THE "BLACK” PAMPHLET

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7849, 11 July 1911, Page 1

THE "BLACK” PAMPHLET

STATEMENT BY HON. G. FOWLDS. PUI*IS ASSOCIATION. ROTORUA. July 10. The Hon. Geo. Fowlds, Minister for Education, who is at present in Rotorua taking the baths for a slight attack of rheumatism, was seen by a “Time*;" reporter this evening. Referring to a paragraph ▼hat appeared on the sth instant in a southern nowppa.rcr us follows: —“Minister the Hon. Geo.’ Fowlds has reiterated on a nubile platform tho charge that Mr Massey. loader of the Opposition, fathered an unauthorised biography of Sir Joseph ■Ward’’—Mr Fowlds remarked that it seemed to him that at the present time Opposition speakers and newspapers were prepared to go to any heights in the matter of misstatements. Regarding the particular statement referred to, it was without the slightest foundation in fact. On the contrary, what he did say in effect, when speaking on the matter, was that ho had never heard Mr Massey blamed personally for having had anything to do with the inception of the circulation of the Black pamphlet; but that the indictment against the Opposition generally was that, whilst thev knew it was in circulation and that thoir party were likely to benefit, from it. they took no steps to condemn it. “That was," Mr FowMs added, “quite a different statement from the one now being circulated by Opposition newspapers."