . his offerico consisted , not in.opposingttio motion --every man has a right t-p-his opinion— but in the cable which he forwarded'to Mr, 'Chambprlain's .opponent '/ (Sir ;■ Henry' Campbell ;;Bannerman),: and, which :ho Vevidently iriterided should bo;. ; used for political purposesin .England.•■'•' Mr.- D.uthie was .quite within .his rights .'in. opposing', the. motion, and in .pairing .against it; but Mr. /Duthio would: scorn to .go behipd. the 'Parliament, of which he was .'a,member and cable', an inaccurate; message'to Sir Hoary Campbel] Bannefman. -Anyway, what ; a-speotaele to' ibid•Mγ. Fpwlds,trying to find belter-behind Mr,' Duthiel.l don't think it possible for any. one who knows the mea to imagine.Mr.Dnthiß, sheltering behind . MrJ. Fpwlus./■ The cable was as follows:—, • ■'•': •'.'■<.• :: - ■ ■!-. : . .•'.'■ 'Mr. 'Seddqn's . Chamberlain,_ resolution was pushed ..through' without ..notice -..at-':', a Monday\sitting,"Many inembens' wero ■ ab6^nt;r; sonip opposed, others present-: epoko agaiiist or deofined to yqte. , -. ' : '■."'.■ ,"This-w ( a3 tho manner., in . which v Mr. Fowlds .treated an expression of appreoiai tion by the New Zealand Parliament of the services of the great. Impdrial statesman'who raised, the. colonies Xo Une position 'of partners in the Empire, and who during his term of office- did "more for real Jm-perial federation, 'than anyone, who preceded him. I yemturo • to. say. tnat tie . taotics. - : pf >' \Jr.. Fpwlds in! this matter, and in'.many 'other respects, will hardly;. oonimend thomsolves 'to tho "righttthinking people of this country. ■■ v^l-.was rathor-amusod," continiied Mr. Massey, "when I noticed that in the samo intorvtew Mr. Fowldj had been, DQastdng of hii. knowledge ..of : the. world and of world politics., Biidihis extensive study of economic problems. ; I suppose it-is owing : to>.his 'ex-,, tensive study of economic problems that "he wants the exemption undec. the Laiid and Income Tax Act done away, every poor man who 'owns'an acre of;land taxed; therefor, and all taxes placed as ho would say upon lajod -..values. I/had como to the conpjusion that tho only authority on political economy Mri"Fowlds had ever'.heard of was ' Heury George, but it /seems I was mietaken. I can. think of an occasion last session.when Mr. Fowlds displayed his.knowledge by informing the House, that a 'drop in the price of wool simply.'means that the., wool kings' havp so much less, money for investment, and who even in a bad year have more money than they can spend in the ordinary course of business; , and'then went on to arguo that tho drop in tho price of wool did,not seriously affect' the condition 'of the people. I did iiot think there was a man in the House whoso knowledge, ■ or , the want of it, would havp.allowed fiiny to say anything of tho sort. The veriest tyro in political economics woAild lwvo known better than to commit himself to siich a statement as that madu by tho Minister for Etlucation, and which is. oh "record in our Hansard; but it scoma to be true tha tMr. Fowlds has a groat deal to learn and, perhapj- equally ■ important, • n' great deal to forget."