The Hon. Mr Ward's Telegrams.

Manawatu Herald, 3 October 1895, Page 3

The Hon. Mr Ward's Telegrams.

In the House of Representatives on Monday evening, Mr Earnshaw asked the Postmaster-General if he wilLlay before the House the in-> struetions issued by the Telegraph Department to its officers re the forwarding of telegrams to and from the Hon. Mr Ward and his firm in lnvercargil), or if the following in* struction had been issued to the officers of the Telegraph Department : —

" All telegrams whether urgent, ordinary, or delayed, to and from the Hon. Mr Ward and his firm Invercargill, are to be given precedence and "transmitted accordingly :— W. Gray, 28/4/98."

Mi 1 Ward said no such instruction^ Were ever given, nor was he aware that any instructions of Ihe kind bad been sent to any parts of the colony. He explaiued, however, that when he arrived in Wellington OD the day after the late Mr Ballance died, as the result of negotiations which necessarily had to proceed concerning the reformation of the Ministry and also with reference to the position in the Ministry which was offered to him, he found it necessary to raako numerous enquiries in connection with various branches of business with which he was connected in the South as to whether he could accept the appointment he now hold. As a matter of necessity Iho communications in reply to his messages had to be for warded to Wellington with Ihe greatest possible despatch. He then, . at be had dotffe since, paid for any telegrams of a private nature. All telegrams to or from his own firm had' been paid for in the usual way. This was the only occasion on which any such request was ever made by him>"The manager of his fiim in Inverciargill bore him out in this, as also did his private secretary, and the Chief Postmaster at Invercargill Sink a memo th.it the business ielegamsofJ. G. Ward Fanners' As t-ociation received the same treatment as other people's. Ho had not as a Minister of the Oowndone any thing wroug, nor had he in the slightest) degrea used his official position for private gain. The matter effected tho secrecy of the Telegraph Depavfmc-nt, and Mr Waard asked Mr Earns.ua w to divnlge the name of the teltgraph officer who had given him (he information, but Mr Earnshaw rtfused to do so.

Mr Ifjpftjjlhaw referred to Mr Ward 'dimply to his question respecting tho Telegraph Department, and said hii information was obtained very far from Wellington, and not in Wellington as assumed by Mr Ward.

Mr Ward deprecated the attacks so constantly made on him by members in the' House and a portion of the press of the colony. With respect to Mr Earnsbaw's question he said they found the newspapers condemn\ft% him before he had a chance of defending himself. He again asserted that no such instructions as referred to in Mr Earnshaw's question was. issued by him, nor did he faftow that it was issued.

)&v Allen said it was to be re* gutted Mr "Ward had not given an opojpha'ticr denial to Mr Earnshaw's statement.

JJv Beeves said Mr Allen was toast unreasonable. Mr Ward did reply to Mr Eavnshaw in the most complete manner, and his reply was ft fall and fair statement of the case 4ind ah honorable explanation.— Press Association.