THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 62, 27 February 1912, Page 5

THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

i ALLEGED MISREPREI MENTATION. J A QUESTION PUT TO MR. HINE I ■ ■ ■ ! I [by telegraph—special. ] I (Own Correspondent). I Welingtcn.. Feb. 27. i The following is the text of a telegram quoted by Mr. Laurenson in I his spech last night :— ! “Laurenson. M.P., Wellington.— In view of the statements made in the House by lenders of the Opposition that th y had nothing to do with the wild and reckless statements and misrepresentations made against Sir Joseph Ward during the last elction, will you please ask our member. Mr. J. B. Hine, in the House, why he told us in his address j at the Thirty-three Mile Siding, the night before the election, that Sir Joseph Ward had not given particulars of £*120,000 cut of the £5,000,000 loan, and how does he reconcile the statements with his party’s denial. If Mr. Fline believes this to be true, lie should ask for another enquiry and prove it, otherwise he should resign his seat and retire from public life for making such malicious charges against public men when no Press reporters are present.—D. Wildermoth, Pohokura.” NO CONFIDENCE DEBATE RESUMED. HON. T. MACKENZIE NOT IN HIS BEST FORM. f PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.! Wellington, Feb. 26. i The debate on the no confidence ! motion was resumed by the Hon. I T. Mackenzie. Minister for Agriculj tine, who wondered why Opposition members, especially the lead- \ ers, had been afraid to discuss the i Speech from the Governor. They j absolutely refusei/ to discuss it. They declined to enter into a discussion on a policy which embodied the amelioration of the community. With regard to the land question, he stated that the Opposition had made a point of crying about people who had left the country because they could not obtain land. The people who had left tins country Lad done so b< cause they had made money. They Lad gone abroad, to j Argentine and Canada, to obtain | larger holdings than were obtain(able here, where the area of the country was limited. They had gone forth as colonists, just as people seeking small areas came here from the Old Country. With regard to the statements that the people should not invest their money here, statistics showed that the earnings on invested capital were from 25 to 35 per cent per annum. The President of the Bank of New Zealand, some few months ago. said the country was in for a period of low prices for agriculture, but the present conditions showed that he had made a false deduction. An attempt had been made to politically assassinate their leader. He was accused of receiving pickings from loans, paying the country’s money to divert the ship which brought him from Home after the Imperial Conference. Everyone knew these were false, and he dared anyone who knew similar cases to come forward and state them. Honestly, when this political turmoil had passed. his (Sir Joseph Ward’s) name would stand forth for the re-

forms he had invented and passed. They had thrown him into a pit like his namesake of old. but he would come to be the leader of the country. Mr. Mackenzie then entered into a detailed defence of the Agriculttiral Department, and pointed out what it had done to help the farmer. If the Opposition wanted to criticise they should criticise him and not the officers, who were doing their best in the interests of the country. Speaking on the land question he emphasised the fact that the large estates must be broken up. Public opinion at the present time, lie said, was started by newspapers, established for the purpose of making money for the shareholders and therefore for capitalists. It was not public opinion in reality. There was a suppression of the truth and a suggestion of the false, and it was that which was more influencing public opinion at present than anything else. Referring at the close of his speech to the refusal of the Opposition to give a pair to Mr. AWlford. he said they expected to win. but if they won by one or two votes, which he did think they would, what a victory it would be; a matter which wotdd never lie forg.'ttten. Ute Opposition was endeavouring to capture the votes of members on the cross benches. He was not going to go anv further than to say to them to vote as their constituents and consciences dictated. Ml.".;:’'enson su'd the mot ion moved by Mr. Massey wa« not direct' d. Sir Jm-eph AA ard. H- Lad 1 U- ino ntion to resign the leadership of the party of h : .< <>‘.tn a'-.-ord immediately after the divi-inn. The motion wn< directed. ag".in?t the Liberal party. and d<r.?’y aaainst the Liberal programme. H” h.’.d never hoard so • h inference and timetimio given ance tn durmg recent y trs. i Administration right and b’ft, .3 never one had been proved.

Only to-daj’ a man from Taranaki had sent him a telegram containing a charge against a Taranaki member. He d’d not intend to read an extract from the telegram, but would read the whole thing. He reviewed the legislation passed by the Liberal Government during the past ten years. No more Radical legislation had ever been passed. He preceded to uphold the provisions in the Governor’s Speech, and maintained that the Opposition were bitterly opposed to them. Mr. R. W. .Smith declared that the Opposition had conducted a campaign of innuendo. He asked what had the Opposition done for Labour 1 Nothing. On the contrary, the Government had for 21 years been putting Labour legislation on the statute book with one hand and holding the Opposition off with the other, it was not the worker who was behind the Reform party, but the man with money. He was looking forward to-night to a division, and had not very much care as to the result. Mr. Myers said nothing more gross in the nature of innuendo had taken place in the past in connection with politics in the private life. Members of the Opposition were honourable men, but he could not understand the political tactics of party and the Opposition had been misled if it had convinced itself that all it had to do was to assemble in Parliament, take a vote, then be ensconced in the Treasury benches. If the electoral laws had been made more perfect the Opposition would have had ten seats less than they now hold, and th? Liberals three more than at present. The silence of the Opposition showed that it had been wrong in its anticipation. Persistent efforts had been made to drive out of office the present leader. There is no doubt the Liberals had not lost their constructive ability. Mr. Glover moved the adjournment of the House at 11.45 p.in. DOCKERS ADVICE TO ATMORE. Nelson, Feb. 26. The Waterside Workers’ Union to-night resolved to wire Mr. Atmore urging him to support the Ward Government on the no confidence motion. THE PAYNE COMMISSION. OPENING PROCEEDINGS. Wellington. Feb. 27. The proceedings of the special committee set up by Parliament to investigate the allegations that bribes were offered to certain members, were opened to the Press today. Mr. Hanan presided. The first case taken was that referring to the extract from the letter read by Mr. Massey on Friday night. Mr. Massey at the outset stated tlrni he had had no opeprtunity of conferring with his solicitor. Mr.. Payne also said he desired to hr v.-nresented by counsel. Th" rum-tion of adjournment was Mr. Rns»e’l. a member of the committee, asked whether it was not a fact that the Committee would eea=e to exist when the House rose and there was a possibility of the proceedings coming to a termination to-morrow night. Discussion is proceeding.