“MACHINE-MADE POLITICS.”

Otago Witness, Issue 3610, 22 May 1923, Page 30

“MACHINE-MADE POLITICS.”

MR WILFORD’S ALLEGATIONS. REPLY BY” MR JAMES. WELLINGTON, May 20. In a statement to the press, Mr Janies, literary secretary of the Reform Party, denies Mr T. M. Wilford’s statements as to “machine-made politics” and “machinemade resolutions” by the Reform Party. He criticises Mr Wilford for making statements of a personal nature and his “silly outbursts” against the Prime Minister, the Reform Party, and himself. Regarding the Hugh St. Leger case, which he says Mr Wilford described a.s a shocking instance of oppression on the part of an unprincipled Government —a Government of which Mr Wilford was a member —Mr James says the facts only disclosed an extraordinary misreading of the law on the part of the Supreme and Appeal Courts, whose decisions were upheld by the Privy Council, and the action on the part of the National Government in which Mr Wilford held office as Minister of Justice and Marine. To make the intention of Parliament clearer in regard to the assessment of rents on grazing leases over which a soldier had the right of perpetual renewal the legislation which Mr Wilford complains of was, Mr James contends, passed with his concurrence, for the legislation was allowed to go unchallenged by Mr Wilfoid. Mr Wilford’s references at Te Aroha to the poison gas factory which Mr James was alleged to conduct in the interests of the Reform Party were of an insuring character, and Mr James’s friends were not likely to accept that estimate of his character. As to the alleged machine-made resolutions regarding Mr Massey’s representation of New Zealand at the coming Economic Conference, and the Auckland presentation, the various resolutions spoke for themselves, and bore sufficient impress of originality to give the lie direct to Mr Wilford’s suggestions. Apart from that the Auckland movement, said Mr James, was purely nonpolitical in character, and originated with the Mayor of Auckland, who was not a supporter of Mr Massey. .As to the representation of the Auckland City constituencies, while Mr James admits they are not represented by Reform members, he reminds Mr Wilford that they are not represented by Liberals, and that in these constituencies at the general election the Reform vote was more than double that recorded on behalf of the candidates supporting Mr Wilford.