Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 20. 1896.

Manawatu Herald, 20 June 1896, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 20. 1896.

The Late Treasurer. ♦ — - The greatest mistake the Government has over made was the countenancing the late Colonial Treasurer's attack on members of the House and on gentlemen outside of it, when explaining the reason for hi 3 present position. The mistake was great, lor the Premier and his colleagues must have been aware that whatever these other persons may have been guilty of, if they have been guilty at all, had nothing whatever to do with their position in Parliament, and their acouaer's short comings had. It is true that when a man is down no one desires to make hid fall greater and had Mr Ward simply explained, as far as he could, his reasons for not viewing his* business transactions in such an unfavourable light as Judge Williams had, the electors would have been glad to have let him go and to leave him to the tender mercies of the shareholders of the J. G. Ward Farmers' Association. It becomes however a different thing when . a 'holder of the high office of Colonial Treasurer attempts to make his mistakes, called however by stronger terms by an impartial judge, as of little momfent because he imagines others, whom he names have done as bad or worse. The oountry wants a Treasurer whose knowledge of finance is above that of a trader who makes out balancesheets as the last Ward Farmers' Association balance-sheet was made out, which the judge described as "obviously a dishonest one." Why the attempt of the Premier is un fortunate, is that it shows a disposition to soreen Mr Ward from all criticism and by originating an attack elsewhere to endeavour to obscure the question before the country. It beoomes therefore more neoessary that those who* desire bonesfc administration and sound finanoe should keep before the public the facts of the case, which by the judgment delivered proves that Mr Ward is not a financier and therefore his administration of the Colonial Treasury must be open to grave suspicion. We expect that the persons assailed by Mr Ward will not remain silent and we hope they will not, but the position assumed by Mr Ward in Parliament on Tuesday eight places him in a more awkward position than perhaps he realises. By a high court of the colony Mr Ward's trading transactions have been described in a most unfavourable manner, and he stands out as having been proved guilty, until indeed he takes other Btepi to prove otherwise. Instead

of entering into a quiet explanation he dared, to assert, ou only his own responsibility, that others were as bad. This may be so but Mr Ward apparently forgot this, these persons have not yet teen pronounced guilty by a judge of the Hupreme Court, and unless the statements were made by Mr Ward in the heafc of debate, which the Post says thay were not as he quoted from copious notes, Mr Ward stands in the position of having withheld until Tuesday the knowledge of these misdeeds of others and would have willingly closed hi 3 eyea to them had he not been bowled out. His action sannot thus be commended in any way, for be has not the poor excuse that his accusations were made on public grounds for the public good. We arc not surprised at Judge Williams judgment being a great blow to MiMr Ward but his attempted explanation which descended into a general onslaught on all he felt aggrieved at has withdrawn all considerations of pity from the position he now finds himself in. -