The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1905. MR. FLATMAN.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXII, Issue 848, 2 December 1905, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1905. MR. FLATMAN.

We have lost sight of Mr Flatuiun for some time past, but we have been reminded of his existence, and of his interest in the "Timani Herald" by ;i report of a speech in which he professed to reply to the address" delivered by Mr James Allen in Temuka last week. After passing various loose comments upon portions of Mr Allen's speech, Mr Flat man expressed the opinion that "it was no wonder the ' Tima.ru Herald' was somewhat silent _on Mr Allen's address."* Even an old horse, it seems, can be ignorant l of the wisdom of letting sleeping dogs He. When we were asleep, so far as he was concerned, Mr Flatman would have been wise to let us lie, instead of kicking us into activity again, to lay him by the heels. As far as Mr Allen's address is concerned, it needed no embellishing from us, and as- our readers know, we happened to have other fish to fry at the beginning of the week, without commenting upon a speech the facts of which were incontrovertible. But since Mr Flatman wishes us to refer to it, we shall ask hiin this question:—Can he denv Mr Aliens statement that be (Mr Flatman). in an address to his constituents, quoted an educational return which the Premier himself admitted in the House of Representatives last session was an imposition, as partof its contents—" owing to a clerical erior" Mr Seddon said—was incorrect? Can he deny that- as a member of the House luwas furnished with a printed copy of the Order Paper containing the Premier's admission? And will be tell us whether, in quoting that erroneous return after the i session had closed, he was guilty of ignorance or dishonesty? Those ate the only two alternatives open to any member of the House who used that- return after the Premier had admitted its inaccuracy, and neither alternative is creditable to Mr Flatman. Then again, will Mr Flatman deny Mr *.V>)rii"s statement that oat of nine I v-v.es f'-r the Geraldine constituency placed i '-'J the Pr.b'ic Works Estimates "in 1904. r,n 'y ' 'v-e expended-at the close of ':h? wr, when all unexpended v "te--- :•?« vi'iirv.:?;to lapse, and if ; hjivfc in 'i- Mr AF<j> cer'uiin!y wa v i;i <.:n:r in jivtling the vote for the dh:ir:.o: o: the Otipua lagoon in the Oerai.li-e district : but his other instance* were all correct, and the mistake about tl-c Ot:p;:a lagoon was only a confirmation: j «f .Mt .Allen's contention that under 12«o i present system of voles for public work-.! members of the House authorise payments for tinkering jobs which they know übs:- ] lutely nothing about. Mr Flatman. in j his comments upon Mr Allen's speech, ] quoted the number of times the meuifK-r \ for Bruce had voted against the Old Ace j Pensions Bill and other proposals. He; gave nd Explanation of why Mr Allen voted j as he did; he simply gave the haie fact i that he had voted with the in a. j certain number of divisions. If. we applied the same Ictittcism to Mr Flatman. we might keep_hiija"l?usy explaining to hs>constitnents. For instance, in his- speech at Christchurch. the other night, the Premier read a list of, those who last session voted against the Old Age Pensions Bill, and whose name do we find in -it? \Ybo«p but Mr Flattnan> ! are >ot going, to explain why* Mr Flatman voted, -agninstir him as he (rented Mr Allen. We shall simply record the fact that in one division at "least he voi«>l against the Pensions .BID, ajxd we shall leave him to do his own explaining. As far aa Mr Allen's votes -went they .we aJI cast' on principle, and on'a sound prir.ciple too- that no premium should be put* upon thriftlessneSs., while a ' pcrialtv was placed upon thrift and frugality.* Mr Flatman himself, in moving tie Address-m-Reply at the beginning "of last session approved of Mr . Allen's principle. He quoted with approbation tie following clause from a report on the old nge pensions question laid on the table of the House of Commons:— :

TTiere i.s some danger that those who ara iri a j>osition to save tnonev niav be discouraged from savins l.v ihe reflection that the more they h:ive. the less they will receive in "the form ""f a pension. It may be advisable to intrust those who have the distribution of pensions -with a discretion, as ta amount, so that the pension awarded may not be so reduced a* to deprive applicants of the fruits of their own thrift. That, is the principle for which Mr Aiittt /a*d lis coljeagjnes have always c*Btex«taii. 3 s i dlvrajS i'»'tei; last 3iy d:*f-

of strenuous fighting, iney managed to get :iie principle recognised to some extent, and tbo Premier has now adopted it and is clamouring for the ideal of universal pensions.. Mr Flatu;aii—and Mr HallJones List night used the &ime argument'— brought up those ~nvr wages winch the Atkinson Government paid to the unemployed. \\ ho weie responsible for ibe condition oi affairs which necessitated .such , Rt ?\ at v n p:l * v? C " u3tl a Government, which had only bi-tn in office a mouth, cripple a couniry in four weeks? The country was crippled by .Sir Harry Atkinson s predecessors—the f>tout-Y«g*] Ad- | ministration and when those extravagant. | Liberals had brought New Zealand to'tho verge of ruin, they were turned out and better men had to restore its finances to ft wmnd condition. Let Mr Flatman auk hi? friend Mr J. M. Twomey about that nnd see whether we are right or not. Or let him turn up " Hansard " for 1688, and read the speeches of Mr Seddon when h«-s-aid that "reductions must be made." "Jet. those who are responsible to the people put. in the pruning knife," and "Set the responsibility for these reductions rest on the proper shoulders, that is this Parliament as a whole, and not the five or six gentlemen who happen to ha on the (roverament benches."' Let him a]«o read Mr Seddon's complaint in " Hansard " -about men on the relief works making what he , called " good wages," and demanding that tney should not be allowed to earn more than 4s or 5s a day. And one word to Mr Hall-Jones, who last Digit attacked the increase of taxation imposed by Sir Harry Atkinson. Let him read toe" division Hst on the second reading of Ibe Cn*t<>ms_ Duties Bill which affirmed "the imposition of additional taxation. Let him look among the Ayes who voted , for heavier taxation, and let him say whether the Seddon and the Ward who figure among .h<*e Ayes are the same Seddon and the same Ward as. he is associated with today. Let him look among the Noes who opposed the increased burden «n the people and let him say whether the Alien and the Buchanan who tried to stop that burden were the same Allen and the same Buchanan who sat opposite him in the House last session. For the information of the public, we may say that the Allen whose name appears in opposition to the increased taxes on page 619, Vol. 60 of Hansard" (1888) is the Mr Jaroes Allen who spoke in Tenraka last -weak, and whom Mr Flatxnan has born-vainly trrimr to refute. "• " *