A STRONG INDICTMENT.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 277, 28 May 1907, Page 2

A STRONG INDICTMENT.

GUZZLING AT THE EXHIBITION. In the course of a condemnation of the parsimonious methods adopted by the Government at the Exhibition, a Christchurch citizen, in an interview with Christchurch Truth, said : "In the first place, the Governor's banquets don't count. . They were given by the Governor,* not by the overnment, and were private functions of a semi-official nature, paid lor by his Excellency. Then, as to the dinners given by Ministers, I am glad you mentioned them, because they furnish me with/a text for my sermon. If there be one scandal more gross than another in connection with the late Exhibition which has not been ventilated it is these Ministerial dinners. But before exposing them, let me make a personal explanation, lost I should be misunderstood. I was invited to the Governor's banquets, and was present at both of them, and as regards the Ministerial dinners, not being a supporter of the Government, I neither desired nor expected to be invited to them. I have, therefore, no personal grievance in the matter, and what I have to Bay is said to show how much the Government tried to popularise the Exhibition and show ite gratitude to those who worked for it. What, then, was the nature of these precious Ministerial dinners? I say that they were nothing more nor less than private banquets given by Ministers to their cronies at the expense of the New Zealand taxpayer. The Ministers found in the Exhibition a first-rate club, an excellent chef, a splendid etock of wines and cigars. What did these cost them? Not a penny, the taxpayer paid for the lot. What did they do with them? They used them to entertain their private frieids. Can you point to a single official banquet given by Ministers? I defy you to quote a single ene. There was no banquet to the Commissioners as such. There was no banquet to the Executive Committee or any of the sub-committees, and if anyone desened recognition they surely did. There was no attempt made by the Government to entertain leading citizens, and, in fact, as I have already told yon, there was no kind of official entertaining at aU. No, there was an expensive chef, a retinue of servants, costly plate, glass, and all the paraphernalia for serving banquets. There was an elaboratelyfitted kitchen, and all sorts of ex; pensive viands, fruits and flowers — and all this, what for? To enable Ministers to give dinners at the expense of the public, from which all those members of the public best entitled to be present were excluded. I say the whole thing is a crying scandal." "But don't you think there was no intention on the part of the Government to ignore the public in this way?" "Rubbish 1 The Government deliberately ignored its hospitable obligations, while being particularly careful to fill its own belly. I say it is simply absurd to pretend tliat the Government overlooked the question of social functions, in connection with the Exhibition. It did nothing of the sort. Why, consider the preparations made which I have already described to yon. In the face of that, do you mean to toll me it was an oversight? Moreover, I happen to know that the Government's memory was jogged in this respect more than once." "Is that really so?" "Without the shadow of a doubt. Let me explain. I happen to know — no matter how — that the General Manager of the Exhibition several times applied to the Government for authority to give a series of official dinners to the Commisisoners, the committees, leading citizens, distinguished visitors, exhibitors, concessionaires, the Press, and so on. In every case he was met with a curt refusal. The Government iefuscd to allow him to spend a penny pieco in this way, though individual members of the Government did not hesitate to spend large sums of tho public money in entertaining their friends. This is so much the case that; although the paraphernalia for serving banquets and meals was always there, and although, when the Governor and Ministers were away the corps of servants were idle for weeks on end, every cup of tea and piece of cake served in Mr Munro's room to guests had to be fetched from outside tea rooms, and paid tor by Mr Munro, and every glass of nine and every cigar he dispensed was paid for out of his own pocket. Yet there were unlimited supplies of all these things in the Ministerial ' Club,' and I may add that though Mr Munro could not get even a biscuit from the 'Club/ the 'Club' steward wus continually entertaining his friends. "Do you hold this information from Mr Munro himself?" "No, Ido not. I don't know that I have exchanged conversation with Mr Munro for more than a few minutes on one or two occasions in my life. But you go and ask him. I daresay he wiU confirm what I say." "To what do you attribute this condition of things?" ' 'Largely to Sir Joseph Ward. The Prime Minister never conceived the slightest enthusiasm for the Exhibition. He took no interest in it, and did nothing to help it on. He never •came near the place when he could keep away from it, and if the public feel that the whole thing was sordid and that it was all grab, they have only Sir Joseph Ward to thank lor it." The Pressman took the advice tendered by his informant, and asked Mr Munro. "I have nothing to say," said that gentleman, "beyond this, that the Government allowed me no funds for entertaining. Anything I did in this respect I did at my own expense. I asked for permission to entertain, but the Government declined to place at my disposal the facilities available for that purpose ,the reason being, I understand, that the cost of kitchen and staff was being defrayed from a Parliamentary vote, and not from Exhibition funds."