POLITICAL AMENITIES

Evening Star, Issue 18280, 21 May 1923, Page 4

POLITICAL AMENITIES

' 1 MACHINE-MADE ” RESOLUTIONS,

REFORM’S LITERARY SECRETARY REPLIES.

In a statement to the Press, Mr James, literary secretary of the Reform Party, denies Mr T. M. Wilford’s statements ns to “machine-made politics” and “ma-chine-made resolutions ” by the Reform Party. Ho criticises Mr Wilford for making statements o! a personal nature and for his “silly outbursts” against the Prime Minister, tho Reform Party, and himself. Regarding tho Hugh St. Legor case, which, he says, Mr Wilford described as a shocking instance of oppression on the part of an unprincipled Government—a Government of which Mr Wilford was a member —Mr James says the facts only disclosed an extraordinary misreading of the decisions of the courts and the action on the part of tho National Government, in which Mr Wilford held office as Minister of Justice and Marine. Tho legislation which .Mr Wilford complains of was (Mr James contends) passed with his concurrence, for it was allowed to go unchallenged by Mr Wilford. Mr Wilford's references at Te Aroha to the poison gas factory which Mr James was alleged to conduct in the interests of the Reform Party were of an insulting character, and Mr James’s friends were not likely to accept that estimate of his character.

Aa to the alleged machine-made resolutions regarding Mr Massey’s representation of New Zealand at the coming Economic Conference, and the Auckland presentation, the various resolutions spoke for themselves, and bore sufficient impress of originality to give the lie direct to Mr Wilford’s suggestions. Apart from that the Auckland movement, said Mr James, was purely non-political in character, and originated with the Mayor of Auckland, who was not a supporter of Mr Massey. As to the representation of the Auckland City constituencies, while Mr James admits they are not represented by Reform members, he reminds Mr Wilford that they are not represented by Liberals, and that in these constituencies at the General Election the Reform vote was more than double that -recorded on behit'f of the candidates supporting Mr Wilford.