AN EYASIVE "EXPLANATIONS."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 4

AN EYASIVE "EXPLANATIONS."

■. The Prime _Ministek 'cannot ex-'. pocb'ltHe. public to •be satisfied. with ■his lame attempt to explain the eii> eumstances : surrounding themysteri- , ous .: firm;-, of ■' 'E;; A. :: - Smith, " which,. snugly : housed in , the, same building, if not , in the same offices,;as-the'High, Commissioner's Department,' : has , enjoyed' something like ■ a. monoply ; of the..;brokerage; in/connection with assisted ; emigrants '• and other ..shipping business';. He' made Va..long..and rambling statement, according tohis custom, but ho. left \ unanswered;, the questions that people have been : asking.'' themselves' in connection with . this: mysterious .-firm,, and' he was unable to keep some' and absurdities but of his "explanation." If, as :■ ho' assures us, he! has "never heard of any supposed mystery about the. firm, ?,i he'•'•■ must ; be., blind-to what is about him,' "an'd'Vas:;singularly.\forgetful ; of'the fact that 'in the Legislative^Council in; 1908 Dβ.'.PiNDLAY,',: acting,:. : : of. ; c6urse,:';:uhder■ Prinie: Ministerial. orders, 'showed:great'keenness , :;.and: alertnessto prevent-any thing being made' -public,: ''concerning.:. , ,-' E.-: A.; Smith" .when-the iHon.;; J. v'K.-. MlaoDONALp, .moved; for the production, of. information;- vltis oi. a;piece;;with; this childlike 1 'simplicity;. : , that;'Sm: Josepd; Wabb .has been uriawaro that a son of Sib .WaltebjKennaavat. is the':head of; the; Smith .firm.'v That .MEi;;KEOTAWAY is ; "EVAi;:.Smith">'is" nows : t6:'us', 'arid;.toimost ,other;'-:peb.- : . pie, we think i; but : it; is:difficult:;tp. bolieyo ..that' the)■'. Pbimk: : 'Ministee, whp'says that he did'a good dealing ,the way of reorganising'thejshipping brarich::p.f : the | High-' Commissioner's office,, was'ignorant,of ;the'connection; of ! Mr.^KENNAWA'sr''with .tlie.agency;'SiE. JosEPH^'asßures , us' that: he ;has; never'h'e'ard of the'conduct of.'''Smith's*.'.; businb'ss| as:if^hat;lia i d'anythirig': : to';d6 i 'wiih > tKe'' matteri'; )i :We should' like:, to '.know,.' sdme';mq , i , e- cpiicernißg.this'; favoured .'fimi^wliioh'i'still^'.'ftppawtly'^'works'' 1 in some sort:of .conjunction.with: Mb. T. ; E. : Donne; 1 ■.How,;:and;why,-and-wheridid tne Government; begin to as-' sist '■■ the monopoly .of ■■ "E;;A; .Smith" V The:.' Pbime ; ; .;.Mi^isteb'S: : : : .'.fexplanaV tion'':i is uriconyincing. and.'evasive.-He , , was-Teporfod-. last; ■ Bcssi6'p-:-"as: haying;said-.that';6iie ef-\ feet' pf l .the' , reorganisation- i would ; :b.e' ,to. sayesome '£2000 which had"; been;j paid to .'outsiders as. commissions' for doing, business -fbr, 1 tho {Government.. He-now " declares that-.what':ho said : .was;-"that i.the-. additional-' cost'."'.'entailed,by, :thb''; salaries., of i'-;MESBES. ; : Donne and'HAMEKwouldj as , the ef-' fectof 'the', reorganisation , of '-the; High ■■~;. Commissioner's ■ 'office;.-' be;: re-: imbursed! by the commissions : paid by--thej-shippirig; .'.'.Tne.'.p.nb; lie 'will see at once': how. easy'Jt was for the; reporters to be misled by. the. astonishing . resemblance- ■■ in .sound and sense -.between the two versions! We 1 , trust,'tliat:" further, light..will : he insisted: .upon.- by. ■ Parliamcni ■ next, session.; In the meantime; the ;Peime I Minister's statcmehti-will. not assist' l the public.toVhopethat.thpre are;nb.i other ' bashful • private commission , agencies, v: under' -the .'Government's wing, either hero or'; in London.: The, .temptation; to.the public : to ■ demand aifull , account 6t\ the. way: ih: which, its .affairs are' managed: is-'growing greater ■ as : the days' paiss. ■;. '-..; '■ ';*"; : ;: