Mr John Werner's Attack on Mr Fraser. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2387, 30 November 1899, Page 38

Mr John Werner's Attack on Mr Fraser. TO THE EDITOR.

,Sir, — Perhaps more than any other subject in • New Zealand politics has the gold duty served as a peg to hang all sorts of mean, email, and contemptible plota, with a more or less occult motive. The last one, however, Teaches the ultima thule of design and craft. It appears that in February last, when Mr Seddon was on a political exploitation tour through Otagp, a deputation waited upon him at Gore, laving for its object the settlement of the tailings question, as resulting from dredging ope- - rations at Waikaka. Mr Inder, of Gore, on the subject, said that the dredgers in the locality were prepared to submit to a tax or royalty upon the gold won rather than be hampered in the prosecution of their work. ■Mr W. Fraser, M.H.R. for Wakatipu, who was nresent, stated that what Mr Inder had said 'was perfectly true. Coming round again eight Dr nine months later on a trip that •cannot be regarded- as anything else than a • touting tour for votes, Mr Seddon makes use of. the incident, contort- . ing it into a hideous plot for reintroducing the -gold duty by Mr Fraser, launching out at the same time that he (Mr Seddon) would soever approve of such a scheme; that he fought hard for the abolition of the gold duty, and so forth. If such duplicity had been com'tnitted in private life tho perpetrator would be shunned-by all honest men as a contemptible cad, but in politics such a trick is considered in certain circles as exceedingly clever. It lemains to be seen whether the sense of iionour and respect for truth and fair play are bo completely dead in New Zealand public life as not to resent such an act of cowardice and malignity on the part of a Premier who is neglecting his duty to the country, canvassing for votes for his partj by wilfully injuring an honourable opponent. As I am politically unknown, I do not sign my name, but you are at liberty to give my name and address as a, guarantee of pood faith \o any inquiring party. — I am, etc., FAIR PLAY. November 27. " TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — Among the many ir estimable blessings .•njoyed by the good p«ople of New Zealand jnust be reckoned the possession of two dis''wnguished men of undoubted title; no bar minister mara their escutcheons. These men Vre the Right -Hon. Dr Sec"don, P. 0., and Mr John Werner, Secretary of the Confederated Miners' Association, Lowburn. If this latter title wore rendered by initials it would really look' more imposing than the former : Mr John 'Werner, S.C.M.A.L. — quite a -professional tail lo one's name, speaking vaguely of mystic dignities. Which of the two is prouder of>the - honours he wears would be a difficult point to decide.- Both are fond of flourishing them before people, in a sort of could-put-on-side-but-won't-you-know air that is really magnificent. -But I did not begin this- letter to speak about . Mr Werner's honorific,- but about the charge ' made by him against Mr Fraser of trying to get the gold duty roimpoaed. "When Mr Fraßex- spoke at Lowburn, he was questioned , about this matter, and aaid that- the proposal ' lo reimpoße the gold duty did not emanate from him, but from the landowners .whose property on rivers whore dredging operations Were contemplated, as a, mode of raising funds for compensation, ' and Mr Fraser, as the reptesqntative of these people, as in duty. bounds

laid their 'proposal before the Premier. Mr Werner is very disingenuous, to saj the least of it, and in order to do Mr Fraser, who is his political Apollyon, as much damage as possible, follows the questionable tactics of the Premier, to whom a deviation more or les3 wide from the strict line of truth is a mere trifling detail neither nor there. We expect these kind of statements from the Premier, and discount them accordingly; but we looked for better things from Mr John Werner, S.C.M.A.L., who should have too much acumen to accept as gospel all that his titled cousin pours forth when carried helplessly along by the flood of his verbosity. Mr Werner talks a lot about fair play, but, like many other people, his opinion of fair play differs according to whether he is asking for it or asked for it. — I am, etc.,

URIAH 'EEp;