"TAMMANYISM."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 885, 3 August 1910, Page 5

"TAMMANYISM."

STRONG SPEECH BY MR. HINE.

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS.

REQUEST FOR A ROYAL' •MISSION. '* PREMIER ASKS FOR NAMES. There was a lively interlude in the House.last evening during the speech-of) Mr. Hine (Stratford), accusations '.of., _ ( Tammanyisni being again the cause. Mr. ," Hine had said that prior to the election , ;" 4 '"* of 1908 the Government stated that . .£250,000 a year extra for four years was to be spent in futuro on roads, but the records showed that that amount was not spent.

"That is what I call Tammanyism," declared Mr. Hine. Sir Joseph Ward: Then if you do.: it fihows your lack of intelligence. •■" .-;<'., All , . Hine repeated tliat he called such conduct Tammanyisni. "He called .' .it" Tainnianyisni, moreover, when a Government went out of . its way,.-;, as had been, done m one case ■ to purchase a block of land, on the eve of an election. . Again, ..he .._ called it Tammanyism when a Govern';';''' 1 ment went out of its way to boycott. "4" newspaper because it was opposed to the Government's policy, and gave its . ad- . vertisements to other papers, of a-less reputable name. ■'■"', '',71.' / A member: Who are they F ■.■,■■-■ Mr. Hine: The lion, member knows aev well as I do. I should call that Tam-. manyism. I also call it Tammanyism when commissions are: charged*. by . members of Parliament who.have helped, to pass the Lands for Settlement, Act,. . and who act as commission agents'," to' , ' sell land to the Government of the day. Sir Joseph .Ward: Who'did that? v V;; Mr. Hino: The Prime Minister Jsnbwa as well as.l do.. • ' ~..' . . .;,.;;

Sir Joseph Ward: I don't know, and you should name who it is. v . Mr. Hine: Would you like to set up a commission ? ■ I 'challenge the Prime;.' Minister to set up a commission, ...0: Sir Joseph Ward: I challenge; vou::to give the name. ■ . . ■.■;•"•■ '/ Mr. .Hine:.l am quite prepared v if ;the Prime Minister will set up ;a Royal Com-; mission-— '■'-'-'-'■■*,' .'■■" -'-'''- Sir Josoph Ward: Give lhe : name:;•"j"'.' Mr. Hine: I'll give : evidence before the commission, but I'll not give names. Sir Joseph Ward: Because, you can't. ■:,■ Mr.. Hine: We have, asked you "for names in regard to thd- Taxing Department. -.. ■„ "■;.'■■ Sir Joseph Ward: .You can't give the name in the case you have referred to, and I challenge you to do it. ■■-.-. ■■■■■■''■ Mr. Hine: I will make, a statement on oath—— : , '■"'"' •' ■.'•.'■ *__.. The Speaker interposed that if". Mr; Rino declined to givo the namo the discussion could go no further. '. ■' -.-{ [_ 3lr. Htrio: If the Government will, grant .n..public- commission—it.-jneed-not..'bo-a-Eoyal Commission—l'll give. ovidence£pn.... oath. ■ . ■ '•' ' • ... \; Mr. Poole: Was it a.present;, member of the Assembly? . . ''\ ' t . ! i : ~ '.. '■ 'Mγ". Hine: I'm not going to be drawn. , .The matter was referred to later by Mr. Laurenson (Lyttelton),..who. said that. Mr. Hine had accused a member of thcf-Houso, of taking bribes to procure the Bale of certain lands to .the-,'Government. ■ If . such was the case, should'state 'what.lman he referred to..■■ Speaking for' himself, and he believed that; he was voicing the opinions .of all his fellow members,' he considered that-a.statement like that was a slur on every, .member, of Parliament, and.until it was dealt with in a court of law, or by a commission, or by a straight statement in regard to Mi, a ; bigger disgrace rested 1 on the man who made it than'on any other man in the House. Mr. Hine had thrown a stigma •over-every man in the-House —including the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Conservative party. He didinot know, to whom Mr.. Hino referred, but he .. had ! heard a rumour that a certain'member , had taken a bribe. That member was now.in his.grave, but before he died he had sent up a special request to the Government to appoint'a commission to in-« quire into the allegation made against., lias character. .' .• '. . '

Mr. Fisher (Wellington •Central): - v " Which one do you refer to? . There were two of them. , . Mr. lauTenson said that if there were; ; two such members Mr. Fisher should say who they were. He' did not 6ay.himself '•■ that there were two.. , 'lt was an abomin-':';.' able state of things in'tho House that" they could not conduct their"political war;*..;! •.. faro without descending to these mild' heaps and personalities. ■■• It reflected al.'j\£ great deal , more against 'the maii';. used such personalities'■ than against , ' the^<; man'at 'whom they were;ditectcd." It , ■..'■ ; was not right thaLParl.'ahient,.stioul&W ; ,.,, defamed ..in the way that V.had been. done-. , .' that night. "; \' ; -'."w:' ;: : ■/■';" K ' ''.'^"-J Interviewed later by a Dominion rjepre- ;•-',. sentative , Mr.. Hine he desired.> to ■■ ■ make it clear that , his remarks did-not' '■•>

apply to a present niembor ; : bf Parliariie'nt. ; The charge whs that the ■ gentleman in • question, while a member .of Parliament; y.'> had," promoted tho sole .of certain" liimf " to the Government and had! got a commission'from the persons owning the .land,,, when the transaction was. completed..... this was to be tolerated, where would this soitof thing stop? He believ,ed no stand;. , / ard of ethics should be toohigh for 'a member of Parliament' , and he would* strenuously oppose the lowering of. th# standard in the slightest degree. , ' ' ■