"KEEP COOL."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 449, 6 March 1909, Page 6

"KEEP COOL."

MR. MASSEY'S ADVICE TO THE PItISMIKR. (BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL COBIIE9PONDENT.) Auckland, March 5. Tho Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward), ill a reply to some, criticism put forward by Mr. Massey, Leader of the. Opposition, having thrown out a challenge, Mr. Massoy was asked if ho intended taking up tho gauntlet. Mr. Massey replied:— "I am sorry that Sir Joseph Ward seems to havo lost his temper over my criticism with regard to somo points of interest which have recently been occupying a share of. public attention. Tho Prime Minister doos not show to advantage when ho is angry, and, as a friend, I would advise him to keep cool. Sir Josoph Ward says my charges wero groundless, and invites me to prove them. Those charges were:— "(1) That Sir Josoph Ward interfered with tho Southern Maori election, by sending telegrams to loading Maoris. Sir Joseph Ward admits having done so, and actually publishes a copy of his telegram, which is practically tho sanio as tho copy forwarded to mo. "(2) That in giving Mr. Ngatii control of tho Insuranco Department and tho Public Trust oilices, tho Primo Minister had done wrong, as such Departments should only bo under tho control of a Minister rcsponsiblo to a European constituency. Sir Josoph Ward now says that Mr. N'gata has not been given control of those Departments, but that his position is analogons to that of a Parliamentary undersecretary. Sir Joseph has changed his ground with regard to this matter, but he has not improved his position, becauso if we are to havo Parliamentary undor-sccro-tarics thon Parliament itself mjist make provision thorofor, and thero is no such provision. Now Mr. iNgata's services can constitutionally only bo utilised in assisting tho Hon. Jamos Carroll as Native Minister, and if that gentleman doos not rcquiro them tho poople of tho country aro not getting value for tho comparatively largo sum which tbo Hon. Mr. Ngata is costing them in salary, secretarial assistance, travelling expenses, and allowances. "(3) That suggestions had been mado at tho olections to tho effect that certain districts would bo moro likely to bo benefited by public expenditure if thoso districts woi'O represented by Government supporters rather than Oppositionists. "(4) That systematic attempts woro mado at tho olections by members of tho party of which Sir Josoph Ward is leader to misroprcsent Opposition candidates and Opposition members of tho last and preceding Parliaments. I tako tho last two statements together. If theso aro tho statements Sir Joseph Ward asks mo to prove, thon I accept his challongo, and will tako an opportunity of proving thorn to tho satisfaction of every right-thinking and unbiased man and woman in tho community."