A SIMPLE QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 699, 27 December 1909, Page 6

A SIMPLE QUESTION.

DIRECT OR EXECUTIVE CONTROL? STATEMENT BY. ME. MASSES. Interviewed by a Dohinioh reporter, later, Mr; W. V. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, said:— : "The position is-a very simple • one. Mr. Reeves was .High Commissioner for a number of yeare at a salary of ,£2OOO per annum, and a very liberal travelling allowance.' About the end of last year he resigned to take up a lnorative position in London,, and Mr.'Hall-Jones was appointed . in his stead. Then, apparently,' the' Government arranged to revise .tie position of Financial Adviser, whiohlihad lapsed 6ince tho death of Sir JuliuE; Vogel, and give it to Mr. Beeves at a jsalary' of £SX per annum. Parliamoiit was not informed of this, tliougli in the Snpplenientai'y Estimates ■of late tho item Tinaßcial Advisor' tippoajed, but in the hurry of winding lip tlie session .on U Saturday night it was . (ivoriookod. - However, 'it made : its appearance _ again on the . General Estimator i of this year, and when wo reached it I ijioved to etrike itout, and the motion was agreed'to by 85 to 25, indicating .tte "opinion of Parliament that, it did ijJt' approve pf what was proposed.

"The Supplementary Estimates were laid before Parliament about midday last Friday, after a lot of members had left for their homes,' and to the amazement of almost every , member of the House, there, on the first page, was the identical item which had been struck Adriser, ,£400.' Tho Government were evidently determined to take advantage of the fact that they had a majority in a thin House, to reinstate an item which had been objected to and struck out in a fairly full House. Whether that was a proper thing to do, the country will judge. Whatever is owing to Mi. Beeves should be paid, to the uttermost farthing. No one objects to that, but we do object to such tactics as we have experienced in this instance, when forty odd . members are being asked to reverse a decision arrived at by over 60; and We insist that the will of Parliament, as expressed on tho first division, and arrived at after proper and mature consideration, shall bo respected. It is not a question of the amount so much as the principle which is involved. . "It is' a question now whethor tne country is to be governed by its direct representatives in Parliament or by the few men who happen for the time being to be members of tho Executive'.' It was only a strong eense of duty which induced us to give up our Christmas holidays and spoil the holidays of others, and whatever happens now we leave the public Ho judge :as to who is right in the matter. Wo are prepared to abide by their opinion." PRIME MINISTER' DECLINES TO, DISCUSS THE POSITION. Asked whethor he wished to make a statement for publication with regard to the position, the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) remarked he would have nothing further to say on the point until tho House met