A GENTLE BREEZE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 38, 29 September 1911, Page 5

A GENTLE BREEZE.

WAS MR. MASSEY ASKED TO JOIN MINISTRY V

(Por Press Association.)

Wellington, September 28

In the House of Representatives tiiis afternoon, Sir Joseph Ward brought up the matter of fur. Allen’s spoeen, reported in the Southland limes, wherein Mr Allen was stated to have said that if Mr. Massey had wanted he could have joined the Ministry many, years ago, but had remained staunen to his party. The secret object of the proposal made to Mr. Massey was to form a junction of the two parties, and fight the Labour Party, but the Opposition would not do a dirty tiling tike that. The Premier asked Mr Allen when, where, and to whom the statement was made.

Mr. Allen: I say now, that the statement is approximately correct; .and 1 repeat the words here. Negotiations were going on, and Mr. Mas:sey could, if/he had liked, have been a member of the Ministry. Sir Joseph Ward, continuing, said that if the statement was made outside the House there was only one thing ho could say, that it was absolutely false. Ho had never authorised "any person to make a proposition to Mr. Massey that he should join the Government prior to the last general election. The position of the two parties in the House was: Government 60, Opposition 16, Independent I. Towards the end of the session the Minister of Railways asked him to meet two gentlemen in the House who were not supporters of ther Government. Ho saw these two men in the lobby of the House,, and refused to discuss their proposition. Had ho done what was suggested, he would not have remained leader of the party for one hour.

Mr. Massey said ho had never been connected with a political intrigue in his life. He wanted to endorse what had been said by Mr. Allen. Messrs. Allen, Kerries, "and Buchanan could endorse what he was going to say. A little threo years ago extended pressure was brought to bear on him to ask him to say he would join the Ministry witii another member of his party if given the opportunity. The Prime Minister had never had anything to do with the matter. He would say that tho proposal was. a very serious one, and came from two gentlemen and more who wore supporters of the Government. He took time to consider the matter, and consulted his friends, and came to the conclusion that he could not, either in tho interests of the country or the party, accept tho proposal. Ho had never received any offer or suggestion from either the Broader or. .any member of tiie Ministry.

Mr, Millar said that Mr. Allen, in his southern speech, had said distinctly that the Leader of the Opposition had been approached by the Premier with a view to getting him to join the Ministry. Flo endorsed what the Premier had said in regard to the interview in ,the lobby. He thought Mr. Allen was placed in a peculiar position. He should say that the inference thrown out at Invercargill was not correct. A long discussion followed, during which Mr. Allen was repeatedly urged to explain his statement. Mr. Allien said that what he had stated had been absolutely proved by what the Premier had stated that afternoon. Sir Joseph Ward had acknowledged that lie had been approached to open negotiations. What ho had said was that negotiations were going' on, and so. they were. He had never stated that the Premier originated the negotiations. He stuck to his opinion that Mr. Massey and another member of the Opposition could have boon members of the Cabinet had they so desired. He had nothing to withdraw. t The subject then dropped.