MR. WILFORD'S SOMERSAULT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 14 June 1909, Page 8

MR. WILFORD'S SOMERSAULT.

the majority of members'of onr House of Representativea have decided , that business ■ cannot be carried on-without Sir Joseph.s 'attendance; thereby paying a very doubtful compliment to the capabilities' of the other members of the Cabinet; may' I as a mere voter of New Zealand, express my astonrfbmemt at the etaad taken by Mr. Wilford at the recent informal oorroborie? This gentleman gave' his vote in favour of the Prune Minister taking a costly ■ holiday (costly to the taxpayers, I mean), and also m favour of Pariiamont putting off important business for three mcntha or eo, to the detriment of many of tho hundreds of uaomployed,'who are facing ihe winter' witE"" no sign, of work in vkw. When the American Fleet raited Auckland some little time ago, 1 Mr. Wilford wastho only member, I believe, .who openly protested against Parliament adjourning while Admiral Sperry and his offioors and men were here. Mr. Wilford was in, favour of 'the 'Prime : Minister visiting Auckland, but considered that Parliament should continue sitting, and discharge the dirties for which the Stato paid the membors to discharge. Now, Mr. Wilford has turned a complete back somersault 1 When' he denounced^the closing of Parliament on that' occasion, I am sore he had a large number of electors at his back who admired Ms action'; but if he 1 had only taken the same course in the matter now under disenssion, ho wonld have gained the plaudits of a still larger number of his conetrthonts. It is not too lato yet for Mr. Wilford to assert his independenco, and for tho sake of tho mothers and chiklron who will bo" in want during tho host few months, when tbo fact of: Parliamoni sitting may put a little' .eropki-msttt ia the w»y oi tie unahisi, 1

do hope ho viH bis opußon on tho question of the oloeing of Parliament. Not only Mr. WiHord, bnt the ot&er member* ako hare admitted there is only one bassnees man in the House. Let them all come to the conclusion that possibly one of the Cabinet besides Sir Joseph is capable of taking charge of the coTmtry'e affairs, while tho Prime Minister goea for his "trip" to tho land wiere Sir Robert Stout, Hon. HallJonea, and other New Zealanders, capable of discharging thie duty, are at present assembled. I particularly mention Mr. W3forde name, as he was adverse to meat closing, while the fleet was here. The two questions may have a somewhat different aspect on. the face of it, bnt if we can got along very well without the Prime Minister in the one instance, lam sure.we could do equally as well without him in the second. Apologising for trespassing on your space.— I am; etc., ."' . , ~ LOWER HUTT. June 12. ~■.