THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18612, 21 July 1922, Page 6

THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

LIBERALS OBJECTED TO IT. ALLEGATIONS REGARDING TITLES. NEARLY A SCENE. (From Ock Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 20. Dr Thacker, who spoke to-night, told the House that the Liberal Party made a mistake when it agreed to go into the National Government. Sir Joseph Ward, hc_ said, had to force his party again a.nd again, on four or five occasions, because the party was not whole-hearted. In fact, it was against that junction; but to be loyal and patriotic, and to follow their leader who was loyal and patriotic, the Liberal Party gave way to him and he junctioned with the National Government. _ He was supposed to have a fair share in the carrying on of that Government. But he had not. The present Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. J. A. Hanan, the Hon. G. W. Russell, and other Liberal Ministers had absolutely no say in that Government at all. They were over-ridden. Then v/hon Mr Massey went Home he said he would not go unless Sir Joseph Ward went with him, and when he got him to go, how did he treat him? He made him follow him oil over the country ; in fact, he was going to send him, on a mission to Poland to get him out of the way. The Prime Minister was absolute autocrat. Sir Joseph Ward had sacrificed himself and his party, which was narcotic poison so far as the Conservatives were concerned. “We people,” said Dr Thacker, “have got Liberal blood in our arteries and veins—labial blood that we have inherited from our ancestors. Wo cannot change. The Prime Minister is a quick-change artist. There were, he admitted, members on their side of the House who coquetted with the Reform Party, such as tho member for Timaru, and the member for Napier, because they knew the man who had the jampot and the ladle. There were others who would not do that sort of thing. The greater part of them were absolutely loyal. As to Mr Nosworthy’s remark about the Liberals going down like stubble before the plough, that showed that if There was stubble there must have been a crop. A parasite had cut it down, but it would still grow a greater crop of Liberalism. A SCENE AVERTED. At a later stage of Dr Thacker’s speech there was nearly fi, scone. Having stated that the press of New Zealand, except a few, had been bought by the Reform Party, Dr Thacker went on to accuse Mr Massey with recommending for titles men because they had contributed /to his party funds. Mr Massey with some'heat interjected: “I say it is a falsehood, sir.” The Speaker: The hon, member must not say it is a falsehood. The hon. member for Christchurch East, on the other hand, must not impute motives. The Leader of the Opposition rose in his place and asked that Mr Massey should be made to withdraw tho words he had used.Mr Massey: Now that the Leader of the Opposition has taken the part of one of his followers in making an accusation against mo, which is the reverse of correct, I say the statement is incorrect, but I withdraw the other. , ' _ Tho Hon. W. Nosworthy asked if Dr Thacker also should not bo made to withdraw the statement he had made. Mr Speaker: I understood he had withdrawn it. Dr Hacker; Yes, Mr Speaker, I did. Here the incident ended.