ANOTHER VIEW ON PLEDGES

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14924, 23 February 1912, Page 8

ANOTHER VIEW ON PLEDGES

J MR. HARRIS SPEAKS OUT. <i ASHAMED OF MR. PAYNE. I Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) said ho had | been returned by one of the most intelliI gent constituencies in tho Dominion on a j mission. That mission was to put out the Ward Administration. "I am," ho I added, "pledged on the platform to per- ! form that duty, and I took it the member | who has just spoken was pledged in tho | same way. (Hear, hear.) 1 feel ashamed j that an honorable gentleman in l a House such an this should sink to such a level that ho dare stand before the House of Parliament and say ho is prepared to break his election pledges." (Hear, hear.) Mr. j Harris read an extract from one of Mr. i Payne's speeches in December last, three I days before tho second ballot, in which j Mr. Payne said the Opposition were far more true to democratic principles and would do infinitely more for the worker than tho gingerbread aristocracy that has grown from Liberalism. (Loud laugjiter, applause, and cheering from the Opposition benches.) " And this is tho hon. gentleman who is now supporting the gingerbread aristocracy," continued Mr. Harris, amidst a peal of laughter from the Opposition benches. "I am very pleased," he added, "that ho is not on the same sido of the House as I am. (Hear, hear.) I should be very sorry to call that gentleman a colleague ot mine. A man cannot be truo who is not true to his election pledges. He is a man who owes his position to the votes given to him because he was pledged to send out of oliice an effete Ministry. He has pledged himself to come down here to do that. I regret that he has sunk to such a level that ho is prepared to sink his principles of honour and manj hood and vote with a party that he is expressly pledged to vote against. '•What," asked Mr. Harris, "have tho Labourites to thank the Ward Administration for? A great number of empty promises ; premises they had made and had not the slightest intention of carrying out. He and Mr. Payne both owed their position largely to the Labour votes (Mr. Massey : Hear, hoar), but Labour throughout New Zealand had nothing to thank the Ward Government for. On the contrary, it had a lot to blame it for. (Hear, hear.) Tho Opposition, on the other hand, claimed that they were the friends of Labour in this Dominion. (Ministerial laughter.) It .was all very well for the hon. gentlemen to laugh, but they would be laughing on the other side of their mouths after this division waa taken. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Harris went on to give a number of reasons why the present Government had lost the confidence of the country. " I rose with tho object of telling the member for Grey Lynn my opinion of him," said Mr. Harris, in conclusion. " I think very little of him. He pledged himself to his electors to vote the Ministry out of power, and has shown himself a man who can sink his principles and lower his manhood. It were better that a millstone were hanged around that gentleman's neck, and he were cast into the middleof tho sea." (Applause.)

