MR. HINE'S CHARGES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 950, 18 October 1910, Page 4

MR. HINE'S CHARGES.

WHT DID THE PREMIER' SOMER- 1 " ■■;,-; -; : /.-.;.-, .;,,;;'; ■.;-,:: '<;-;.;''; ~'What is.the real;reason.'for;the Prime Minister's sudden decision;', after hearing the : 'particulars bf'Mr!,;Hine's.,.charges, to' refer the'niatter :Ho-the. ,bibu^al v ;which he'so strenuously- fought'} against while, tho names' of : the persons (involved ...in .the ■ charges were -still 'in doubt? .That is ..a, question which'a great many ..people are asldng themselves, and, whi6h?;the'y-v are answering, bn'the lines.of the-following' extracts from three different .newspapers of the same date:.;' :/'/->;'-,-.;.:.---.-.';. From.' '.'• the:.. ChristchurchlY'Press'..':—■ If his arguments .were ! sound then they are sound now; the publication of the nameshas not altered the'position one iota, except possibly.'in one-!particular... ./What may have induced the, Premier to 'abandon his ; attitude;. is the. nature of 'tho ■ charges., It 'is. 1 possible that :he thoughtthey would be much worse',; affecting perhaps present members of his own party, and having found that this is. not-,the-case, he is not at all unwilling'ito relieve the .members .of the.'- Committee—particularly Mr.'Millar and himself—from .the necessity of sitting .day. aftef s day listening to ovidence on matters that, occurred some years ago." ' ' Prom the "Hawke's ; Bay : < Herald :—. .-'Having heard'..the. names,: he'was convinced that; an inquiry-by two .'Judges' would be more, satisfactory. Why? It: almost'. looks as if. Sir'. Joseph. had been expecting something worse, and something that- only', a . Parliamentary Committee could whitewash. He seemed to breathe, a sigh of relief when the charges were formulated,', and to aba'ndon the accused to'their-fate,"', . ■",'-■ -•.'-. iFrbm the ' •Christchurch "Evening ; News";—"Tliij. .amazing somersault will set a great many people thinking ■ very hard. The only conclusion one can.come to 1 is that -when' Mr., .Hine showed his hand;' Sir Joseph Ward breathed, a : sigh of relief. If no pne of any more consequence than a Maori member, a firm of vVellington land, agents, and two 'expoliticians were involved, a Parliamentary .Committee containing a majority of Government members; was quite unnecessary; ■• Mr.': Hihe : could have his two •Tudees, or -the- whole Supreme Court Bench, for that matter. Even if the charges are proved up-.to the hilt, it cannot affect the Government, because they do not touch the Ministry ..or any rnem-. ber of the'party with the exception of, Mr." Kaihaii,, who does not count for anything, anyway." ■■''•'