THE "BLACK PAMPHLET."

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 1315, 11 July 1911, Page 2

THE "BLACK PAMPHLET."

STATEMENT BY HON G. FOWLDS.

[ United Pbess Association. J

m, tr Rotorua, July 10. Hie Hon G. Fowlds, Minister for Education, who is at present in Rotorua taking baths for a slight attack of rheumatism, was interviewed by a' J linen reporter this evening Referring to a paragraph that appeared on July 3rd in a southern newspaper, as follows: "The Hou G * I'owlds has reiterated on a public platform the charge that Mr Massey, the Leader or the Opposition, fathered the unauthorised biography of Sir Joseph

Mi l'owlds remarked that it seemed to him that at the present time tho Opposition speakers and newspapers were prepared to go to any lengths in the matter of misstatements. Regarding the particular statement referred to, it was without the slightest foundation in fact. On the contrary, what lie did say, in effect, when speaking on tho matter, was that he had never heard Mr Massey blamed personally for having had anything to do with the inception or the circulation of the 'Black" pamphlet, but that the indictment against the Opposition ■*«!- orally was that, whilst they knew it was in circulation and that their party were likely to benefit from it, they took no steps to condemn it. That was, Mr Fowlds added, quite a different statement from the one now being circulated by tho Opposition newspapers.