FROM AN ENGLISHMAN'S STANDPOINT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 25, 31 January 1911, Page 7

FROM AN ENGLISHMAN'S STANDPOINT.

TO THE EDITOH. r Sir, — I am not a New Zealander, and, therefore, perhaps should not write to you on such a subject as I am choosing. But I have • lived in the country for some years, have followed public affairs with an educated, and, I think, intelligent interest, and, from time to time, formed opinions on them from an English standpoint. Several things of late have struck me as being strange. One is the neglect of the Premier to address a public meeting in the capital city of the country. If I remember rightly, he did, during the last election, address a meeting in a small hall at one end of the city, and he has once or twice given addresses to a small political body known as the Liberal and Labour League. But Ido not remember his ever having addressed a public meeting in the Town Hall, which, in comparative size, may be compared to the Albert Hall, London, where six months rarely pass without Mr. Asquith or Mr. Balfour making a great speech. Another thing which has surprised me is that the Premier has not frankly and freely accepted the obviously sincere disclaimer of Mr. Massey and his chief supporters, on behalf of the Opposition party, of all connection with the "Black" pamphlet,, and that he has not publicly withdrawn his imputations against that party. This withdrawal should have come before the debate closed, but, al1 lowing that excitement may have caused him to overlook then the obvious course for a gentleman to take, his omission; to rectify the error since is becoming rather marked, and should be repaired unreservedly, if only for his own sake. I have heard it said that this omission is intentional, which I do not believe. And also that some members of his party propose to make use of the incident in the House in the coming campaign. But apart from the fact that no fair-minded man hesitates to accept Mr. Massey's word, -I cannot believe vhat any one of the ruling party would be guilty of the unspeakable infamy of trading on his leader's past for his own pecuniary benefit. One other thing has struck me as strange, and that is that the Premier did not move a vote of thanks to Mr. Hine. If it were possible to conceive of such an enquiry becoming needful at j Westminster, and any of the charge* j were found to have been sustained, the j Leader of the House would at once move such a vote, and it would be seconded by tha' Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Hine admittedly proved seven — public opinion seems to say more — of the ten ! charges. In making them, he showed I a right — am I also to say a rare — jealously, for New Zealand's honour, and all he has yet received from men Avho doubtless claim to be proud to call themselves New Zealanders, is abuse and misrepresentation. Verily, no one will covet their pride, if it is based on no better sort of foundation than happenings of which those I have referred to are a type. — I am, etc., - ENGLISHMAN. Wellington, 28tn January, 1911. P.S. — Since the foregoing was written the rumour mentioned above seems to gain a measure of confirmation from the contents of the "illuminated address. ' And the omission of *he vote of thanks to Mr. Hine is brought out into stronger relief by the Premier's very proper intention to move a vote of thanks to our late volunteers.