AN INSTANCE OF THE MISREPRESENTATIONS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13434, 22 July 1911, Page 4

AN INSTANCE OF THE MISREPRESENTATIONS.

Instances of misrepresentation on the part of the Opposition could be quoted by the score, but one of the latest haß reference to Sir Joseph Ward's attitude towards female suffrage. In the course of an interviow the other day with a newspaper reporter, Mr Massey put forward a number of reasons why the electors should listen to his prayer to give his party a "turn." Among them was the following:

When Sir James Carroll talks about being connected with all the great progressive measures of past years, it is interesting to romember that both he and Sir Joseph Ward voted against Sir John Hall's Female Suffrage Bill, and I can't think of any more progressive movement tlian that. I was not in Parliament at the time, but the proposal had my strong support outside.

It,is quite true that Sir Joseph Ward paired with the Hon. E. Mitchelson against the second reading of Sir John Hall's Bill. The fact is on record in "Hansard," which lie Lyttelton Times has been looking up,

and it makes this discovery; that ju»t before the third reading was taken Sir Joseph Ward (then Mr) explained how his name came to be recorded among the "noes." In "Hansard," vol. 74, page 22'}. appears the following:

Mr Ward said: I rise for the purpose of making a personal explanation. When the second reading of this Hill was before the House I was absent. I was paired upou Government questions with Mr Mitchelson. During my absence the, second reading of the Female Franchise Bill came on, and in order that my pair might be kept with Mr Mitchelson, who voted for the Female Franchise Hill. I was put in the position of voting against it. I now desire to put. myself right, inasmuch as hud 1' been there I should have voted the game way as Mr Mitchelson, and have voted for tho second reading of the Bill. When I ascertained that I had been paired in a direction contrary to what I desired. I telegraphed to the Whips and asked them, if uossible, to have, it reported rightly; but so many honourable meuibera voted or paired on the Bill that it was impossible to find anyone with whom I could pair in the way I desired to vote. I take thit> opportunity now of putting myself right and of asking the Whip to bear out what I say, that I endeavoured to get myself pain.d jn a direction which would have placed me as voting for the Bill aiid in the direction In which I have voted in this House on more than one occasion.

Mr W C. Smith: I should like to point out that what the Hon. tho Postmaster General anye la correct. Immediately-after tho division I received an urgent telegram from that gentleman tolling me that he should bo paired for the second reading of the Bill; but, unfortunately, tho pairs wore all full, and I was unable to change

We do not know, says the Times, who*. Mr Massey will have to say by wiy of explanation—wo axo almost tempted to writo that we do not care—but hero in a brazen piece of misrepresentation, made apparently for the pettiest party purpose, which even an indulgent critic mipht describe by a much harsher term