HIGH COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 721, 21 January 1910, Page 6

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE

• 'a surprise(By Telegrajpli.4Speoial- Correspondent.); i Christchurch, ■ January 20.: > 'Referring,-to 'the., shipping firm of -T3.; A. Smith" and his connection with tho High Commissioner's - Office' in London, a correspondent writes Ito' the '"Press" 'as' follows:— 1 "A yearVago;; I- • presented myself...at the: High -. Commissioner's Office' at Westminster in order to book my passage to' this Dominion, having previously heard' • from the shipping company .' that' the; last, berth ,in that particular class was held by '. .the ' High Commissioner, but;.was still' vacant" On entering the' New.'Zealand Goyerninent's office I found myself in a department other than that which;' transacted the shipping business, 1 and ,on "inquiry; for the" shipping' agent,' was ; directed ttrMr.' E.. A. Smith'. 'My surprise : can 'be' easily judged when on 'reading'the leading 'article'in ;yonr issue of January'.ll,. I learnt that . Mr. . E. -A. Smith was'therihead of a private firm and not; as I thought," a responsible arid, paid • servant of ; the: New' Zealand Gov-' eminent." •, ■ . - - - ■ . ■. :

Some discussion ■ has : recently, taken placerespecting ' the firm ■ of' "E. • A.' Smith," which has offices ip the'same, building as' the. High l Commissioner's 'office,, and .'which''has acted as a kind of shipping-, and general-agent for' the ''Now Zealand Government.: As a 'good deal of mystery.'surrounds the Government's relations with ' the' a Dojiixion representative'-:sought for information yesterday from'the Prime Minister. Sir Joseph Ward ■ ' declined'to say* anything 'just then,: but later .he said that' ho would! make a statement to-day.