FEELING IN AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1368, 20 February 1912, Page 6

FEELING IN AUCKLAND.

THE MEMBER FOR GREY LYNN. TITS CONSTITUENTS INDIGNANT. ffij TeJc2raDh.-S!>e--lii: Auckland, February 19. Intense interest in tho political situnfion is being manifested in Auckland and tho coming struggle eclip-es every other fopic of conversation. The Government's Inst desperate throw has been receivell with derision. Even in tho ranks of Government supporters it has met with condemnation. Humours aiie strangely persistent that Mr. Payne, the elected" of Grey I.ynn, .vlto attained his sent on thr strength, of "iis opposition to (he Government, intends to vote «»ainst Mr. Mas?«y o;i the noconliJfiicp motion, if he doos, .Mr. I'iiyno will lie most emphatically turned' down by Grey. Lynn, That suburban constituency is simmering.with indignation, and letters and telegram,? have beon disjjutthed in ihoal.i to Mr. Payne, and an indignation, meeting Is lo he held ■ to-ui<rht, at which it is exj>ect«i some warm expressions will be used.

Some partiiulnvly .stinging remark's were inaclo editorially by the "Herald" tiiornliiK. In a return to the charge iin tho Govninor's Speooh, the paper snys: "Whatv.er may be the rea-inns which ii!liited Sir Joseph Ward lo perpetrate his tudacious joke on Parliament and the country, it- effect has been to cover his (iovernment and party with ridicule. It cannot fail to lower the reputation of "sow Zealand s.bitcsmf«ii in the ryes nf the vr.otkl. OnNders are ruA likely to a?=oriate clownish hurno'ir wilh a Vi«R-rej;:il Speech framed by ;: rfspnnsibls ("Jovern•nput for deUvery of Hi» niwiiin , .' of ,i w\c Farlidment elected bj th? pcpple oi

the Dominion for Hip express purpose of gettiug rid of thuir present rulers. They will only sec in the Speech an amazing ami unblushing attempt on the part nf the Prime Minister and his colleagues 11> cling fo odico alter Hip national verdict has been pronounce.! against them, by :> hoHer-skeltof lyaiiiiWH? to sacrifice every vestige of dignity, principle, ami responsibility.- ' Theastounding programme of enlde proposals and profuse promises put into the mniit.li of ■ ■his Excellency by advisers who have hist Hit confidence iif the country will appear to them the rash act of a set of political plungnre who have thrown discretion anil prudence to the winds, and are prepared to do and say nnything in order to retain their positions and emoluments."

