ATTACKS ON HIGH COMMISSIONER

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 25, 30 January 1923, Page 7

ATTACKS ON HIGH COMMISSIONER

A SPIRITED REFUTATION.

Referring to certain personal attacks made on the High Commissioner (Sir, James Allen) in the last session of Parliament, Mr. S. Hurst Seager, the well-known Christchurch architect, who has been engaged for some time in designing and carrying oat the New Zealand War Memorials at Langueval, Lo Quesnoy, and Gallipoli, writes to a friend in Wellington as follows:— "I was astonished to see in the Parliamentary reports the expression of opinion in respect to the High Commissioner's office, and to his living in the 'lap of luxury.' I was astounded because it is • absolutely contrary to fact. I have had, as you realise, three years close association with the office, and am impressed more and more with the enormous amount of work undertaken, and the very strenuous work which all the officers, do. People do not realise the work which comes to the office. There is no one in any part of New Zealand who does not think he is perfectly justified in writing to the High Commissioner to undertake some duty for him. I have just lately been asked by the High Commissioner to examine, for instance, the casting of a statue for Masterton, and on ike file in reference to this work there are at least a dozen letters to which my own report was added, and then in addition there are all the arrangements to be made for the receiving and transport. I am sure there is no harder worked man than Sir James; how he manages to get through the amount of work is astonishing. Instead of living as one of the members said 'in Oriental splendour,' he is working without ceasing in the interest of New Zealand, and, as I know from experience, is moat particularly careful in carrying out all work in the most economical manner. There is no expenditure, for instance, in connection with the. memorials, which does not bear the closest scrutiny, and any saving that can be effeoted without materially lessening the value of the work is made. For instance, I felt that it was only by having models of our memorials to exhibit in New Zealand that the people in New Zealand would fully realise what had been done, but knowing the attitude of Sir James I felt that the request to have them made at tho expense of the Government would certainly bu refused. I, therefore, had them made at my own expense, and have been busy in the last f_ew days seeing them packed up."