MR MASSEY ON THE WAR PATH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3518, 8 May 1912, Page 5

MR MASSEY ON THE WAR PATH.

IN REPLY TO THE PREMIER. NOTHING IN HIS BALCLUTHA SPEECH, BUT A MISERABLE QUIBBLE[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, May 7. Referring to the Premier’s speech at Balclutlia Mr Massey said that what Mr Mackenzie did at Balclutlia was to give a quotation ' from an anonymous letter which, he says, appeared in a London financial journal, and he did not then give the name of the journal referred to. The Prime Minister's reply was a miserable quibble, and he (Mr Masse]-) repeated his former challenge that any statement that any member of the Opposition attempted to injure the credit of the country in any way was absolutely contrary to fact. Tbe knowledge that the five million loan had been floated in London came to the House as a surprise, and outside the Cabinet no single member of Parliament -had the slightest idea of the intention of the Government to phve such a large loan upon the money market at the time. There was nothing else in Mr Mackenzie’s speech as reported in Auckland except the mere point that Mr Mackenzie said that he (Mr Massey) had sain that a Mackenzie coukl always be bought, and to this Mr Massey replied: "It. is a naltvy thing in the extreme; and it is also untrue. As a matter of fact I have sent a telegram to. Mr Mackenzie as follows: ‘ Will you give me your authority for your statement that I said a Mackenzie could always be bought?’ ” Mr Massey added that Mr Malcolm, member for Clutha, would reply to Mr Mackenzie at Balclutlia.