MR. "E. A. SMITH."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 727, 28 January 1910, Page 4

MR. "E. A. SMITH."

Sir—l notice,in your paper.' that'- the Liberal side of tHe ticddon-Ward' Government is not going to be quito so -liberal ■with ,tho . moneys .that .by, every known. and unkhoivn law : belong, to the people of New, Zealand. ,:I am referring to. tho. office of tho. High Commissioner, iii,.London.'..Sir 'Joseph 1 Ward .may.; quibble uti- : ■ til Domesday,.but.the fact remains that, by . Sir Joseph's own showing, :the revenue :of the Dominion . .was reduced by the annual' handing over to .a- private individual of . tho.:'sum.' of .££2000.-- .-Tie people', of this little country—to quote Sir. Joseph: "This tight little country of ours"—must be continually in that: state of intoxication wo term ' tight,", if: they aro going to' bo' bluffed in the .future ,as; ,they-.hav(i bpen ih;the',past.'. 'The respec- . lability, ..or .'otherwise, : ': of. : tho'.mysterious "B.;A>: Smith".does not concern; the. tax-, payers of; New' :Zealnnd, but what; does conoern . us , is- this f.-AVhy.-'.'did., the'-! High Commission "not discover. during -the lifetime".: of; - this i 'gentleman., the fact:,, that Now Zealand.: . was •: losing, " through. .that office, JS2OOO annually/ and : organise; the" New Zealand; office on tho lines that, we are now': led to believe are . being . followed?'' Had the .facts .of I the caseLiiot leaked out, .we., phould . not;have, heard; anything! of !the great' saving. to' th'e': col-' ony by < Messrs. .Donrie and Co. -E.': Av: Siriith,'-and I of. ; the : '..Agent-General—noto,. please, it, -:\v-as ■ not'.' 'High Commissioner iii - - the! days' of.' Sriiith—was; doing '.sowell. that oi' his" retiring', from ! the . lucrative -post of agent,-; he left.-a vacancy: that could '.very easily bo relative . of -Sir v W;; Kennaway.,: I '-There was ;no brie .to'' draw~ attention to!.this-..state of ;atTaiH,:..as' those. who' should have'-been abovo the arrangement, wiste the; ones :to, it; :.This is; a public scandal., .How.:'mauy,' more (ire !,to: be .unearthed?■ What: a-fine .'chapter. of: history will "en-tertain-the; world ,when;the Ward.-! Government will cease 'to!.be! New -Zealand, - the finest, country, .'in. thb; world, , arid yet the most nnfortunate' in. being . .so .very .badly .managed!'- !, hope,' sir, that a more able pen than mine .and ;a, moreable advocato ..will see-' to ' it, that ; Sir! ; j6seph':M'ard does for ever bluff.', we < con-. ;flding 'cplohials;f-I' ; 'am, 'eto.; ':';-';^ HONOUR TO WHOM IT IS DUE. ;"!;P;S;^Ate'! ; wc',indebted to ,the':''Advi6er. to the', ; .'Government"-/ for the-, reorganising. of;.the:'bffice - of .the i High Commissioner?, Is. this part' of tli6 -\vork done by. Mr! l!«eves for that ,£IOO we heoTd so much about ('during the''last'. session of! Parlia-.' incut? If so why; did-Mr. ,Reeves leave this piecb of- business out of his calculations before? -■ [We have had to exoiso portions of this letter.] Vv-." V':;;'.'