OBJECTIONABLE TACTICS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 15091, 13 December 1919, Page 3

OBJECTIONABLE TACTICS.

STATEMENT BY SIR JOSEPH . i • ; ward. 'Special to the Herald.) WANGANUI, this day. ■ Sir Joseph Ward, m a statement to a-_ press representative yesterday, criticised certain tactics ol his opponents which had been adopted e'sewhere. He sa : d that his attention had been called to a personal statement published on the authority of the Reform party' at Wanganui and elsewhere, wherein he was alluded to as the ;< wealthy baron, Sir J. Ward, with his great fortune." He was sorry to say that some methods for Reform, m the course of the election contest, iwere.on a very despicable basis, and he felt sure that to use tactics of a personal nature, which the Liberal party had not done, would not be to the other party's advantage. He contended that it showed they were hard pressed when compelled to use such methods. Sir Joseph Ward said that he had been . 33 years representing the same seat. Never m his life had he had an interest m native or Crow&ft, lands. He was not at any time a shareholder m a business concern excepting his own and two newspapers. He had not been & member of any syndicate interested Jn land or otherwise bought or sold, to the Government. No member of his family had been employed by the Government or had been paid out of Go-rernment funds. The whole public records of his ■work as Minister of about 26 years were availably to his opponents, and never had there been, nor could there be, any suggestion of impropriety m connection with official worlf ,or aflministra^ion of thp Crown. For many yeari} he 'had known before the public where new railway centres or post offices were to be established, but m no part of the country had he made any investment, particularly by acquiring sections which he knew would become valuable m consequence of the operations of the Government. He was connected with a large and successful business m soujih, but contended that the introduction of private masters - into political affairs was very unfair. He'' was no£ a money lender, no,r had hei ever b^en money lender, beoaosa his money .was required m his own business. The impression intended to be conveyed was that he had amassed a great fortune, but he would undertake to aay that many men were ever so much better I off from a worldly point of view than ' he. Continuing, he said he started from the botte;m of the' ladder at the age of J. 3, and had_ worked his, way' unwargs. pyer since. 4W°^Sh put aowfl $jnc>e he was 'thankful to 'say th^t hp pad got oh largely as the result ot hie'ovfn efforts, without assistance from a public man or the Government. It seemed as if this deplorable, cowardly method of attacking a man because he was m public life and ' opposed on broad matters of

policy to others was to bo accepted as a certificate of his capacity by his opponents. It certainly appeared remarkably strong evdence of. their inability to undertake control of the country at present, and was deplorable, especially at a time when tremendous responsibility had to be faced that must m the settlement continue difficult i for some years. j