FISHER'S CHARGES

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1394, 3 August 1905, Page 2

FISHER'S CHARGES

Accuser's Slalemeitto tlte House Gtvll Servants Itiiplicatetl Speeches by the Premier and Sir J. G. Ward Jlie Incident Closed ;■"■ By Telegraplj .—Proas Association." Wellington, this day; '•'.<: Me Seddon said that now Mr Fisher was in bis plaoe, ho thought it only right that he should see tho 'original Sneddon vouober ho had iwkcd for on Saturday. He ;therefore produced tho document, .;'■■. : ■"'. Mr Fisher, siid ; that when ho uiado his charges on Friday night he bslieved' ho was carrying out his conscientious duty as a> representative of the people, of New" Zealand, and ho knowforfeo'tly well thai the people, the press, aid the majority ;b''members were desirous that he should do the proper thing, He would deal with what was placed before tho Houso yesterday by thoPreinior. The first charge; to futed by the Premier wa3 a charge manufactured by the Premier himself',, and /he defied the Premier to say that-ho (Mi Fisb,er) had charged Captain Soddopviwith having drawn travelling allowances' in Chfißtchurch and Australia, . .Ho asked tho Premior if Captain Saddon had received travelling expenoea while- in Aua tralia, and he was satisfied with the ■ explanation as to tho voucher'ls,Bl9.':"Mi Fisher said ho was satisfied that it was genuine. • "Willi regard to tho youohen for wreaths to tho Hon, W. 0. Walker's funeral, Mr Fishor said that what hi wantod was tho vouchor witt tho names of Ministers on it, and if he hai to invoke the aid of the highest tribuna in the land ho would havo that voucho before he left Wellington, On Frida; night he had not recoivod an oflioial com niunicatiou from anybody to show, he hat made a mistake in respeot to theSneddoi voucher, and he .declared that before 1 h iva? through with the whole thing he wbuli . show thopeoplo what sort of Govornmeo: . they had had for the last fifteen ysarj Was ho to accept a baro newspaper report and humble himsolf on the strength 'o that? Ho had been told that if hVha'i approached the Premier he would bavo go the information he wanted. Ha ap proachod tho Premior on one occasion ,ij the kindliest way, and would notdosi again. Hr Houston had suggested 4ha he based his information on a vouohorhi saw t in tho postmaster's room. at Christ church, but his visit to the postmasto was throe months after tho Snoddoi vouchor, and if he bad time to see it a all he would have seen that tho nam ■was Sneddon, and not Seddon, If. i should turn out that he lit would do overything in his power to m'ak.o atonement, but so long as he felt ho m right he-should eland up for the right The Promior had said that the attack was arraugodm a room in the building. Hov did he know that ? Was it through' tin touts and spies with whioh tho building was infested ? The Promier had also saii that tho attack was made to assa'l th, father through the children. . He (Mr Fisher)'would be tho last member toinmk 1 an attack on the domestic affairs of th, Premier, but if he appointed mem hm of his dvn family thoy mus be open to criticism, He had dealt only will 'the publio posilions hold by ..the member: of liie Premier's family, and if neoessa ho would do so again, Mr. Fishor ; wen ; on to refer to ft certain appointment to flu Oivil Service which had been.icondauinec on Friday night and/defendedby Mr Seddon and Sir J. Watd yesterday,, Mr. Spoakor informed Mr. Fishor tint in making.his explorations ho mint.conlino himsolf to fads and not htrodiicc debaSablomatter, ' •"■,■,.-.■■ Mr. Fisher went on to rofocto"-this matter, when the Speaker ruled that he could not refer to oil the charges that had been made, but only to the refutations-by the Minister,- '-, ;.; ■ /,■.