SIR JOSEPH WARD RUFFLED.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXIV, Issue 17664, 13 September 1919, Page 5

SIR JOSEPH WARD RUFFLED.

A MOMENTARY STORM,

(By Telegraph.)' (From Our Parliamentary Reporter^

1 WELLINGTON, Sept. 12. The usual calm of the House wag ruffled this afternoon, when Sir Jo< seph Ward sought, and was givers permission to, make a personal ex< planation. He wished to complaiif of a statement made by Mr. Wilk!n< son to the effect that "the recom* mendations"*of the Cost of Ijiviju Committee in 1917 got short shriftfrom the Leader of the Opposition.'l That statement,, made'after his den parture from the House the previous night, was contrary to fact, and tq prove his contention he reM from j Hansard his remarks made when thq( recommendations in questions camq down, n"1 have learned to realist what political humbugs are," said Sir Joseps, after reading his cxi tract, "and the member for EgmonU is one of them." ; Members: Oh, oh. The Speaker said he must ask the: hon. member to withdraw that ib* mark. Sir Joseph withdrew the remark and went qh to contravert the' sug-? gestion that he had not been sympathetic with the endeavours to do* crease the cost of living. The misrepresentation by the membor for Egmont bad been a piece of political effrontery of the worst possible kind* Such a thing might be expected- outside the House from an unscrupulous man desiring to damage a political opponent, but not from a member of the House. As Minister of Finance* he added, he had done as much as any man in New Zealand to prevent the cost of living from rising. Mr. Wilkinson: I am very. Borry that any remark of mine should hava provoked such a storm of indigna-( tion. It was not his intention tor. I cast any reflection on Sir Joseph; Ward, or to make any attack upon him. Had he intended to do so, he would have given him warning. He ' felt that he had made fair comment, but if Sir Joseph still had any; ' feeling of resentment he would lika i to tender him an unqualified apology./ iAs he read Hansard, however, he, could only infer that the Learer of the Opposition had not been in favour of the recommendations of ihe Cost of Living Committee. He admitted that Sir Joseph had assisted to keep down the cost of living. He did not intend to be unfair to : Sir Joseph, to. misrepresent or make' political capital out of the matter.

Sir Joseph Ward unfeservedly ac« cepted the statement, and the House! went again on the even tenor of it» way. ' " ,"