MR. HINE AND HIS CHARGES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 918, 10 September 1910, Page 10

MR. HINE AND HIS CHARGES.

Sir,—So the. Prime Minister does not like this matter, and yet declines i<> appoint a .commission,'., or 'to 'allow it to ho' referred to two Supreme Court '.judges, although tlie cost., is ; guaranteed; if :cnarges-. not .proved. ThePrime Minister must-feel'himself in a very awkward position.. .Mr.-Hinoap- : pears .to have made..a.,straight-out offer,'hut this does'not meet with tho support of tho Government side of tho House, who apparently, with- few exceptions, do not like anything that will show light. Surely,', if there is nothing to'hide, the Government should ho. -only too glad to have tho cllanco of showing it." But they do not'caro to risk the -stirring-up-of-mudpand allow outsiders to commentupon tho curious ; state ■ of' affairs.. But tho .statements havo been made and published and the Government refuses inquiry. What a nice state of, aH'airs.it must appear to the world outside of, the Dominion when the.Prime Minister of it declines to take action? Mr.'.-J?.-E. Taylor had done good'.service in various..ways; has ■he the courage to insist ■■upon'.'a proper inquiry, :.as they know they and that the members on the Government side would be only too glad to havo the inquiry, 'as' they know they.: they and •the ex-membors of •-'the Government tx-idd do no wrong. Has Parliament

lost nil respoot for itself ? ' I guess: if any of. the so-called Conservative .Premiers had. had such' a charge inado against past or present members, tho utmost.- facilities would at once have been given',' in order ..'to. have such inquired into. How different "now" and "then.". Is it not; high "tiiiie that a' stop was put to members, of Parliament, judges of tho Supremo Court, all civil servants, and ex-ones' in receipt,Of pensions or superannuation allowances being employed on commissions and other work whore they are paid? It is a monstrous thine, that such largo sums of money should have been paid -to some who are in receipt of good salaries. Why ' docs. •not- some member ask for a return showing -the cost of all commissions sinoo the Liberal Government took . office ? ' It should open the eyes of the public—l am, etc., -.BLUE funk: ■