BREAK-UP OF THE COALITION.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1923, Page 3

BREAK-UP OF THE COALITION.

SOME INNER HISTORY. RESORTS OF HEAVY LAND BFYINO. (Lyttelton Times). Tne Hen. 0. W. Russell, who was one 01' the Liberal Ministers in the National Government (1910-1919), writes: 1 have heen an interested observer of the duel betwen Sir Joseph Ward and Mr Massev arising out of the former's speech at the JJluif. ft was from the til'st oili-sided, lor Sir .10-ejdi is. a mi ster of iiiuinoo, whilst the I'rune Minister i~ still an ajiprent i( e. It is with amazement I have notice! the recent treatment meted not i > -Sir .10-eph. I|ad Ml Mas-cy really fern a hie man. capable of eeliero-Uy and studying the intciests of the c untiy l.efoi" personal aiu| | arty andutions. he would have welcomed Sir .Joseph's eandidaUtre for Tauraooa and with-drawn the Reform eandidate. Sileh all action would have lifted him to a pinnacle, and would have had a profound effect on the polities Ilf New Zealand. The opportunity was missed, because Mr .Massey possessed neither oenerosity nor vision I miolit add irratitudc. W oen the l.ih.'rals joined in ]9Io the National Government they sacrificed on the altar of loyalty t i the Empiie their political piospoets; they bitterly offended many thousands of their own party; they Imre the burden uf Cabinet work outside i lie Defence Department: anil the rewind they Ic.eived in 1919 was the bitter hostility of their late eol leagues. I need not emphasise the matter. It is -uliicient to point not that Sir Joseph Wait! was defeated at Awarua by a politician who was in turn

siiulfod iiiil iiy the electors :ii i In- first oppi rl unity. Sir Joseph Ward's record ;i- War Mini'tcr of I l 'in:i ll <■«.■ - w ill always st uni to liis civ.’it. I'iul till- future Ristniiin v. ill jiniiit tu it ns evidence of statesmanship nowhere else displayed in the Kmpiio. luxes were inerersed. elinre.es lor services rnised. the sireniii of war money puurinn into the Dominion was La[i]red. and the purse strings were (except lor war purpc-es) held in a enisjt of iron. As result a 1-’ 1 T,1H10.00l> surplus was landed over to Mr Alti'Sc-, when the National (■overnnient broke tilt, and renieiuher it was (rented and built up liurino the war, I desire now to refer to one point only the bleak up of the ('.edition (iovet it Mien I. As a preliminary [ may say the I nnds Department and soldier settlement were entirely c n t relied by ill Reform side of the National DovermiH'iit. It is true that purchases were approved by the (..nhinet. but I may not refer to wlnt too!; ph' e there, sudiee it to say that when Sir •leseph Ward and Mr .Massey returned to the Ili miniiui from I.- ndon in Idl'd the position was as follows.: I. Tlte whole of the available fund' had heel) exhausted. •J. The eill-edited securities in hendon had Let'll pledged to the last ioji--1 er. 'I hero wis ew niLt for land pur- j chased '2\ millions slerlinjt. j I. The Controller and Auditor-done- j rid had closed the amount and lolu-od j to allow any furihor pitynieiils till funds were provided. A, Tile result was t'v C.o\ernmeiit was (Jail;.' niakiii.o detaull. ihio'loh le ine uit aide to pa\ for lauds which it had hoiielu and ol which it was ai tu:i 11 \ in p( s'C-sii n. li. Kinally. the Lands I )e] at rl men t demanded a 1 uri lier 'iiui of -V, millions (inl ine the then current linaio iid yeai. i.e.. I efn: e M a roll Ml. I! *_’< > makinu a total of eittlit millions sterbne to he j raised leiwc.-u Aimu-t I'.'HL ; n 1 -M 'd Itrjll. for soldier settlement. I challenge ci lit rad iet ion rf these statements. At that lime, the toy mat Let s ol I’.rifdu and New /ealaiui bad been emptied. It was impossible I I raise a loan at either end. When 1|,,. position was dis, le-eil to the MihDt,... cl I'iiioiKe. Sii .I( (s(■ t* h Ward tut j ills Ie t urn. he was si a veered. lie do- j dared he could led a.•cel 1 the ''osp""- j ..jbilitv of the e lnc.'V commitments. which had I cell made without his eon- ; scut and even without '■ iisulta Imn ; with him. I may add that v hen di— j dosed a few days before the return . of Sir .In-ojih Ward and Mr Mas-ey it V.a- a voidable holllhshell t:> tlie | (a hi net. The result was that on the| du v follow inn the di'-.h sure Sir .1.-eph j \\Tird called his Liberal eolloauues to- j •yetiier and announced his determina- | ti ii. for tli " leasoils stated and tor | tbo-e alone to at once uitlidiau from j the National Coverumoiit. And t ait •

S |,ow ;in<l why the C 1 it i.>ii CovernI'riit came to mi fin!. To finish llif story. I lif hni:e h'l..IIXMKMI u rj If- whit'll Sir . I< .-; 'i>!> \\ ard had with l'ar-si«liif.l stu tesnia nship atilt II;> during thf war. as n hist instalment t.i h'li.v fl! thf wai'-t f it. ■ml iih'i as a sheet umhor nl imt inti;il iniH.'iv diiriii!' th" war's a! tmmat h. ..as ‘•c.illaivil" (lfrfi i mers will lm word- U is hi !:i veil lit f m .Imim, hi the- tvsiis f 'it nli*il Ufl'"fi«. hivermnenl. It stifl'd til.' eoimiry ami j t saved tlifiii. With £l7.t«ill.oo'l avam j i11,1,' thf nmeha-e I 1 ini' fin- > Idlers | went merrily *iin. I-' l " l '' u, ' n ' [alien over at inllntfl values. ].riees aaeed (as Sir .10-eidi Ward predieled I hey would', and I fearlessly express t'ie o)'.ini"U tliat. were the (.t ,<.riii;.,it l.'.nd Vahirtion | lepart men! .riven a free hand as it will eerlniidv wet n hell a ! d eral Ctiveri'.ineiH attain Ernies into power- frein £S.OMM«» to £7 coi),(!!)0 must lie "I'dten oil the pare- naid for soldiers' lands. Ami let me say. nlthomdi a. imonher nl the National (h verument. ‘ ahsolutelv re-,-t t any resronsihilily 111 tlds matter, for reason- that quite siillieietu to my own mmd and ei liseieilee. . Mueh more eoiild. <X fonr'e. he said. Im, I will eh'-e. and 111 dome so asU .|„, „le it t oiit'i-lnii y, t 'ti'imeh the ' u.'.h!.,. "a; I*f* 1 am enu'f nerous v. If",, I -ay Wr .Mas- ■ t . v has proved himself hu-kine m i-rr'atititdf to Sir -hsooh Ward f. r h.s maenilieeut MU-viee* to t!m Km,ore am! this Dominion a- K'.nanee Minima 'lnline I lie war? |