MORE ABOUT THE "BLACK PAMPHLET."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1176, 11 July 1911, Page 4

MORE ABOUT THE "BLACK PAMPHLET."

STATEMENT BY MR. FOWLDS,

(By Telecraph.—Press Association.! Rotorua, July 10. The Hon. Geo. Fowlds, Minister for Education, who is at present in Rotorua taking baths for a slight attack of rheumatism, was seen by a '•Times" reporter this evening referring to a paragraph that appeared on July 5 in a southern newspaper as follows: "The Minister, the Hon. Geo. Fowlds, has reiterated on a public platform the charge that Mr. Massey. Leader of the Opposition, fathered the unauthorised biography of Sir Joseph Ward." Mr. Fowlds remarked that it seemed to him that at the present time Opposition speakers and newspapers were prepared to go to any lengths in the matter of mis-statements. Regarding the particular statement referred to, it was without the slightest foundation. In fact, on the contrary, what lie did say in effect when speaking on the' matter was that he had never heard Mr. Massey blamed personally for having had anything to do wild the inception or circulation of tho Black pamphlet, but that the indictment against the Opposition generally was that, whilst they knew it was in circulation, and (hat their party were likely to Iraiefit from it, they took no steps to condemn if. That was, Mr. Fowlds added, quite a different statement from tho one now being circulated by open newspapers.