A COMPLETE APOLOGY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 53, 27 February 1912, Page 5

A COMPLETE APOLOGY.

LEADER, OE THE OPPOSITION FULLY RETRACTS. INSINUATIONS AGAINST MEMBERS WITHDRAWN. ‘‘UNRESERVEDLY WITHDRAW ALL IMPUTATIONS.” SOME V'lG OROUSCONDEMNATTON (Per Press Associn.t-.on ) Wellington, February 26. In the House of Representatives ‘this evening, Mr Massey made the following statement: — “On Friday evening, in'giving an account of a conversation between the member for Grey Lynn and myself, at the request of the former, I quoted an extract from a letter which I had read to the member mentioned. In doing so I committed a' grave error. The terms of the extract suggested , that a member of this House was subject to corrupt influences. Some -of my own words may have been capable of this same, construction, though I did not so in- | tend them, by some members. I The words I used with reference j to the Prime Minister and the member for Napier appear to have been understood as suggesting that the members I have tioned employed some improper influence. I feel it my duty to the House, to the Prime Minister, to .the member for Napier, and to the member for Grey Lynn to express my regret not only for reading the extract, but for the words I myself used, and, further, it is due to them that I should at the earliest possible moment unreservedly withdraw all imputations against those hon. members. I do not -believe that a bribe has been accepted by any member of the House, or that any member has offered another a bribe. My statement is made , without previous consultation with my party, and I have only been guided by my own sense of what is due by one man to another and by a member of the House to the House.” Mr T. Mackenzie said he hoped the statement would be made to include Ministers, as Ministers, and that he would state that they had not accepted bribes. He went on to say that in Auckland and elsewhere it was said that it was impossible to obtain grants unless £5, £lO, or £IOO were left on the Ministerial door-step. Members: “Oh, no!” Mr Mackenzie: “Oh, Nos are all very well, but this state of affairs exists.” The Hon. T. Mackenzie said lie wondered why Opposition members, os-| pecially the Leader, had been afraid to discuss the Speech from the Governor. They absolutely refused to discuss it. They declined to enter into a discussion on a policy which embodied the melioration of the community. With regard to the land question, he stated that the Opposition had made a point of crying about people -who bad left the country Ikjcause they could not obtain land. This was absolutely incon-ect. People who had left this country had done so because they had made money. They had gone abroad to Argentine and Canada to obtain larger holdings than were obtainable here, where the area of country was limited. They had gone forth as colonists, just as people seeking small areas came here from the Old Country. With regard to the statements that people should not invest their money here, statistics showed that the earnings on invested capital were from 25 to 36 per cent, per annum. The president of the Bank of New Zealand had some few months ago said the country was in for a period of low prices for agricultural products, but the present conditions showed that he had made a false deduction. An attempt had been made to politically assassinate their leader. Ho was accused of receiving pickings from loans, paying the country’s money to divert the shipwhich brought him from Home aftor; the 'lmperial Conference. Everyone • knew these were false, and he dared anyone who knew similar cases to come forward and state them honestly. When tins political turmoil had passed his (Sir J. G. Ward’s) name would stand forth for the reforms he had invented and passed. They had thrown him into a pit like his namesake of old, but he would come to be the leader of the country. The Hon. Mackenzie then entered into details in defence of the Agricultural Department, and pointed out what it .had done to help the farmer. If the Opposition wanted to criticise the Department, they should criticise him and not the officers, who were doing their best in the interests of the country. Speaking on the land question, he emphasised the fact that large estates must be broken up. Public opinion at the present time, he said, was started by newspapers established for the purpose of making money for shareholders, and therefore for capitalists. It was not public opinion in reality. There was a suppres-] sion of the truth, and a suggestion of | the false, and it was that which was 1 more influencing public opinion at pre-| sent than anything else. Referring at the close of his speech to the refusal of the Opposition to give a pair to Mr Wilford, he said they expected to win, but if they won by one or two votes, which he did not think they would, what a victory! It would be a matter which would never be forgotten. The Opposition was endeavouring to capture the votes of members on the cross benches. He was not going to go any further than to say to them to vote as their constituents and consciences dictated.

Mr Lauronson said the motion moved by Mr Massey was not directed against Sir Joseph Ward. Ho had announced his intention to .resign the leadership of the party of his own yiccord immediately after the division. The motion was directed against the Liberal Party, and thereby against the Liberal programme. He bad never hoard so much inference and inuendo given Aiterance" to during recent years. Charges had been levelled against 'the administration right and left, but never one had ever been proved. Only to-day a .man from Taranaki had sent him a telegram containing a charge against a Taranaki member. He did not intend to read the extract from the telegram, nor would he read the whole thing. He reviewed the legislation passed by the Liberal Government during the past ten years. No more radical legislation had ever been passed. He proceeded to uphold the provisions in the Governor’s Speech, and maintained that the Opposition were bitterly opposed to them. Mr R. W. Smith declared the Opposition had conducted a campaign of innendo. He asked what had the Opposition done for Labour? Nothing ! On the contrary, the Government bad for 21 years been putting labour legislation on the Statute Book with one hand and holding the Opposition off with the other. It was not the worker who was behind the Reform Party, but the man wfth money. He was looking forward tonight to the division, and had not very .much care as to the result.

Mr Myers said that nothing more gross in the nature of inuendos had taken place in the past in connection with politics. In .private life the members of the Opposition were honourable men, but he could not understand the political tactics of the party. The Opposition had been misled if it had convinced itself that all irfc had to do was to assemble in Parliament, take a vote, and then be esconced in the Treasury benches. If the electoral laws had been more perfect the Opposition would have had ten seats less than they now hold, and the Liberals three more than at present. The silence of the Opposition showed that it had been wrong in its anticipation. Persistent efforts bad been made to drive out of office the present leader. There was no doubt the Liberals had not lost their constructive ability. Mr Glover moved the adjournment at 11.45.