"HOW WE WENT OUT."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15826, 26 July 1913, Page 10

"HOW WE WENT OUT."

THE TEN MINUTES MINISTRY

Feom Otjb Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, July 25.

The controversy as to the circumstances in which the short-lived Mackenzie Government assumed and left office frequently crops up in an incidental way in the House.

The subject came up again this evening during a speech by Mr Ell, who occupied tlii! position of Postmaster-general in the "Ten Minutes' Ministry." In reply to a taunt from the Government benches that the late Ministry had no hope of retaining office when it. began its career, Mr Ell retorted, " There was a general feeling that wo had a, chance of polling through. There was a great deal of doubt in the mind of tho present Prime Minister whether he would pull through and reach the Government benches. Mr Massey: When? Mr Ell: Before the division was taken. Mr Massey: I knew it months before. Mr KU said he knew that tbore were some members who remained undecided until a very short time before the division was token*. "I never' dreamt, for instance," he said, " that the late Minister of Railways would vote to turn out, tho man who had acted an his senior whip," Mr Massey: You should not talk like that about an absent man.

Mr Ell: This ia no time for apologising, .My commenta are deserved.