-.' Mr-Fishor(said tlut if tho Govoramsnt bad hot answered all the charges, sd muoh thoworso for them. What ho could'not say now ho .would say duting tho financial debate. He thort ondeavourod to refer to tho tologram whioh had beon roa'd by Mr Bedford on Fridiy night, but tho Speaker ruled thai ho could not do so. ''. ■''.-. ■'-.--." Mr. Fisher wont on to say that ho 'admitted fairly, 'frankly, and candidly that ho believed the Sneddon vouchor produced by tho Premior was an absolutely genuine document, but by; the'most extraordinary' circumstances and most marvellous coincidence ho 'gave on Friday .. night the correct number and amount and da'o of that voucher, and ii, was (ho purest aooident for anyone to iuiaginet tho mistake was his (Mr. Fisher's), and he took all tho blamo for it; but he honestly'and conscientiously; bolioyodvthero was another voucher which waspaynblo to Captain Seddon, and he was going to ask .tho House to set up the highest judicial inquiry it could, and he thought ho would substantiate before any. Judge of the Stat6 tho truth of his,assertion. Ho asked tho Govornmint to maltb inquiry as to whother such a payment was mado, The voucher ho'roforrod to was for £lO or JGB0 —ho could not give tho aotual details—and it was for.t'oorgnuising the defence stores. Nothing would satisfy publio' opinion except an inquiry. Ho believed ami hoped ho was reudoriug tho State, a sorvice in this matter, If ho failed to establish his ohargos ho was propared to abido by tho consequences, Ho was making the chargo conscientiously and honestly, and if tho Government would givo ten Civil Servants ah indemnity he believed bs could sheet tho charge home, .Mr fishor added that Mr Sneddon had told , liin tho vouohor was all right, and that , io (Mr Fisher) rouiavkod to him that the ] aist-ako must bo bis (Mr Fisher's.) ' ■ 1 VOOOHEK PBODUCED. ■ "'.':. i Mr Seddon produced tho voucher for ! ho Education Department's wreath, and „ aid thero was no other vouchor.;' He also opeated that ho had communioatod .with dr Fisher at tho earliest possible'; moment "i fl'er discoveiy of tho Sneddon voucher M nSaturday. ,■ -' ;:'„.• •' ;,; .:, In reply to tho Promior, Mr Fishor si jd' ,d § had uevor soon tho Sneddon vouchor: a w.;f- _■' ■■■.,;. ' : *''';:-v'"-&:i

before, and ■ .nnt|i: : ;he's'aw, thd ■;.', :■/ '; he:did inthe 'world as Sneddon;'. '■■ ; MrSeddonsaid'thai in. faoe ; of ,to:pror'^: : : duotioni 0f..; She; prifial \ Sneddon .yducher,- v • - with thedetailp that. Mr Fisher.Had asked for/ was it"reasonable.for the,member for *- ; Weliingtoji to eay that* he .'-still believed there was a voucher for, i£7o or fSOP-'-He/;.-, thought that members would regret that.--.' the,hdn. momber for Weliingtoh: had not -taken, another course. --.lt : was' almost ';'- :'■ adding insult to injury. V, : .', - : '■,■■'.' : INDEMNITY ASKED FOB. 'Mr Fisher: I don't think that members of the House or the people of the colony ,: will place tho construction upon my action which the Premier has endeavoured todo i inhisclo'sing'words. I say now, that if I i did the Premier or a member of his family ; an injustice, after there has been an im. . ; partial inquiry, I will mako all the ropara 1 - . > tion that is duo from any honourable man; j but under tho existing slate of affairs the j peculiarity of tho oircumstadbes prevent s mogiviiigthei'iformationinm'ypossossion. I: Nothing can extract that information unless j tho Housegrantsan indemnity. It tho Houso doesthat I will produce my evidonco, and ' d : i( the Premier has nothing to fear Ist him t set up that inquiry. If he, does tLt, I tel y him candidly that if I am proVod to be I-! wrong I will make that reparation to him i- and express, all the sorrow and .contrition e that; any man possibly can do. What r more oan I say than,that? ■;■"■ h; Mr. Seddon again ure,ed the futility of' n asking for an inquiry .because a member 'V. • id'."Believed'"something,' "Boliof" could ■-■•,'" 1-: not betaken as grounds; for aii' inqniry, " );; Mr,; Fisher, had admitted, that he had- ;• made a mistake, and,,he ought to have ' !r r mado atohomont-for-that error/ The is Premier went on to, say'that he did not rs proppsetomdveany motion-on the pub's jebt, ■ Ho did not want to.mako a martyr le of the hon. member. Ho world leavo ,h him tO;his cquccienea'j his constituents, id and the public. He, Bad made a mistake,'. a' be had had an opportunity tb repair it,, ; or and he had.not done so. '..