W. W. TANNER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11235, 5 April 1897, Page 6

W. W. TANNER.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Mr Tanner proves his case to he a very bad one by taking over a hundred lines of your space to simply draw a “ red herring across the trail." If anything, more was wanted, then you have it in the fact that he severely lets alone the statement of which I complained. His endeav our to justify his silence on account of any remarks of mine is mere suoterfugo. His (memory must cither be a convenient or a veSJr faulty one. I never t( characterised Mr Meredith's utterances as a display of cheap sentiment.'’ I did not refei to Mr Meredith personally. I made a general statement to the eftect that we had had the usual sentimental stockphrases indulged in on such occasions, and pointed out that what we wanted to get to bed-rock point as to what action should be taken to secure the principle of universality in the Old Age Pension -Hill. If Mr Tanner was deterred by that statement from speaking, and went through the agony of imposing upon himself “ a golden silence,” then it proves the statement in my previous letter, “ that he lacks courage.” Again, I never held out any threat, as implied by Mr Tanner. He makes it appear that I said that if they did not vote as we wanted them, “ Then they must take the consequences.” Instead of trying to bounce anyone, I, on the contrary, said, “ Every man was entitled to his own opinion, and when he expressed it, was, I presumed, “prepared to take the sequences.” This, too, was a general Statement, applying just as much to myself as anyone else. Mr Tanner points jubilantly to his “ taking the consequences on Dec. 4.” Will he tell us what they might have been had he not voted with Mr G-. J. Smith oh his amendment ? (Vide Hansard, No. 30, page 14.) No'doubt it is satisfactory to Mr Tanner to get another three years at .£240 a year.' Ho ought to feel so thankful to the workers for it that his very thankfulness should save him from suet overweening conceit. “ Pride cometh before a fall.” The pride has come and the fall must follow. It is not in the interests of the workers to elect men to represent them for more than one term unless they have shown sturdy independence and exceptional. ability. Especially is this the case when a man’s. honorarium is double what he has ever earned before. I may say that, Mr Tanner’s “ golden silence ” did not trouble me one bit, and having watched his career for some time it did not surprise me. It was his uncalled for and undemanded gratuitous statement to the Chamber of Commerce that both surprised and grieved me. Surprised me, because I thought he was too astute, and grieved me because it was contrary to fact. Mr Tanner may be able to see what was on the minds of the gentlemen who had to leave before the meeting closed. My physical powers are not sufficiently developed, but I say that no one to whom I have spoken on the matter since understood that failure to obtain what we desired, meant that wb would take nothing. I say again that he was not asked to give up anything. Having supported the “universality” principle, why does he tell us that the ‘limited scheme has been much criticised, but the critics have not been Colonial Treasurers ?” Perhaps he would like to be, and is sending along a hint that he has not had the honour. Hut surely he will admit that there is as much financial wisdom in the twenty-eight members who went into the lobby with himself as in the twenty-one who voted the other way. Try ao-ain Mr Tanner and tell us why you made° the. statement at the Chamber of Commerce. Your silence we can look over. —I am, &c., W. DOBBS.