“HOW HE WENT OUT.”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3994, 26 July 1913, Page 5

“HOW HE WENT OUT.”

THE TEN MINUTES’ MINISTRY. j_BY TELEGRAPH—PARLIAMENTARY CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, July 25. The controversy as to the circumstances in which'the short-lived Mackenzie Government assumed and left office frequently crops up in an incidental wav with the House. . . The subject came up again tins evening during a speech hv Mr. EH, who occupied the position of Postmast-er-General in the “ten minutes’ Ministry.” In reply to a taunt from the Government benches that- the late Ministry had no hope of retaining office when it began its career, Mr. Ell retorted that there was a general feelinc that they had a chance of pulling through. There was a great deal of doubt in the mind of the present PrimeMinister whether he would pull through and reach the Government, benches. Mr. Massov: When? Mr. Ell: Before the division was taken. Mr. Massey: I knew it months before. Mr. Ell said that he knew that there were some members who remained undecided until a very short time before the division was taken. “I never dreamt, for instance,” he said, “that the late Minister for Railways would vote to turn out the man who' had acted as his senior Whip.” Mr. Massey: You should not talk like that about an absent man. Mr. EH: This is no time for apologising. My comments are deserved.