THE "BLACK" PAMPHLET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 14, 11 July 1911, Page 5

THE "BLACK" PAMPHLET.

MR. FOWLDS AND AN OPPOSITION STATEMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Rotornii, Last Night. The Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister for Education, who is at present in Rotorua taking the baths for a slight attack of rheumatism, was seen by a Times reporter this evening. Referring to a paragraph that appeared on the nth inst in a Southern -newspaper, as follows: "The Hon. C. Fowlds lias reiterated on a public platform the charge that Mr. Massey. the leader of the Opposition, fathered the unauthorised biography of Sir Joseph Ward."

Mr. Fowhls remarked that it seemed to him that at the present time the Opposition speakers and newspapers were prepared to go to any length in the matter of misstatements. Regarding the particular statement referred to- it was without the. slightest foundation. In fact, on the contrary, what he did say in effect when speaking on the matter, was that he had never heard Mr. Massey blamed personally for having had anything to do with the inception of the circulation of the "Black" pamphlet, but that the indictment against the Opposition generally was that whilst they knew it was in cireula tion and that their party was likely to benefit from it, they took no step's to condemn it. That was, Mr. Fowlds added, quite a different statement from the one now being circulated by the Opposition newspapers.