MR. HINE'S CHARGES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 931, 26 September 1910, Page 6

MR. HINE'S CHARGES.

A SUGGESTION. ■/

The action of the Government in referring the charges made by Mr. Hine to< the Lands Committee has given rise to a great deal of adverse criticism in the lobbies. The suggested tribunal is considered to be most unsatisfactory by a number of members, and a good deal will probably be heard about the matter from the floor of the House on Tuesday. "The, feeling on- our side," said a member of the Opposition to a Dominion reporter yesterday, "is that it is a shuffle on the part of tho Government." . The speaker went on to say that if the Government thought Mr. Hine was to be caught in this way they were very much mistaken. Mr. Hine would be very foolish to go into a Court with a case when he knew that twothirds of the judges would be against him, and, further, Mr. Hine had made a very fair offer when .he said he was prepared to ; 'go, before judges of the Supreme Court, and, in. the event of their ruling against him. to pay the costs of the inquiry. ' "That offer,", remarked our Wornunt,.''is still open." The "Otago Daily Times" of Saturday, commenting on the Prime Minister's decision to move that Mr. Hino's charges be referred to the Lands Committee, remarks that there are . two fatal objections to this procedure., The first is the. fact that .the Committee already, has its hands full. The other is that the Committee is "far from being an ideal tribunal." "Its'composition," says the "Times,"! " sufficiently shows this to be the case. It consists of : ten ■ of • whom not more .than . three—Mr. Anderson, Mr. Guthrie., and Mr. Lang—are opponents of the Government. The Prime Minister -himself, the. Chief. Government "Whip, four others of the moat subservient - followers of the Government in the House —Mr. T. Duncan, Mr. Forbes,; Mr.. Lawry, and' M-rV ■ffitty—and one member, Mt. Hogg, who may perhaps bo classed as independent, complete: the committee.' .".It. would .00 absurd, to suggest . that: _ a committee,: constituted, as this one is, would give a' really judicial' iion to the' charges, and we are afraid that: the: proposal to refer them to: it simply . means .: tliat-\ therewill' be no inquiry at all." vw-;:! :' ... . Our contemporary suggests two methods:by which a fair -hearingmight bo obtained :-r-"one • is that Mr. Hir.e should nominate two members to it and the; Prime Minister "nominate .two other members, while, the fifth should bo selected from : among'. the , Independent members of Parliament-. Tho second way is that the ■ committee should consist wholly of those members who are not tied: to one party or, the other, in tho House—namely, Mr. John Dupcan, Mr. Hogg,:.M' M'Laren, Mr. Myers, and: Mr. T. :E. -Taylor. And in either case the inquiry shoukl_ be open 'to. the press, so that the public may have ail opportunity of-knowing';what:.is, being_ said and done." v.