MISREPRESENTING THE DEAD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2504, 9 November 1922, Page 3

MISREPRESENTING THE DEAD.

A CHALLENGE TO MR P. FRASER, M.P. (To the Editor.) Sir, To misrepresent those who have "one to their last rest is infinitely worse than to misrepresent those who are alive and have an op■portunitv to reply to such misrepresentations. We find on read in" the press of the country that the Revolutionary party, led by* Mr H. E. Holland, is 'at the present time grossly misrepresenting the dead statesmen Sir George Grey, John Ballanee and Richard .John Seddon by attributing to them revolutionary doeti'ines and principles which they would have to countenance in the least. This is a miserable method of political propaganda that this Red Party has adopted and we are pleased to be able to expose the political fraud that is now being attempted. Speaking at Palmerston North recently Mr Holland said “allowing for historical differences, the fundamental principles of the BallanceSeddon party were the fundamental principles of the New Zealand Labour Party to-day.’’ Of such a statement it is only possible to say that it is an absolute falsehood, and we have no hesitation in thus naming it. If such a statement were but an isolated instance of an attempt on the part of Mr Holland’s party to appear in the guise of advanced liberalism we would pass it over. We find, however, that such misrepresentation is being repeated many times over by members of this party in electioneering speeches. 1 Mr P. Fraser, M.P., speaking at Raetihi is reported in the “Waimarin o County Call” of October 18 — 1922 —as saying—“ Sir George Grey had commenced a policy connected with the land that was similar to the Labour Party’s scheme.” Here are three clauses from the land plank of Mr Fraser’s party: — (a) A State valuation of all privately owned land, such valuation to remain on record as the measure of present landholder’s interest in land. ' (1)) That privately owned land shall not be sold or transferred except to thg State. (e) The owner shall have the right to surrender his land on the valuation set out in subclause (a). , Now we challenge Mr Fraser to do the honest thing which is to fpiote any words of Sir George Grey wherein he ever, suggested anything on the lines “that privately owned land shall not be sold or transferred except to the State.” It he cannot do that then he ought to withdraw what, we are certain, is a misrepresentation of fact. In the same speech Mr Fraser said “fifty years ago Sir George Grey advised the Government not to sell the land —John Ballanee made a statement on similar lines —Richard John Seddon then followed.” He covers up the fact that these Statesmen were speaking of the Crown lands when they advocated leasing and not selling, whereas the plank of his party refers to “privately owned land.” If such misrepresentation is due to ignorance it is most lamentable, and if it is intentional misrepresentation it is most comtemptible. We are,

Yours etc., N.Z. WELFARE LEAGUE,