Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7658, 17 June 1896, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 189 G. THE EX-TREASUR&R. Side by side in this issue we publish the full text of Mr Justice Williams' judgment and an extended report of Mr Ward's explanation in the House of Representatives. Both will repay careful perusal. The remarks of the upright and learned Judge show what a keen grasp he hiis had of this difficult case, and his level-headed conclusions, all pointing to the responsibility of Mr Ward for the scandalous position into which his affairs have been allowed to drift, are too clear to be gainsaid. On tho other hand, Mr Ward's explanation was remarkably impotent, and its weakness was made apparent by the torrent of vindictive vituperation which he levelled against his political opponents. Mr Ward displayed exactly the same tactics a year ago when brought to book for the misrepresentations he had been guilty of before the London Chamber of Commerce He attempted to shield himself in an untenable position behind a cloud of abuse. Abuso is not argument, and to level charges against other people is no defence of one's own character. We regret that our space to-day is so taxed that we are unable to enter into a f ull,review of the case. All who have read the evidence must agree with us that the Judge did the right thing in refusing the application, which was obviously an attempt on the part of Mr Ward and his friends to get him and his company out of the clutches of tho law. To use the words of the Judge, it was "an offer to buy from bankruptcy and its consequences a man who should not escape them. This is in effect an offer of hush money." It is in the interests of commercial morality in New Zoaland that the Supreme Court, with honor to itself, has refused such an attempt made by persons in high places, and has ordered that Mr Ward shall Btand in the same position as any other insolvent under the Bankruptcy Act whi»U his own Government introduced into Parliament. If the investigation of his affairs discloses wrongdoing punishable under that Act, Mr Ward should no more escape punishment than any other reckless or unscrupulous trader.

It is to the care of this " wizard of fiuance" that the finances of the colony have been entrusted for the past few years. Little wonder then that the Government have been boasting of "surpluses," whilst all the time they have been increasing the public debt by millions of pounds. A day of reckoning must assuredly come, and we do not envy those whoso duty it will be to restore the colony's finances after Messrs Ward, Seddon and'Co have done with them.