WHO WAS IT?

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 31, 5 August 1910, Page 3

WHO WAS IT?

TAMMANY ALLEGATIONS. FURTHER REFERENCES IN PARLIAMENT. The much-discussed subject of "Tammany" again reared its head in the course of the Budget debate yesterday. It was first raised this session by Mr. Hine, who threw out the charge that a former member of Parliament had been the agent for the Government in buying up a large area of land in the vicinity of New Plymouth on the evo of an election for electioneering purposes. Some very plain talking was indulged in yesterday by Mr. C. H. Poole, who said the Opposition was, by stealth and innuendo, trying to find its way on to the Treasury benches of the Assembly. This was an old game with those on the opposite side of the House, and was a trick which would avail them nothing in the end. Sir Joseph Ward : Hear, hear. SPECIFIC INFORMATION WANTED. Mr. Poole, in continuing his attack on the Opposition and its tactics, said they had recently seen one of the latest additions to the Tory party — the member for Stratford — wading in Avhere even angels might fear to tread. His pluck was to be admired, but unfortunately for him he had simply waded into dire trouble. The member for Stratford had referred to Tammanyism without fully understanding what that word 'meant. He (Mr. Poole) had interrupted the hon. gentleman at the time, and asked him to be more specific. But Mr. Hine refused to give any details, and contented himself with making a general charge against some unnamed ex-member of Parliament. And the inference wae that that ex-member was now dead. The reason of his (Mr. 'Poole's) interjection was to try and get the member for Stratford to be more direct in his charges, but the attempt had not been successful. The only effect of Mr. Jiine'a utterances had been to leave a dirty brown taste in the mouths of those who had been inclined to respect the hon. gentleman. Surely it was apparent to the member for Stratford that, having made such a statement, it was his duty to go through with it. To demand an investigation was one thing, but how could there be an investigation when no names were given? The House had been left to assume that che member concerned was dead. Surely the meanest kind of criticism was that aimed at a man. who was in his coffin. The Prime Minister : Hear, hear. Mr. Hardy: (Heatedly): Mr. Hine never did any such thing. Mr. Poole : Well, I asked the hon. member to tell us the name of the man he was getting at. He refused, and his answer is on record. If the member for Stratford is serious he must give uy the nanio of the member whom he asserts to be involved. Then, if there is anything behind his charges, he can depend upon my assistance, and the assistance of every honourable membei m this House. But at present we are led to believe ( that he was hitting at some exmember who is now in his grave. This is not the sort of thing that should be tolerated by this honourable House. AN EXPLANATION. At the end of Mr. Poole's speech, Mr. Hine, by way of personal explanation, made it clear that what he had said had no reference to a dead man. "I only repeat," he said, "that if any stigma attached from what I said to : members of the House, it is in tho power of members to support my contention by setting up a commission to enquire into the matter." Sir Joseph Ward : The hon gentleman has said that it does not refer to a member of the House. Now he says that it does, and the hon. gentleman ought to say to whom he is referring. The general belief is that he is referring to a dead man. A member of this House, who has passed away, called upon me in consequence of some electoral accusation made against him, and told me tko circumstances, and he mentioned to rate that he wanted an investigation into the matter. It was the late Mr. Remington. I said I would ask the House to set up a committee to enquire into it, but before the House met he passed away. The hon. gentleman (Mr. Hine) certainly said that I knew of the ca-se he referred to. I do not know of anything except of the case I have referred to, and I think he ought to state who it is, because it is a reflection on the whole House. Every member knew that before a commission could be set up a definite charge had to be made, and a person had to be named. At present the responsibility Vested upon Mr. Hine of having mtide a general charge against someone in the House. He (Mr. Hine) had said that outside. , Mr. T. E. Taylor : He is perfectly protected in tho House. He might name the person right away. Sir Joseph Ward : Certainly. Mr. Poole : I am prepared to hunt down any Tammanyism in this Assembly. I asked him (Mr. Hine) to mention the name, and I could not get him to do so. If he makes these charges he should stand by them, and see them through, and I will be with him. "A FISHING EXPEDITION." Mr. Hine repeated that he would like to see a commission set up to enquire into the whole of the purchasesof estates from private owners. The Premier's suggestion, he added, simply meant Uiat he would have to confine himself to one case. His contention wa>. that there ought to be a commission to go through the length and breadth of the Dominion. A member : A fishing expedition. "No fishing," retorted Mr. Hine. "That is my desire," he added. "It is only in order to elevate and clear the political atmosphere that I have token this stand." ' Sir Joseph Ward : What the hon. gentleman said in the House the other night was that he knew of a case in which a membei; of the House was concerned, and he has since said that it was a. former member of the House. Now, when asked to name the member, he asks for a commission. He has made no definite charge, and he wants a roving commission. He ought to make a specific charge, but instead of doing that he asks for what is practically a roving commission. So far he stands under the imputation of having referred to a dead man. That was the general impression. Mr. Hardy (Opposition Whip) : H may have been over there, but it was not over here. Mr. Malcolm : If the member' for Stratford will make an explicit charge will the Prime Minister give him an assurance of a commission to enquiro into the matter? us hear what it is," interjected a member. Sir Joseph Ward reiterated that what he wanted was the making of a specific charge, no was not going to set up a commission to enquire into generalities.