POLITICAL INUNENDO.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 July 1923, Page 1

POLITICAL INUNENDO.

i;KI'I'TKI) HV A MIXlSTi:ii. WKI.'I.I N( ;T()X, July L'l). (heap innuendos wl l i<■ 1 1 a certain soction of Lin* Press have recently been making against Air \\ illord, leader in 1 lie* Opposition, were rondemned by the I [on \V. Xoswnrt by. .Minister oi Agriculmro, in the lions*'. The Alinister said his attention li:ul been drawn to (Ik- fact that his speech during the Budget debate implied that the property at I I jo Mutt, known as the AVillord Sett lenient, to which he alluded, was puichast'd by the Libera! Cloverimieat from it member el Air \\ illord's family. I did not say s,, in my speech," sa:d Air Nnstvnrthy. “nor did I imply m any wav Hint suggestion. but as that inference has been drawn from the speech 1 delivered in conned inn with this matter I say I bad no intention of implying it. I know it is not correct, and if it is any .satisfaction to the holt leader of the Opposition I desire to say that as far as 1 am eoiieerm'd and the Cioverninent is concerned we suggest nothing of the kind, and il non spapei s make that imputation neither 1 nor Ihe (.lovernment are responsible. Mr AVillord thanked the Alinister for the explanation and for Hie lair way he bad replied to the suggestion that a statement should be made. Air AVilfuid added that he never for a moment imputed to the Alinister any intention of so misleading the country as lie lias not coneoivod the idea that anything the Alinister said convoyed the impression indicated in the innuendo’, but certain sections of th c Press bad seized oil the speech for the purpose of indirectly suggesting in the worst possible method by innuendo that the AVilford Settlement was either a propertv belonging to him or the AA ilI'ord familv. or somebody connected with the family. Afr AVilford thanked the Alinister for bis denial, because the properly was purchased from the Alndgway Estate, and years afterwards, before it was cut up. it was christened by way of compliment to the member for the district, in the same way as Merriesville was so called out of compliment to Sir William Tferries. Act one northern paper had actually referred to the settlement as Air AAilford’s settlement, tints showing how far some papers had gone in order to score a point against him.