OFFICE AT ANY COST

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1331, 8 January 1912, Page 4

OFFICE AT ANY COST

Sir Joseph Ward admits that lie had a confidential interview with Mis. Veltch, the Labour member for Wanganui, but adds that the portfolio of Railways was uever even discussed between them. This is so like the head of tho .Wabd. Admkistra-

Hon. The statement we published respecting the matter was ns follows: l-'roni the reports which are going about on the subject, it appears that the MinMerinl temptation held out to Mr. ViMfdi was Minister for Labour. Mr. Yoilch was invited to proceed to Wellington by mi unsigned telegram, to meet Sir .10.--.ppli Ward, lie did to, and was made the Cabinet offer. It is cevlnin Ihi't the offer.included that of L.tlvuir, a:rl it is also averted that Hallways WW" with it.

Sid Joseph Ward's reply through the, columns of our evening contemporary reads:

It was quite true that he had had a confidential interview with Mr. Vei';.'h, imiiil;e: for Wnnganm. but the portfolio of I tail ways was never even dismissed between them.

This is the sort of uncandid behaviour wc have grown so accustomed to, and which has assisted so largely towards compelling the public to view with suspicion and distrust the political utterances of the head of the Government. Sin Joseph Ward could not deny that he had attempted to induce Mr. Veitch to support the Government by holding out trie temptation of the portfolio of Minister for Labour, so lie endeavours to put the public off the track by denying that he offered him the portfolio of Minister for Bailways. The public arc so fully acquainted with the methods of the Prime Minister that this further illustration would hardly be worth dirccting_ attention to but for the evidence it affords of the lengths to which he is prepared to go to\retain office, and the lengths to which tho Ministerial following are prepared to allow themselves to be dragged. Now, the Government must have known quite well from Mr. Veitch's public utterances that he was pledged to vote to throw the Ward Government out of office. Yet an effort is made to induce him to. break his pledge—to break his word specifically given to his constituents to vote against the Government. And what is. the inducement held out to Mr. Veitch i . What is the argument which is to convince him of his error? The biggest political bribe any politician has it within his power to confer—a portfolio, carrying with it Ministerial authority and a financial value of at least £I3CO a year. Mr. Veitch, in fact, was to be tempted to broak his pledge to his constituents by an offer of direct personal gain of something over £1000 a year, and such distinction as would accompany a portfolio gained in such a manner. This was to be the salve to heal his damaged selfrespect and compensate him for the contempt of all right-thinking people. We can quite believe that to the Ward Administration office with its emoluments appears a sufficient compensation for loss of dignity, self-rospcct, public- esteem, or, in-deed,-well-nigh anything at all. We have bad ample evidence of that only too often; But how contemptible it really is to find a Government going to a political opponent—a man only a few days previously elected to cast that Government out" of office—and asking him as his first public act to break faith with the people who had elected him, and to commit this breach of honour for the sake of personal gain ! But as so often happens with tho present Government, it misjudged its man, and Mr. Veitch stands higher than ever in public opinion to-day in consequence. We shall not bo at all surprised to find that theconduct of the Government since the elections has alienated some of its own supporters, However much they, may desire to see the Government retain office, they cannot be blind to the fact that their leaders are not merely damaging themsolvcs in public esteem, but are arousing hostility against the members of the party who by their silence appear to endorse what is going on. They must see also that the public know that if Sir Joseph Ward really had a majority be would not hesitate for five minutes, much less thr'ec weeks, ir calling Parliament together and silencing all criticism by a straightout vote. •:.-.