“DANGEROUS MAN”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 506, 8 November 1928, Page 6

“DANGEROUS MAN”

SIR JOSEPH WARD ATTACKED MR. FITZHERBERT’S VIEWS A vigorous attack on the leader of the National Party, Sir Joseph Ward, was mad© at Grey Lynn last evening by Mr. P. B. Fitzherbert, the Reform candidate. Sir Joseph Ward, he said, was a man of great ability, and so were men in other countries; but they were dangerous men. In 1911 Sir Joseph went to Parliament, when the coffers were full, but in 15 months he had retired a beaten man. His motto was “Spoils to the victor.” Then that fine old man, whose name all New Zealanders respect, came in with the watchword, “Honesty in Government.” The candidate quoted figures showing how the country had progressed under Reform. “Sir Joseph stood well with Mr. Massey during the war, but after the Armistice he deserted him.” Sir Joseph had not the interest of the country at heart and did not assist Mr. Massey to bring back the soldiers and settle them on the land. If the Labour Party was returned to power it could not do as much damage as Sir Joseph Ward, who would ruin the country in no time. Downie Stewart, who was the finest financier in the history of the country, could money in London better than the United leader. The credit of the country, said the candidate, at the present time stood at its highest in London, and if Sir Joseph got in and carried out his £70,000,000 loan (which the speaker considered very unlikely), he would be getting the money on what Downie Stewart had accomplished. A questioner mentioned Sir Joseph’s loan later in the evening. “It is almost as if Sir Joseph stood on the street and said, ‘Come on, come on, I want your votes, and here is £70,000,000 for you/” said the candidate. This version of the loan proposal caused an uproar.