-'• -"i/ ty ;, Mr. Fisher rotated that he wits qiiito ' a-; ready for' any motion tha■Pcemior liked to id propose.; He asserted that if .the names of' in Ministers weremoS ontho voucher in conio 'nection with Mr. Walkers wroith, thoy Id 'wero.on others',' ': '.'■■' ,/. .. i' )t : /BEMABKS BY SIR J. WABD. ■a, Sir Joseph Ward said that if Mr. Fishot :t, was saying that, the names of all the of Ministors were; on the- vouchors he was id. givinginformaiipn pubf.tho'mouth' of aot liar. Ho stigmatised'Mr.,<Fisher's,infor» p- inantasone who should be hooted/out of in the colony. ;Memb'ers,-'opppsed,;to the so Government might 'believe-that thei Min- '•■ it ißtry should go out of oflice,;but if they ie'. the position-that members of itj, the publio sorvice should:at:ack' Minister . or becausa thoy wore'- Minister!, and, have ''. ' m their namos concoilsd, then 1 it'was goodat byo to pubfio life in New Zealand.'. .'-..■ ; .< ie _ Mr Fisher 'said be had said that the it voucher referred to,conlaiae'd the-nanies ■ ie of Ministors. How many thefe-were'he p would not say. Astothegontleman/whom is the Postmaster-General had, applied bis t, pleasing; language, he Would like to ask if . s !it were right and proper that a Govern- ...,- w ment department of 40 men should all be ' ie oognisaiit of ajgigantio fraud on the oojony; ' !f! and yet not speak. II that was to be%i' '. 1 doetrihe.-then God help New Zealand. -' id MrSoddon said that with tho officers of- '..'■ r,, the 'Audit and; Treasury.iDo'partmenls, it ie wasimpdssibl9';that s'ubh' a', situation v ', . ig should occur by' Mr ' i- Fisher, Ho de'olined to bo, placed in the st position of one who was aooused. The '" ,h one aoctisod and convicted was -the junior rs member for Wellington, '' "., ' r ' ; Mr Fishor. said ho ■ did not \ suggest for it a minute that tho Oiyil Sttvieo was not ie every bit as good aa it'oould be under' d thopresont administration,. r , r. .'Sir Jospph Ward againurged, that Mr -'. Fishershould name the'iuntrutiiful source - t of his information;;:'',',' :V/.v,,. .; - ,Mr Houston, who on Tuesday had,stat'- .." )., ed that it had'boen roported that Mr , ■'•'•: Fishor had soon -the Sj.oddbn'vouohjr is ainong'thopipjrs of ( the Chtistohutoh 0 postmaster, said tbat'he quoted a rumour, d and he now withdrow it after Mr Fisher's y denial, . • ■ Mr Fisher acknowledged the withdrawal, ' (' and tho incident then ended. '. ' "> 1 Inoonneotionwith Mr Fisher's ohnrgis , against Captain Seddon, tho following letter from MrP.ichardSuoddon appears 3ln the Ghriatchui-oh nowspapors:—" Seer name has been brought' before the .- public'.hrregard to a Government vouchor for 176 is 9Jj receipted by me on June 9, 1904, for, and on bßhalf.of, mV omplovers • (Audorsons, Limiiod),T'wish to ptate,cmt phatioßlly that'it had-nothing whatever | todo With Mr, Fisher's'charges against ( -- Captain Seddon, or, as stales, for/re. . organising defenoe stores,'/ Tho voucher was for iron and ; stcel supplied by Adder- ■• sons. Limited, to the. railway-.'storea at I Addington, and I aii .oontiuually sigiv'ng '. such youohers through this firm .being the Government contractors; Ikribiviblhing . ■whataver ttbout..-.Mr;;.:FißWs.:,BMer.tibn ' i against OaptainSoddonj hor-didfgivo any '... iuTortaattou regaL*diiig this; vpuoher. ,J . ," 'S. ** ■ :. .'■'..■