PREMIER'S ILLNESS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17237, 17 April 1930, Page 9

PREMIER'S ILLNESS

REFORM NOT TO BLAME PRE-ELECTION TROUBLE (Per Press Association.) _ AUCKLAND, last, night. The allegation made by the Hon. W. A. Veit eh, Minister of Labor, that the Reform Party, by stonewalling the Government’s Land Taxation Bill, had caused the breakdown in health of the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, has been replied to by Mr. A. E. Davy, formerly chairman of the Dominion executive of the United Party. . ... M!r. Davy says: “The Minister will remember that just prior to the 1928 general t election, when Sir Joseph Ward made his very brief policy speech in the Town Hall in Auckland, his health was not too good. The curtailment of this speech was partly due to the unfortunate effect of this, and one cannot but admire Sir Joseph Ward ’s courage, in carrying on. Three days after ho returned to Wellington, his doctors sent for me and told me dial il would bo impossible for him to. continue as loader of the party or even as a member of Parliament. They had told him this and ho instructed them to tell me. “After a prolonged conference with me. they finally agreed to let him remain the nominal leader provided (hat lie was not disturbed in any way with polities or scfn by anyone until they gave further permission, which was ultimately given a fortnight later. Sir Joseph ’s health from then on had nnfortunatelv not been good, and this recent breakdown can be at* ; r-tmte'd to no other than natural (uni'-es. combined with the strain of carrving on n one-man Government. ■)., <]iis respect the other members of dm United Cabinet are grnsslv unfair to d>eir leader and to its control as a whole.”