MIDLAND RAILWAY COMPENSATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81857, 4 October 1906, Page 3

MIDLAND RAILWAY COMPENSATION.

EXPLANATIONS BY THE PREMIER. MR WTLt'ORD CHASTISED. Per Press Association. Wellington, October 3. In the House this afternoon, a motion by Mr Wilford, dealing with the Midland Railway compensation, was 1101 moved by Mr Wtlford, who was present, and the Premier gave notice thtu lie should move it later, in order to make a necessaty txp'anation.

When the House met in the evening tho lion, the Premier made a Ministerial statement with respect 0 i.e ~.Hewing notice of motion, whiot was not moved by the member who had given notice of it when the op-porluni-v arose in due course during the afternoon: "Mr Wilford to move that there be laid before this House a return showing to whom tho sum of £t 50,000 was first paid on behalf of the Midland Railway debenture holders, and what part of that sum reached the shareholders of the Midland Railway Company, and to whom the balance was paid, setting out the amounts in detail with the dates on which such payments were made." Tint Premier gave the whole history of tho matter from the first petition presented by the debenture holders and shareholders of the Midland Railway Company, to the final payment to the representatives of the persons concerned. He road 'he authority to pay over the debentures, tho receipt of the Agent-General for the: £150,000 debentures, the rcceip. of the National Bank of New Zealand for the same for payment to the right people under the conditions named, namely, in full satisfaction of all demands and acknowledgment of the honourable behaviour of the colony in every respect. lie read the receipt ot Lord Avebury, chairman of the ,'cbenttuie holders for £l4/,500 of these debentures (at 3.; per cent, bearing 2 years' currency). He read the resolution of the shareholders of the Midland Railway Company accepting £2500 of the debeniures, and the receipt of their secretary under authority of tho resolution, and pointed out that bo.h receipts to the National Bank fulfilled all the conditions. He said he had thus shown that the will of Parliament had been carried out at the earliest possible moment, in a manner showing thai everything done by the representatives of the colony had been accepted by the institutions which had petitioned for redress. He added his extreme surprise that any question had been placed on the Order Paper, which ho happened to know had been taken as a reflection on those connected with the transaction, a. surprise which was, he said, deepened by the conduct of the lion, member whu had refused to move his motion that afternoon, and who saw that he (the Premier) had been prevented from moving himself foi tho purpose of making the explanation necessary for clearing the position at once. Ho thought the lion, member's sense of duty ought to have induced him to help in getting out the explana ion in a matter ho knew to be of tho utmost importance.

Mr Wilford, by way of persona', explanation, took the opportunity of denying that he had, by his motion, in-ended to cast reflection on anyone. Nothing had been further from his thoughts. At the samo time, he would express his entire satisfaction with the clear and complete explanation made by tile Premier, and he thought die hon. gentleman should [eel thankful to him for the opportunity he had afforded him of making that explanation, lie had given notice of the motion as one of a small number of members, the late Mr G. Fisher, Mr Barclay, Mr llornsby, and Mr R. Mackenzie were the others, who had opposed the grant of /J150,001 > to the company and the debenture holders. The Act recited thai each shareholder and debenture holder should give a receipi in full and an acknowledgment of the colony's Honourable conduct. He had got the information that the institutions had received the money, but ho was left .0 his own resources to see if the shareholders and debenture holders iiad given their individual signatures. His reason for not moving the motion in the afternoon was mat he did not consider the hour (five o'clock in tin: afternoon) a proper oppor unity for ventilating this important matter as it ought to be. The Hon. the Premier w'as glad to hear the hon. gentleman's disclaimer, and to receive his assurance of satisfaction with the explanation. At the same time, he could not let him wrigle out of the responsibility he had incurred by his conduct, which had delayed the explanation. He was not opposing the motion, lie was ready to (jiye the explanation, which would have been placed on the table of the House the next day. As it was, he would place the documents in the Speaker's hands, and certified copies would be given to the Clerk of ilie House. He had been ready to move the motion himself., Mr Wilford; "Why did you not ask me?'' The Premier could not sec that it was necessary. Mr Wilford ought to have known what to do. However, he took the opportunity of thanking the hon. gentleman for enabling him to make the explanation. .Mr Baumc hoped the Premier would understand that lie had opposed his moving the motion solely in the interests of his own motion, The Premier replied that Mr Baumc would recognise that he hacl.re-urncd good for evil by not blocking his motion. 'Vlic matter then dropped.