LABOUR'S POUND OF FLESH.
* HUMOUR OF THE SITUATION. There seems to be a general misapprehension regarding the position of Mr. John Payne, Labour member for Grey Lynn. The Press Association summary of an interview given by him in Napier recently did not correctly represent the opinions actually expressed by him. Apparently his purpose, was to emphasise the futility of any attempt on the part of the Government to maintain its office.
"At the present time," said Mr. Payne, on December 29, "Labour can vole 'the Ward Ministry out of power and so pass tho i«ins of Government on to Mr. Masfiey. The only way of obviating .this is to reconstruct, with Labour people on the top, including tho Premiership. No one recognises more the humour of the situation than I do, but facts are facts, and the facts are as I have stated. So far as the other Labour members are concerned, if they do not take full advantage of the position as I have placed it, which is tho true political situation, then they will be betraying the Labour cause, and in futuro will be dealt wtih accordingly. Tho Labour members should recognise as a wliolo that they are in a position of grave trust. They can now demand their pound of flesh, or they can succumb to the wishes of those in office, and so once more in history brand Labour representatives as traitors to the Labour cause."
"Gilbert and Sullivan opera-like though it may seem," added Mr. Payne,' "tho Prime Minister has only one alternative to defeat tho threatened Massey Government, and that is to reconstruct on Labour lines. That does not mean giving the Labour people each a portfolio, because wo could not possibly accept theso unless the leadership were included." In tho same interview air. Payne said that Mr. Veitoh (Wanganni) and Mr. Robertson (Otaki) -were pledged to vote Against the Ward Ministry on a no-confi-dence motion. He definitely declared his intention of voting with the Uoform parly for the defeat of the Government.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19120112.2.17
Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1335, 12 January 1912, Page 4
Word Count
339LABOUR'S POUND OF FLESH. Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1335, 12 January 1912, Page 4
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