MR. HINDMARSH'S "UNKINDEST CUT OF ALL."

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2018, 27 March 1914, Page 9

MR. HINDMARSH'S "UNKINDEST CUT OF ALL."

. Sir—The plight of a political party is generally measured by the gasconade of its tub-thumpnrs-in-chief, and when it is nqces-iary for such opportunists with almost indecent haste to take upon themselves, one the defence of a poll-

tical meteroifo from Nelson, and' tho other tho Sisyphean task of defending Sir Joseph Ward, Baronet, tho plight of that party and t'ho phght of its leader (if Mi\ Russell, will pardon mo for still describing Sir Joseph as leader) is manifestly a hopeless one. Excellent politicians in their own estimation, with an extreme knowledgo of world affairs, picked up in tho villages' and cities of New. Zealand, Mr. M'Urath and Mr. Hindmarsh have at least succeeded in providing amusement for tho whole community. In partioular, Mr. Hindmarsh's little joke at the expense of his chief last week was really too bad; it was almost indecent, and certainly outstripped by a long way the bounds of propriety and. good taste. This is what this modern Solon said concerning- the baronet and t'b" strike: "No one can say that he (Sir Joseph) had encouraged lawlessness, but, becauso tho speech lent itself to two or three meanings, ihe worst construction was placed upon it"! There we have it; the whole tiling in a nutshell 1 Well might Sir Joseph .Ward exclaim, "Et tu, Brute!" for this is certainly 'the most uhkindest cut of all." It is, however, what you have been protesting.against for years, protesting that both as Prime Minister and as Leader of a disgruntled Opposition, the right honourable baronet lias so twisted and contorted his own speeches iuid thoso of his political opponents that even his own most trusted admirers never know exactly what he does mean. At all' events, it is to be hoped that in future the right honourable gentleman will avoid his. unfortunate habit of addressing his colleagues with his tongue in his check, and so save Mr. Hindtnarsn and others, who allow their misguided zeal to outweigh'•their discretion, from making such deplorable admissions arid indulging in such indiscreet jests at the expense of their chief taskmaster as did the member for Wellington South on the occasion to which I have directed attention.—l am, etc., J.F.H.