MR CORRIGAN ONICE MORE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19434, 21 October 1925, Page 6

MR CORRIGAN ONICE MORE

There are not many candidates in the election campaign who are gaining such widespread publicity as falls to the lot of Mr. J. R. Corrigan, the National Party’s candidate for the Patea seat, and we hope there is not any who envies that gentleman his publicity. Mr. Corrigan’s method of obtaining notoriety is to prefer charges of corruption against Ministers and the Government as a whole, aud when the charges are completely refuted and shown to be absolutely without foundation he grudgingly retracts them and says something about all being fair in political tactics. Fortunately for the Dominion Mr. Corrigan’s code of political tactics is peculiarly his own. The latest Corrigan petard to hoist its author concerns the Government’s purchase of the Wigram aerodrome at Christchurch. Mr. Corrigan has alleged in effect that the purchase was a reward for the political support of two members of Parliament who happened to be financially interested in the aerodrome. Having served its purpose in war time, the aerodrome was of little use as a commercial venture after the war, and private citizens obviously could not be expected to carry it on as a voluntary addition to the Dominion’s defence equipment. The Government, however, saw an opportunity of fitting the enterprise into the defence system, and very properly took it over. This action must have appeared to Mr. Corrigan’s distorted mind to denote a gift to the shareholders. What are the facts? The aerodrome was founded through the patriotism and benevolence of Mr. H F. Wigram, one of the most honoured citizens of Christchurch. Others joined him in this fine war work. They put their money into the enterprise, carried on for some years without receiving anything in the way of dividends, and finally took seventeen shillings for each one pound share, while Mr. Wigram himself made a very handsome gift to the country. Year after year the shareholders went without interest on their invested capital, let alone profits, and in the end each received only a portion of the money that he had subscribed.

This is the transaction that Mr. Corrigan attacks. In charity to him we should perhaps say that such a mind as his probably cannot conceive of such patriotism and generosity to their country as Mr. Wigram and his colleagues displayed. But if Mr. Corrigan’s powers of perception are so inadequate, that surely is the very reason lyhy he should hesitate to impugn the motives of others whom he does not understand. Happily for the country Mr. Corrigan is likely in future to enjoy few opportunities of gaining public notice. When the electors relegate him to private life he will be quickly forgotten.