A LIVELY MEETING. L _ MI!. I'AYXE'S'ATTITUDE .DISCUSSED. IBy Tclciraph.—Prc?s Association.) / Auckland, February 19. Rumours that have been current in connection with the attitude of Mr. Payne, Sf.IV. for Grey Lynn, to the* no-confidence motion in the AVard Govennnenl were rcsponsilllo for a meeting to night. Only electors of Grey Lynn who had s'-*>coi-t«l Mr. Piiyno wore invited by adver % ment, but many others from other constituencies attended, including several 'well-known opponents of the Re-form partv. The onlv motion proposed was ..as follows-.—"That this meeting of supporters nf Mr. Payne in Grey Lynn, in view of tho , opposition shown recently by the Reform party and its. press to organised labour,.more particularly in Auckland and Wellington, call lip'jii their representative, to "vole against the Reform "party on the no-confi-dence motion now before the House." The motion was carried with enthusiasm. IBy TeleKraijh.—Soerial Correspondent.! ', Auckland, February 19. "Tlie. proceedings at the meeting re'gardins; the attitude of Mr. J. Payne. M.P., in connection with the coming noconfideuco motion were of n lively character. Mr. Thompson (the chairman) read tho following correspondence, which had been handed to him by ihe converer of tho meeting:— ' . Shortland Street, December 11, 1011. At the office of Mr. j.G. Garland, Mr. Payne then soliciting the votes of .the Opposition supporters, the following document was drawn up in his presence, Mr. H. W. Murraj and Mr. Lyons and Mr. Garland being also . present for: Mr. Massey. IJe Mr. Payne, 1 have seen him in the presenco of two witnesses. Payne will vole on a no-confidence motion upon Native ■ lands, Legislative Council- reform, Civil Service reform, .railway reform. Payne says, "I am a freehdder. I want the workers to bo able to get their freehold. If lam : returned I shall work for the work- ; ers first." Mr. Garland: I understand, therefore, that you will support Mr. Massoy in a vote of no-confidence against the present Administration. Will you sign the document ? , ' Mr. Payne: No, I am a man of my word. ' ■ • " ■ Auckland, February 15, 1912. • Dear.Mr. Payne,—Solid rumours are current here that you will not act as promised on Thursday last. I have too much confidence in the value of ' your word myself to have' any doubt, but merely to inform you of the facts. If the pledge is broken it would be political suicide, and, naturally, I don't want to see that. Other , committeer men aro nervous. Will you send me an urgent wire confirming before members convene special ■ meeting?— Tours sincerely . CHAS.M'MASTER. :. . Auckland, February 15, 1912. John Payne, Esq., Wellington. Dear Sir,—lt is reported that Sir Joseph AVard has secured your vote on the nd-confidence motion by some compact. In fact, the reports' aro so persistent, that- wo have thought it . discreet to inform you,, and to assist you to withstand all pressure by placing on record that no compact will satisfy your supporters, who look to you first of all to vote against tho : /present Administration. ;-'-. ; .■'■", t< ' This was signed by ten electors. Sent by an Auckland friend:-"Accept' ;niy sympathy for lying press reports that you are a. jellyfish,-and will go back on. •your word." To this Mr. Payne replied: "Am grieved to learn that very, old friends should deem me capable of being a jelly-back, whatever course I may'deem it expedient to follow in a crisis fraught with such grave consequences to-.the' workers I represent.—Payne." "Shall I bet ten pounds that you are opposing Sir Joseph AVard? Reply collect. (Signed) J. I?3-an, caro Occidental Hotel."

The reply to (hi* caused ' uproarious laughter when read. . It was: "Have a bit on both, ways.—Payne." PRESS OPINIONS OF THE SPEECH. A'DYING APPEAL. • -It is difficult to read the. speech which Ministers put into tho mouth of his Ex--cellencytho Governor .without a grim smilo (says tho ChrisfchuTch "Press''). It is , so obviously a death-bed effort to snatch a little longer lease of life. There is a..confession of.-things left undone which ought to have been done, mingled with incoherent promises of amendment. In this respect there is an evident, determination on the part, of the. Ministry to persist in its sins, since even in its dying moments it proposes to steal some of the clothes of its opponents. Finally it'makeV a wild despairing bid for the support of the extreme section of the land nationnliscrs and Socialists which it has hitherto professed fcj keep in check. It is a painful exhibition. If the Ministry had been content to approach its end with dignity it would have earned a certaii amount of respect; its desperate.and unseemly struggles at this juncture, will not serve to defer the inevitable eiid by a. single hour. The only possible result is that tho Ministry wfil'Viink into the grave which has been already dug for it "unwept, unhouonred, and unsung." . A LASr DESPERATE EFFORT. The "Otago Daily Times" says-.—The feeling with which most people will read the Speech that was entrusted to the Governor for delivery at the opening nf Parliament will be one of amusement, mingled, porhaps, with pity for a Government tli3t is minced to such extremities as those- that haw I*d the Ward .Administration unblushingly to produce this Tomarkable deliverance. Tlie only hone-the Government has of staving off defeat and nrnlonpin? a prerarions existence lies in" the chance of its enntming thf votes of thren nt least of the four Labour members in Parliament. And this bore can only be realised if three at Ifnst of these four mt-mbirs violate the pledges they gave two montlis two to the doctors who sent them to Pnrliarr.cnt. ' It. is to the noblo purnow of incitintr the?" members to break their word that the Government has directed its last desperate effort. ... It would b? entirely profitless at the present time to discir-s anv of tiiese nroiKKils. Tho programme nf which they form a. part is "put forward merely |V r the hnur. It represents n. final clutching at. a number of straw« on !he nnrt of a moribund Administration, hut ils object is so bn.nstwwnt, so pilnaUe and prnr.=. that t'le public iis a ("hole will be simply moved to derision by if.