A STRONG SPEECH.

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 6

A STRONG SPEECH.

MR HERDMAN HITS OUT. PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE DEFENDED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 12. In his ropy on the second reading debate on the Public Trust Office Act Amendment Bill to-night the Hon. A. L. Hordman made a most effective speech, which refuted in detail statements circulated by Opposition members and press in connection with the Government's administration of the Public Trust Office. From the outset Air Herdman vigorously denounced the lino of criticism adopted by Oppositionists. No statement, ho said, had ever been made by any Minister from which it could be inferred that the proper legal work of the Public Trust Office was in any way to be interfered with. If the Government wanted any vindication of its desire to see the Public Trust Office flourish and prosper it was the Bill before the House—the most liberal measure dealing with the Public Trust Office that had over been introduced.

Ever since the delivery of the commission’s report, said Mr Hordman, members on the other side of the House and newspapers under their control had suggested that an attack was being made by the Government upon this institution. It had been suggested that Mr 8011, who was in the Upper House, and himself, as Attorneygenera i, had deliberately made up their minds to conspire to bring this institution to the ground. No more wild statement and no more malignant (dander could ever have been perpetrated by anybody in public life inside or outside of that Chamber. The member for Lyttelton had attacked the commission, and so had a Christchurch gentleman named M'Cullough. The latter had not only made slanderous statements, but statements that were deliberately untruthful. Mr M'Cul'ough had said that he (Mr Hordman) and Mr Bell had gone down to Dunedin to interview Mr Hosking before the commission was set up—a statement that was quite untrue. The same person had said that Mr Macintosh was a co-director with himself on a newspaper in Wellington. Not only had Mr Macintosh never been a director on this newspaper, but he had never even been a shareholder. Subsequently Mr M'Cullough had made a statement—-he thought at the Unity Conference—that the two commissioners, in making their report, carried out the wishes of the Minister and obeyed their instructions, with the result that the report was antagonistic to the institution. His reply to this was that they could not have selected two better men for the work than they had done. The lion, member for Lyttelton was unworthy to unloose the shoes of these men.— (Laughter). They were men of high reputation in public life. He dared any gentlemen in the legal profession to say one word against Mr Hosking, and he dared -any gentlemen in the House to say one word against the character, ability, and experience of Mr Macintosh. This gentleman was formerly general manager of the Bank of New Zealand. Ho had had more to do with bringing the Bank of New Zealand safely through its difficulties in its troublous days than any other gentleman, and in addition he had been chosen by the NewSouth Wales Government as a commissioner of the savings banks in that State. Now ho was superintendent of one of the biggest mercantile firms in the dominion, and t o man, declared Mr Herdman with emphasis, dare say a word against his ch trader or ability. Who were the real enemies of the Public Trust Office? asked Mr Herdman. Tne people who desired to introduce legislation which would put on the Statute Book an Act to make the administration of the office infinitely more liberal than it had over been in the past, or the people, who by hint, suggestion, or slander endeavoured to suggest that an attack was being made on that institution. If any damage had been done to the office, more harm had come about bv suggestions made by lion, gentlemen on the other side of the House by their inventions and their insinuations, not only inside the House but outride of it. From Ills knowledge of the inner workings of the office lie could say that no one was more anxious to bring about a better condition of affairs in the institution than the Public Trustee and the deputy trustee, and he believed they would give him credit for desiring to bring in legislation to make for its betterment. If any harm had been done to the office it had not been done by anything that any member of the Government had said. He believed from his observations that the Opposition divided the whole world into those who were bookmakers and those who wore not —into those who were to bo taken down, and those who wore not. Ho ventured to believe that bon. gentlemen on the other side of the House if they discovered a Government member in a church, would at once believe he was there, not for the purposes for which the church existed.

but for the purpose of robbing' the com inanity.—(Loud laughter.) Mr M'Callum: You arc talking a lot dl

nonser.ee. Mr Hardman: I am only drawing infer onccs from the speeches made by the hon. member for Wairau and others. After further detailed reply to criticism, Mr Herdman closed the discussion, and the second reading was carried on the votes.