AN IMPARTIAL MIND. WHAT IT MAY LEAD TO. MR. PAYNE EXPLAINS. Mr. Payne rose in personal explanation. "I must feel abashed at the speech of tho member for Waitemata," ho began. " Yon have no right to comment upon the method or tho argument of the speech," the Speaker interrupted. " You must refer to tho part of tho speech which misrepresents you." Air. Payne explained that his signed pledges wcro in tho possession of his Scheme 45 Committee in Auckland, and they did not contain an undertaking to vote against tho Ward Administration. I (Government members: "Hear, hear.") "I do not deny that I pledged myself to vote against tho Ward Administration," added Air. Payne. "I camo horo with an impartial mind, and have listened to tho weak dish-water" Mr. Herries : Is this a personal explanation?" Tho Speaker ruled that comment was out of order, and Mr. Payno admitted that since tho elections ho had given straightout pledges to vote out tho Ward Administration. " Tho Ward Administration will no longer exist after this division is takon," ho added, and there was a burst of applause from tho Opposition, " because the Primo Minister has already told tho country that ho intends to resign." (Opposition laughter.) Mil. HINDMARSIFS POSITION TO SUCK SIR J. WARD DRY. A FORTNIGHT'S GRACE. Mr. A. 11. Hindmarsh, Lab*-r member for Wellington South, explained his position. " I tuok fine care," ho said, " that I did not pledge myself to either party." (Mr. Massey: Hear, hear.) "It is unfortunate that Mr. Payne has pledged himself to somo extent, how far I do not know, but I do know that he was supported by the Labour party and by the Opposition party, because he was the lesser of two evils. Thoy voted against Mr. Fowlds because they knew that he was a downright opponent. "I have no love for the Liberal party," Mr. Hindmarsh continued, ''and 1 congratulate the Leader of the Opposition upon the good work that he has done, and upon the manner in which he has been able to persuade the country to send all these men to back him up against this 1 party that has rioted in power for so long | and has brought forward this Radical policy when four Labour members have got into tho House. You can judge what it will do when there are 20 Labour members I in this House. I thank Mr. Massey for j having so borne himself that the people j have reposed confidence in him to such an extent that the Labour party is able to control the situation and break the spell of shoddy Liberalism that hangs over this country. One Chance for the Government. "On this occasion I shall vote, in spite of my convictions, on Sir Joseph Ward's side." Mr. Hindmarsh announced. "I shall do so because Sir Joseph Ward has held out a programme. I am prepared to eav w« shall give you a fortnight to show

whether you will put these measures through, and if you do not we shall vote for the Opposition. We are going to exhaust both alternatives. We mean to suck Sir Joseph Ward dry and to suck the Opposition dry. .. That; is my position, and that is the position of tho Labgur party.' (Laughter.) Frank Talk About Mr. Millar. Mr. Hindmarsh said Mr. Millar had twitted the Opposition with having voted against certain mecasures not so many years ago. ' Mr* Millar, who called himself a democrat, had opposed his leader's proposal to introduce the rating on unimproved values. By that action he merited the eternal'opposition of every true democrat, and that opposition towards Mr. Millar would alwrys emanate from him. Last session Mr. Millar voted . against Mr. Hogg's Abolition of Duty on Flour Bill, and at that time uttered the treacherous doctrine that wages could not be increased without increasing prices. Such opinions justified the Labour party in opposing any Ministry which included Mr. Millar. " I sliall support this Ministry on this one occasion, and on every future occasion so long as Mr. Millar remains in it I shall do my utmost against it," Mr. Hindmarsh declared. " Not So Innocent As It Should Be." Mr. Hindmarsh proceeded to quote instances to show that proper administration was not a rule at present.. He said it was very difficult to prove corruption, because a Minister always had the evidence in his possession, and one had very little hope of unearthing anything. Thero were things done that lie would not say for ono moment that they were corrupt, but it was a wonder to him that a vulgar instinct of self-preservation had not saved tho Government from doing some of the things it had done. Take for instance the appointments to the Legislative Council a few years ago. He also referred to land purchases, and said the Government had paid £1 per acre for a block that lie personally did not believe was worth one penny per acre. What the House should do when it found that land had been grossly overvalued was to call tho permanent head of the Department to account. He should be told that if tho same thing occurred again it would cost him his position. (Hair, hear.) If a man knew himself' to be in this position he would decline to bo coerced. Mr. Hindmarsh expressed a belief that tho Labour party, though it might ultimately becomo like the Liberal —not so innocent as it should bewould exercise a good influence upon politics in New Zealand for some years. A More Progressive Government. Mr. Massey would bo able Jcontinucd Mr. Hindmarsh) to form a Cabinet that would bo. more progressive, individually than the present one. If the present Government did not give satisfaction tho Labour party could put a little cold steel into it and see what the Opposition could do. A SCENE AT THE CLOSE. POSTPONING THE DIVISION. The conclusion of Mr. Hindmarsh's speech was marked by loud applause from both sides, and then cries of "vote," but Mr. J. Vigor Brown (Napier) rcso to fill the gap. During his speech ho made reference to the large landowners in Hawko's Bay, and to attempts which ho alleged had been made by cutting up their land to evade the land tax. Ho mentioned names and areas and values. Mr. H. B. Campbell (Hawke's Bay) rose to make a personal explanation, stating that an underhand attack had been made upon himself, and upon his fate father. The Prime Minister challenged Mr. Campbell's right to make a personal explanation, and suggested that the House should adjourn. It was then 11.40 p.m., and he remarked that the House did not want to sit until 12.40. Mr. Campbell elected to make a speech. The member for IrSpier, he said, had stated that his (Mr. Campbell's) father had bequeathed land under different names so as to escape land tax. This was deliberately false. At the "bidding of Mr. Speaker Mr. Campbell withdrew the "deliberately false," and substituted "absolutely contrary to fact." Mr. Brown, he said, had been guilty of an underhand attack on his (Mr. Campbell's) father, who came to New Zealand in tho early days fought for his 'country during the Maori War, and had never done an underhand thing. In spite of cries of "vote" from the Opposition benches, the adjournment was moved by A. J. Dickie (Selwyn). and the House rose at 11.50 p.m.

