POLITICAL ACROBATS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 7 September 1907, Page 2

POLITICAL ACROBATS.

STUNG BY A NEWSPAPER AB'fICLE . I .6 | EXPLANATIONS IN TIIE HOUSE. Per Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. I When the House met at 2.;i0, the I Premier referred to an article which 'appeared in to-day's New Zealand Times, i (The article in question scathingly eon- [i ' deinned certain members of the Liberal : ' party who, acting under an alleged -alii- '< ' ancc with the Opposition, voted for the of the duty on mining mavchinory, after having, the week before, I voted in favour of the duty. The mem- | bers specially single.d out for fame t were Messrs. Dillon, Field, liall, nornst by, Jennings, lloss, and Lewis.! He I said that no member of the Goveni--1 ment was responsible for that article. 1 He desired to take the opportunity of saying that his colleagues in the other B House had not originated the article, i although it had been so suggested. He j wanted also to say that it was probably j known that one or two members of the 'Ministry had ail' interest in the Times. I lie had not at any time either written .an article for appearance in the paper ®' eonoerning any member on any side of lS .tlie House. He desired also to say that 'no member of the Government was rcsponsible for that article, and he added [l | that no member of the Government is °i a director of the paper, lleferring to 'I nn article in Thursday's Times which e-|he described as of great (severity, he said r [personally he had received an assurance of those hon. members who had voted n-, against the Government that there was er no comjiact with members of the Oppoit.' fsition, and he accepted those statements. : n : On the night of the division he believed . e .j that an alliance did exist, and had said i so. If such an alliance did exist, then jjj. 1 obviously it would place him in a posiLl _'tion that he could not accept, as if

i would not be possible with self-respect ito retain his position. In effect it would mean that an alliance could be arranged |by which members could bring about a I position reversing the policy of the ' i Government. He was, he added, quite ' satisfied that there was no such arrangement. He assured members that no ' i member of the Government would refer jin the derogatory terms contained in i the article to any member of the House, ■ | adding that the article did not originate ) from any member of the Government. i'On Wednesday night the position was . that with any combination of dairy and mining interests it might have led to other defeats and alterations to the . tariff which would have had a serious effect on the finances of the colony, and under the circumstances he deemed • it 'advisable to report progress in order to "Iconsider the matter. Referring to the ; remarks in the article re the Speaker, ' he said that so far as the Government is concerned the Speaker has at all. ' times acted with absolute impartiality :in the chair. It was only right that he should take the opportunity of sayl ing so, as the Speaker could not explain ■ from- his position in the chair. It was ■ only right and in tne interests of the ■ colony that the Speaker should not take .'part in party strife, but he had a per- ; feet right in committee to exercise his , right as a member as he thought lit. Mr. Greenslade said that on Wednesday he had interjected that he had told _ the Government Whips all about it, but he meant by that that the vote would .be very close. He had not intimated ito the Whips that any combination had '.been arranged, nor did he hint at such 5 . things. f i Mr. Graham said that the writers of the article had hinted that he, Mr. IHogan, and Mr. Flatman had discreetly s absented themselves from the division t because they were afraid to give a ! straight-out vote. He explained that on

he day of the division he had returnei rom Nelson with friends, and absentee ijinself from the House for a short ;ime, and on returning the doors were ocked for a division. Had he been in the House at the time, lie would have ;Iven his vote in support of the Government. , ,:fl .£)SMjDI Mr. Flatman explained that before leaving the Chamber he had asked for a pair, but could not obtain one, and was too late on his return to vote. Mr. Hogan said from what he had heard he was led to believe that the article under notice was inspired, but he was pleased to hear the Premier's denial on that point. He had never yet dodged a division, and never would. He knew nothing of any alliance having been arranged, and added that he had informed Mr. Poland, a mining member that he would like to support him in the matter, but that he was dead againsi him. He did not think the "tariff should be a party matter, but if so urged that the Government should maki a statement on the matter when mem bers could vote "confidence" or "no-con fidence." He asked the Premier to mak a statement with regard to the flou duty and its bearing on the Govern ment, as he intended to vote for it abolition. Mr. Hornsby said h c owed no al legianee to anyone but his constituent who sent him to the House. He resents very much the .attack that had beemade on the Speaker, and asked was i right to disenfranchise his electorate He urged that we ought to most jeal ously guard the Speaker, and wbuh think with shame if there were man' men on the Press of New Zealand whl could descend to the depths of degrada tion and crawlsomeness that appeared ii that article. He came to the House ti support the Liberal Government, and in tended to do so If ever it came to : question 01 putting anyone else on th Government benches, then he would h found in the lobby opposed to that, bu he claimed the right to vote on othe matters as his conscience dictated. Mr. Jennings said, as an old pressmar the article was so vindictive that In could not speak in terms strong cnougl of it. If he was not to be allowed t give his vote as he thought right in th interests of his constituents, then h. would rather be out of politics alto gethcr. The Premier said the tariff was no a party question. He had said so be fore, and members were free to vote a they desired, but a case of alliance un known to the Government was a dif ferent matter. He conceded the ri"h to the fullest extent of mfljfcbors°ti exercise their votes as they thWght fit He declined to be held personally re sponsible for any article appearing ithe New Zealand Times whilst he heii his position as Premier. Members o the Government who held shares in tV journal did so in their private capacit