THE CORONATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 134, 3 December 1910, Page 6

THE CORONATION.

SIR JOSEtPH WARD AND DR. FINDLAY GOING HOME. LEGAL BUSINESS AHEAD. ■ MEMBEES MAY BE INVITED ' LATER. AWAITING THE RESULT OF THE BRITISH ELECTIONS. Sir Joseph Ward made a statement in Parliament this afternoon respecting the representation of New 'Zealand at the Coronation. • • The Supplementary Estimates contained, a grant of £1500 for the Prime Minister. Referring to this .item, Sir Joseph Ward said that he had always been obliged to pay more .than the amount authorised by " Parliament when attending the conferences -which had been held in London and the Postal Conference at Eome. On the last occasion he asked Parliament to vote £800, and his actual expenses had been £1644 10s. In the case of the Postal Conference the expenses had been £900 in excess of the vote. Mr. Davey. Was the money ever returned? Sir Joseph : "I never askep for it. He felt that he could not do so, inasmuch as he had always to take a member of his family with him, and for this reason he thought he should pay a portion of the expense. On more than one occasion he had to pay as much as £300 for an ordinary official entertainment in return for courtesies extended to him in his official position. These expenses could not be avoided. No official invitation had been received inviting members of the House to proceed to England. He was not at liberty to disclose confidential information in his" 'possession, but it might be that after the British elections an invitation might come. If it did he would then communicate with members. The only communications, he had received were of a strictly confidential character. The Attorney-General would also go to England in connection with two important cases that were to be heard — one the Te Akau Block case, and the other in relation to what is known as the Webster claim. The Te Akau case involved £50,000, and the Webster case half a million. The lawyers at Home had informed the Crown that they could not deal with the Te Akau succession case confidently. Mr. Skerrett, if in England at the time, would appear for the other side, and Sir Joseph understood there was every probability of that gentleman being there. The Webster case would come before a tribunal set up to deal •with the matter. The constitution of the tribunal had been agreed upon by the American and English authorities, and it would sit very shortly either in England or America. In addition, the Attorney-General, while in London, if this case did not prevent it, could be present at the Imperial Conference, and he (Sir Joseph) would be glad to have him with him. Mr. Massey said he would not like any feeling of uneasiness to be created in the minds oi the settlers on Te Akau. If the ownership of the land was decided in favour of the Tainuis as against the Ngatitahangas (who received the money from the State when the land was purchased), the State would have to pay the Tainuis. In reply 4 to other questions, Sir Joseph said he had hoped that the life of the present Parliament could have extended to February, 1912, so that the elections j could be delayed" and that Mr. Massey and the whole of the members could | have gone Home, but Mi. Masßey could not see nis way to agree. PEIVATE BAESONS PREVENT MR. MASSEY. Mr. Massey said it was out of no discourtesy to the Imperial authorities that he had not seen his way to go Home. Private reasons prevented him. Sir Joseph : ''OS couiise I realise that." Sir Joseph added that no troops would be sent officially. There was a clause in the Appropriation Bill providing for Parliament meeting again on 31st July, 1911 — one month later than usual. He did not think that the next session would last more than a month or six weeks. Mr. Maseey said the country would be utterly opposed to the postponement of "'the general elections Sir Joseph Ward, in answer to a' question, said he would probably be going Homo at the middle of February, or perhaps as late as March.