MR. YEITCH'S VOTE.

A REQUEST FOR A PAIR.

REFUSED BY HIS COMMITTEE. [BY TELEGRAPH.-—SPECIAL COKRKSPONDSNT.)

Wanoandi, Thursday. At tho conclusion of a meeting of tho local Labour party to-night a meeting of the executive of Mr. W. A. Veitch's election committeo was convened to receive a deputation from Mr. Wilford's (Hutt) committee. Mr. McDonald acted as spokesman, and explained that tho deputation was authorised to ask Mr. Veitch's committee to request him to 'pair with Mr. Wilford in the division on tho no-confi-dence motion now before the House. After discussion it was unanimously decided that the request bo not acceded to, and that Mr. Veitch bo written to informing him of the decision, and stating that his- committeo has full confidenco in his determination to adhere to his election pledges. Seen afterwards, members of Mr. Veitch's committee expressed indignation at what they described as an impudent attempt to get at Mr. Veitch through the medium of his committee.

Mr. McDonald, in the course of his appeal, referred to Mr. Wilford's illness, and said that it was thought that as the Government had brought forward some food popular proposals, and as the liberal party was about to bo reconstructed, it would bo to the advantage of the people of Wanganui if Mr. Veitch paired as desired. Mr. McDonald went on to refer to the desirability of keeping Mr. Massey out, but Mr. J. T. Muir (chairman of Mr. Vcitch's committee) requested him not to introduce contentious matter. Mr. McDonald strongly emphasised Mr. Wilford's friendliness towards the Labour party, and said ho was sure Mr. Wilford's electorate would return the favour when, the opportunity presented itself. URGED TO SUPPORT. GOVERNMENT BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION. Stratford, Thursday. A meeting of the Stratford branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants resolved : "That, considering the attitude of the Reform party against Labour, this meeting requests Mr. Veitch to support the Liberal Government in the nc-conlidence motion before the House. By so doing, the meeting considers he will bo studying the best interests of the railway servants." It was also resolved to recommend other branches to take similar action. "FREED FROM HIS PLEDGE." MR. J. ROBERTSON AND THE FLAXMILL UNIONS. [BY TEEKCRArn, —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Palmerston North, Thursday. At a meeting of from 700 to 800 flaxmill hands, who hud gathered together from their mills throughout the West Coast to discuss ! tho dispute here, the political situation was iwiowed. It was resolved to free Mr. J. Robertson (Otaki), who was nominated by the Flax Employees' Unions, from his pledgo to vote against Sir Joseph Ward, and to strongly urge him to vote for the Government on tho no-conlklence motion. The motion was carried by acclamation, with only two dissentient*, both of whom, it was explained, had no votes in the Otaki electorate, while the others had, and represented all parts of the electorate. The meeting closed with cJieflr* for " Robertson and Radicalism.*