POSITION OF A PETITION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 47, 24 August 1911, Page 7

POSITION OF A PETITION.

•■ i»i IS IT SUPPORTED? C»f T»t,a«uiA*«— fiisiiAt to tas postf.J AUCKLAND, This pay. According to the Star, enquiry in, Auckland has failed to bring to light anything which will substantiate the petition presented to Parliament by Mr. W. F. Massey, M.P., purporting to emanate from painters and carpenters in the employ of the Public Works Department in the Auckland district. The Star says the painterß and carpenters in the city disavow any knowledge of any such petition, and express indigna* tion. at the allegations made. It i» true that there was at a> comparatively recent date some change made in the staff of painters, but the cause of the change was not that the materials supplied the men were inferior or that the men Were ask«d to do scamped work. A St»r representative was informed that the painting materials supplied tho Department are supplied under contract, which provkleß for the best standard stuff, and it is always fteen to that the material is up to contract standard. A« to the work, it was stated that only one cla«s of work Was turned out—a good, solid standard. The staff do not claim to do elaborate work,,' but that the work don© is honest, solid, and superior in this respect (- tO the bulk of the work done by private contractors. It was pointed out that ac a rule there, j* no rtah wfth the work, with the result that it ac well finished. *It is suggested that excess of political zeal has led Mr. Maesey to accept arid perpetuate Unsupported statement without sufficiently enquiring into matters. MR. MAfISKsT EXPLAINS. By way of explanation, Mr. Hylassey •ays that shortly before the session two men, who said they had been tradesmen, iq the employ of the Public Works Depaa'Unent, waited upon him in Auckland and asked him to present a petition on this question. He promised to do so, provided the petition was in proper order. He had since received the petition, and presented it in the ordinary way. He believed in the principle that every citizen w!m> has a grievance has a tieiht to hay« a petition presented to Parliament in connection therewith, and ho scarcely ever declines to present a petition so long as it is in accordance with the Standing Orders. This par-t-taulAf petition os«> wght to ten aigna turejs. It was referred to the M to Z Petitions Committee, and Would be reported on in the tieual rouree.