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MR. FORBES AND THE GOVERNMENT.

Sir,—A week or so ago I read m your news oolumns a message telegraphed from Christchurch purporting to give the substance of a speech d&livered'by Mr. George Forbes, M.P., at a banquet held in connection with the Ch'eviot Show. It represented Mr. Forbes as sayine that "Mr. Massey and his Government should beleft in undisturbed possession of the Treasury Benches throughout' the period of the war," and as paying "a tribute to the arduous and good work that had been done by Mr. Massey during the difficult period through which the Dominion, in common with the rost of the Empire, had been passing." No doubt you published the message ill perfect good faith, but how far it represented truth you may judge from the following extract from a lettor I have just received from Mr. Forbes: —

"The paragraph whioh you say is going the rounds of the Government Press, and which is affording some of our opponents gratification I read with amusement and admiration for the ingenuity of'tho reporter from whom the paragraph no doubt first originated. It was the first time I saw it as my newspaper reading rarely extends beyond the 'Lyttelton Times,' and it put me down amongst;-the 'also spoke' at the banquet. I regret to have to dispel the happy little illusion with which the Government followers appear to be flattering themselves. I said nothing of the sort. I said that 'the-people of the Dominion would be the judges whether Mr. _ Massey had done good work or not in the present crisis,' and in all matters affecting the * assistanoe the Dominion was giving and should give to the Empire during the war 'the Opposition would give Mr. M&ssey a loyal and undivided support.' That was the strain I talked in, but I did not indicate in any way what my opinion was of Mr. Massey's conduct of affairs. ' However, it shows that one must be careful not to leave an opening for the Government Press claqueurs to hang a chorus of praise on. They must be getting very short of material when they twist what was intended as a patriotic speech into one of party praise."

I am sure that in justice to Mr. Forbes you will publish this extract.— I am, eic., S. SAUNDERS. Wellington, April 20, 1915.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19150421.2.9.9

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2441, 21 April 1915, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
388

MR. FORBES AND THE GOVERNMENT. Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2441, 21 April 1915, Page 4

MR. FORBES AND THE GOVERNMENT. Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2441, 21 April 1915, Page 4

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