THAT PROPOSED FOUR MILLION LOAN.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1456, 3 June 1912, Page 4

THAT PROPOSED FOUR MILLION LOAN.

~» v~ It is not at al.l sUririi'i.sin.g that S.:in Joseph Ward shoul'd 'havi! in to try and cbvoi- up the ufihap-py disclosure he was Ift.d iii.'to by his egoism on Thursday ■.evening" last concerning his hehavio'i'vv i.u resp.e.c'.t of the proposed fau.r million loari. There is a certain type of; pO'lifiejim who, M-hen he has iff tfx-p-laiii a difficult situation, .e:rid'e.ayou.r's'*.to cloud the issue in a torrent of words. This is a favourite xlpvisp of the iHeil;i'b.er for Awariia. Tt tofek him a colurnii. and ri half in S'atur.day'ip issue of o.iir evening contetiipovary, tq' attempt to explain '/vway his attitude over, the ipropbsah it was a very effort,* a.iid the position, shorn of iis'eless ve.rJjiag'e, can be pertinently- :s'umme'd up jri a few sentences. Prior'to tig first ballot in December' 'last .'Sir Joseph Ward had taken preliminary steps. in the direction'.of. raising; the ibaw, Either between;, the. .tiy.o Fallot's, or shortly after the second,. ,h& abandoned the negotiations'. This: ■rairsts two points: 1. Either the; loan 1 .was. 'n'ecgss'a.'r.y in the iutcWsts'- -pj th;e- Boni.inion, or it was .not, 2. Sir Joseph;'\~tab/ -kne'jfy after the second:. ballot,., or ought tohave known;.' whethei' o.r tfbt, the. polls had resulted in giving him a working : iha|oi:it'y. '

Sir Joseph Ward answers'.the' first point by iir liis Gpihibh,. the loan was necessary.: :Siirely. ■thtfn'. it was his duty"" fe I'a.Scc'tiatri' 'definitely whether br : .;.nbt';he coiil.d ;c6mmand such a majority; .in 'Pilr:l.i'a= ment as woukUiehable: 'him- .to carry ou the business ofQtlic. Mi he found that licfJiacK'.that ImajorityV then it was his : .jliity v £p; r'fiiso-'-'t-h'ci- lpaii' which he considered 1 ; w'asV :ne.cessary-i If he found tha.t;-:hb,-.Chaitl :'ilQt- ) : ""tlien his duty was to.;' : resignt : i&'ffifci; : at b.h'te and leave the .ies'pbnsibi'li'ty- ia -his.successors of deciding' iyhethef ,b.r'. not the loan was'lJ'V/hecessary.-' ..-His. excuse now for:-'.'ab'ahdbhi,n'g-.the:;ioah. : is that Mr. ' would-"'.'.' ibaye. complained that; ; vJoseph;! Ward) had anticipafedv^tiie.;.rightfulobligations of the'■■ < inajority at itS.,bttck:;,'>.:But ; 'vth ; G;-nuli-' lie will not htfveV-fdfgbttea-'/tn'Et'ti right up to th3;time':Of-tli'e':s , e'ssion.in' February, Sir ; :;JosephSWa.rd. <puti-: licly declared oyeiv : ;an'd.f.pyer. that ho had avfwo'rkihgX-niajbrity;;; and the public^wilK^lso^npt; ; forgat: that obligations of majority at vent_ him and his'i.Govpr.hih'e'n't'"dfrojii' making importantViipp'bintmehtsVa.h'd: doing other iinporta'nt.':'.:admihisti;a:r-'-tive acts of Statqivlf "iSiS Ward was sincere|inl:his;;declarat;ibT| ; that he had a m.-ijoi4t3*, , ,::'why--.di'd , ; i h'e.': not proceed with;? :bfi,;flite; loan which liclysa-ysinicC/cqnsTdci'ed'' necessary in Ibf/i .'.the.', country?, the he now says the:.cbunti\V:( : -is.,suffe,rih'g.-' from. A nian's';; judged by his ; actsiand;-Kis ; '-words;;;: and judged by-; ; thate'standa"i : diC(Siit-i Joseph Ward cannbt.tecomplain -'if the public that, in conne'ctibivJ,>vith'' : . : ; the--vlba:n;. transaction, referred.-'tbi-ihelisubprdih-'-ated the j&those of his own:;'p'6litical':pai'ty7aii'd :: - of himself as is certainly openivtbV-thafcgihference' and to the construetibn--thaC.regai.d-': less.of what wasybest : foritthetry, he deliberately"' laid' 'hims.e'lf: out to create difficultiesVfbi;.tlie.:G'by : .' ernment succeed him and%hich'seemed"likely. at that time to.. : bb|'eomppse'd'.p'tfiis political opponents^' : J ; i':' "■