The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1907.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1993, 31 January 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1907.

When a Minister of tho Crown directly questions the veracity of a respectable journal ill language that can mean nothing else than that tlio journal is telling lies, and when the accused journal retorts with a reiteration of its assertion and a challenge to the Minister to prove his words or admit his own inaccuracy, matters arc somewhat serious, and it behoves one or tho other to clear matters up a bit. That) is exactly our position with, the Minister for Agriculture, wlio in the following paragraph from the Evening Post point blank accuses us of having told lies:—

“A statement lias been published that the Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. R. McNab, ‘has re-organ-ised the whole system of meat and stock inspection, and that he lias taken the control absolutely out oi the hands of Mr. Gilrutli and his twenty qualified assistants, and placed it in the hands of unqualified men.’ This statement was brought under the notice of the Minister this morning. ‘There is not a scintilla of truth in the story,’ Mr. McNab replied, in answer to a question. ‘Mr. Gilrutli is responsible to me for the whole of the meat inspection of tlie colony, and reports to me through the agricultural inspector, as he has always done in the past. The recent changes made in tlie department have not affected Mr. Gilruth’s work or reduced his control or prejudiced him in any way whatever. As proof of this I might mention that it is only within tlie last two or three days that I refused an appointment as meat inspector because it was not approved by Mr. C. J. Reakes, who is acting as chief of the department during Mr. Gilruth’s absence.’ ” 'That statement was ours, and we have not the least inclination or occasion to retract one word of it because wo can prove its truth up to the hilt and convict the Minister of

having told a bigger one than ho accuses us of having done. Unfortunately when wo commented upon this matter yesterday wo were unable to place our hands upon tho documentary evidence that would have proved our voracity, lor, like most precious things it was 100 safely stowed away but wo have found it all right, and our readers can satisfy themselves who is tolling the truth on perusal of it in another column where it appears word for word as issued by the Secretary of the Department and signed by him. But before wo proceed further, let us say that there is no “voucher” mystery about this document, and it will lie produced bolero any proper tribunal that the Minister chooses to sot up if he dures to face the question on the lines of our challenge But he’ll not face it. Ho will sluifilc, and wriggle, and try to explain perhaps; but be must go lurthor than that or stand convicted of ono of two things; (!) that) lie has fold a wilful untruth ill order to shield his Department’s muddling; or (2) that he did not know of tho existence of the circular, and thus admit His utter incompetence as a Minister. Upon which horn oi this dilemma ho will choose to bo impaled wo know not; but from ono or the other there is no escape. Ho lias said “There is not a scintilla ol truth in tho story” that “lie has reorganised tho whole system of meat and stock inspection, and that he has taken the control absolutely out of tho hands of Mr. Cilruth and placed it in tho hands oi unqualified men.” What does the circular say in reply? It says (1) that from January Ist, 1907, a now division will be constituted under Mr. Clilton who is an “unqualified mail” as lar as veterinary knowledge is concerned ; (2) that tho new division would administer the Stock Act, tho Dairy Industry in so far as inspection and registration of dairy farm premises and herds and tho disposal of milk are concerned, and tho Slaughtering and Inspection Act in so far as ordinary slaughter houses are concerned; (3) that tho Inspectors in charge and other stock inspectors not under inspectors in charge, will report to and take their instructions from Mr. Clifton; (4) that veterinarians (Mr. Gilruth not being excluded) arc to ccufine themselves to investigation and treatment of disease, and are not to undertake administrative duties; (5 ) that Inspectors of Stock must report extraordinary cases of disease to tho Inspector-in-Cliarge, who in turn must report to the Veterinarian, who may then, we suppose, begin his investigations and treatment; but if tho vets, have a case reported to them, they must report that case to the Inspector to lie dealt with under the Act; and (6) that! “the Inspector of Stock shall be the responsible officer.” Is the control of meat and stock inspection therefore not “taken out of tlie hands of Mr. Gilruth absolutely and placed in the hands of unqualified men?” The Secretary’s mandate says so in the plainest words. But the Minister denies the fact, and ho adds “Mr. Gilruth is responsible to me for the whole of the meat inspection of the colony, and reports to me through the Agricultural Inspector as lie has always done in the past.” Then why docs the Secretary’s mandate tell another story? And why does the circular also contradict tlie Minister point blank when he says “Tho recent changes made in tho .Department have not affected Mr. Gilruth’s work or reduced his control or prejudiced him in any way whatever,” when it says “Where meat Inspectors or other officers of the veterinary division arc performing tlie duties of an luspoctor of Dairies they shall act under the Inspector-in-Cliarge, etc.,” “and all correspondence, etc. such as lias hitherto been forwarded to the Chief Veterinarian in this connection shall be addressed to tho Inspector-in-Cliarge or Chief Inspector of Stock, as the case may be, and liis instructions are ' "fi'TSj'carried out."” Now who' is toIE ing the truth? Can the Minister wriggle out of that? We hardly think so, but we are not yet done for immediately over the signature of “John D. Ritchie, Secretary,” wo find that Circular 233/1/2/04 “directing that in regard to their duties under tho Slaughtering and Inspection Act, Inspectors of Stock shall report to, and take instructions from, the Chief Veterinarian” (whose wellknown name is Mr. Gilrutli) “is hereby cancelled;” yet the Minister has the audacity to tell us that Mr. Gilruth’s control is not reduced and that he is not prejudiced in any way. Who can believe a Minister of tlio Crown after that? Or is it possible that ho knows so little of the condition of his own Department and tlie details of his own re-organisation scheme that he does not know what lias actually taken place within it 1 . We cannot believe in the face of tlie evidence that wo have submitted that he is ignorant, and therefore we are forced to the conclusion that he is—well, what you please to think he is after you have read the crushing evidence against him; but this wo desire him and others to understand, that when we make charges against a Department of an institution, we know what we are talking about, and can verify them, otherwise we decline t , commit ourselves to any statements that are not true, and if we appear to know more about tho inner working of the Department of Agriculture than the Minister for Agriculture himself does, it is because we have got oil to tlie track of one of the most gigantic muddles and the most unfair dealing in a public service that has ever been heard of in tlie history of the Public Service of this or perhaps 1 any other colony—muddling, mismanagement, and injustice that in tho interests of tlie people of this colony itself wc could not permit to remain in seclusion. We have told long and sad stories in that connection, and we have more tt> tell; but first let us see who is telling the truth. We wait the Minister’s reply this time with more than usual interest, Ho never suspected that we could have got hold of that circular or, we venture to say, his denial would not 1 have been so emphatic. Anyway the Departmental number which it bears places its authenticity beyond all doubt and prevents tlie possibility of a “Voucher” mystery in any investigation that may lie set on foot should its authenticity be denied as its contents have been by an assuincdly veracious Minister.

Tlio steamer Star of Australia left at 10 hist night for Napier. Tlio s.s. Toroa, which arrived from South yesterday morning, brought besides n large cargo of produce 34 .mins for Dalget.v and Co. and 151 rams for Mr .1. C. Field. Messrs W. Pottio’s and Co.’s summer surplus sale is now on. In the costume and millinery departments 20 polecat. discount is allowed, and some lines are offered at half-price. Tlio Salvation Army Band will conduct a special musical meeting on Friday evening next at the Patutahi Hull, when Bandmaster Shepherd will give an exhibition of two-stick drumming There were five prisoners in tlio police cells last night, including two women, who will be charged this morning with drunkenness. Three prisoners were arrested in one batch by Constable Hancox and will bo charged with indecency.