MR MASSEY'S OSTRICH FARM INCIDENT

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 286, 9 December 1914, Page 6

MR MASSEY'S OSTRICH FARM INCIDENT

[to the editoe.]

Sir,—la your leading article m Monday's issue, you give Mr Massey s explanation of £10,000 borrowed from the Public Trust Office upon a property bought for £9000. This amount'is stated to have beerr borrowed years ago, and Mr Massey knew nothing of it. This may be so; but both you and Mr Massey are careful to make no mention ot a further £2500 borrowed apoiV the £9000 property from the same institution in 1912, when Mr Massey was Prime Minister of this country, lor my authority I refer you and your readers to the last issue or the N. 6. Liberal, Nov. 28th. Let us have the whole truth

G.C.] Havelock Sub

[Speaking at Parnell last Friday night, Mr Massey said:—"The implication is that I took a hand at the borrowing of the money. It is not-■ only that, but fhatt I was at the head of affairs when the money was borrowed. As a matter of" fact £10,000 bf this money was borrowed before I' came into office. I had no more to do with it than anyone in this buUding. The line will not increase the value of the land by a single farthing, •for the simple reason that it has got 'railway communication on the main line already. A letter I have? received from the Public Trustee 'shows that the original loan of £10,000 was granted during Mi; Poyriton's, - time some years ago, and so far as that official was aware, no political influr ence was used by Mr Massey or anyone else. There was certainly none in regard to the loan of £2500 winch was granted in the writer's" time. rflie loan was made in instalments as iiri^ provements ,were effected.. The investment from the point of view of the.Public Trustee's Office was considered sound arid satisfactory. I have seen it stated and repeated that the company only paid £9000. r Ido not take any hand in the management of the property. We have not had a cent out of it. When, they say we paid £9000 I will 'nojt say it is a falsehood; it is a mistake. That -was the price paid by the first Ostrich Farm Company. It purchased "the land unimproved four years before our time. The second company/"; found the pixfberfcy greatly improved and paid £18,500:"—Ed.] . . '