THAT PORTFOLIO.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1336, 13 January 1912, Page 5

THAT PORTFOLIO.

❖ MR. FISHER AND MR. ISITT. >:• A CURIOUS POSITION. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.! Christchurch, January 12. Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., having returned from a visit to South ,Canterbury this evening,"opportunity of his presenco in Christchurch was taken by a representative of "The 'Press" to inquire regarding the efforts said to have been made by Government members to induce liim to throw in ■ his lot with the Government. Mr. Fisher said regarding tho statement that lie was offored a portfolio in tho Ward Ministry for 1912 that ho had on no occasion had'an offer of a portfolio from the Prime Minister. Who was responsible for the statement ho would not tell. Ho had held interesting conversa~ tions with members of tho Government piytv, which, if published, would prove vastly entertaining to tho curious public, but he did not propose to entanglo himself by publishing his version of private conversations, which would be at once denied or contorted. The reporter prosed for further dotails of the incident, and after some talk Mr. Fisher .said that ho would give the text of the conversation and other dotails if tho reporter would obtain from Mr. L. M. Isitt, M.P., his permission to do so. Mr. L. M. Isitt was spoken to by telephone, and at first'appealed (o be rather aunoyed at being disturbed in his own home over, the matter, Mr. Isitt mid that ho could not imagine what conversation was referred to by Mr. Fisher, Mr. Fisher had told a "Lyttelton Times" reporter that tho rumoured intriguo was empty of fact. Further, he (Mr. Isitt) wished "Tho Press" to understand definitely that for the future' ho would ignore l?es which .it published concerning him. Ho repeated that no talk of the sort suggested had passed between them, and the only mention of a Cabinet position made by him to Mr. Fisher had been, made at a public luncheon table at the tennis oourt. That had been by way of a, joke and nothing more. There were other young men present, and talk had been iairly general. Joking, Mr. Fislier said: "Ami would you give me a plaoe in the Cabinet?" Mr. Isitt answered "Yes, I would mako you Minister for Railways on one condition." . "And that is?" "That you pay me twenty per cent, of your salary." A voice asked Mr. Isitt whether he would not do it for fifteen per cent., and he answered, "No. My conscienco wouldn't aLow mo to do it for a penny under twenty per cent." The reporter persisted with the question of whether Mr. Isitt would give Sir. Fisher permission to make public somo conversation (of what nature tho reporter was ignorant) which they had had. Mr. Isitt asked how he could give Mr. Fisher permission to publish what he (Mr.. Fisher) had already told a reporter had no existence. Eventually ho said: "I will give you a definite statement." This was taken down and read over to him. Mr. Isitt said he "absolutely denied that ho had ever sajd anything to Mr. Fisher in private with reference to his voto on a no-confidenco motion ex anything that could l>e in any way construed into a suggestion that he should join the present Ministerial party either as a supporter or as a member of tho Cabinet." Mr. Isitt added that ho had nothing further to say. Mr. Isitt's statement; was shown to Mr. Fisher, who said that it was all rather amusing, "If that was tho only confidential talk we had, what were wo doing when the photographer of the 'Weekly Press' took the picture of us which has been published? That, was in the morning before tho lnnclicon incident. Jt is unfortunate for the public that instead of a photograph he did not take a gramaphone record. When that pholograph was taken wo were talking more interestingly than Mr. Isitt mentioned. I am in tho unfortunate position of l>eing unable to repeat a conversation without tho explicit permission of the other party, and .you have not obtained t.liot for me. Certainly Mr. Isitt never held himself oiit as an envoy of Sir Joseph Ward." ITlio photograph referred to by Mr. is a snapshot of tho memW for Wellington Central and Mr. Isiitt, alone together. According to the letterpress beneath it the gentlemen named were taking a walk during an interval in the play at tho tennis championship meeting-]