COULD HAVE JOINED MINISTRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 84, 29 September 1911, Page 5

COULD HAVE JOINED MINISTRY

MR. MASSEY AND A COLLEAGUE. PREMIER GIVES THE STATEMENT THE LIE DIRECT. EXPLANATIONS BY MESSRS. ALLEN AND MASSEY. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the House of Representatives this afternoon, Sir Joseph Ward brought up the matter of Mr. Allen's speech, reported in the Southland Times, wherein Mr. Allen was Btated to have said that if Mr. Massey had wanted he could have joined the Ministry many years ago, but had remained staunch to his party. The secret object of the proposal made to Mr. Massey was to form a junction of the two parties, and fight the Labor Party, but the Opposition would not do a dirty thing like that. The Premier asked Mr. Allen when, where, and to whom the statement was made.

Mr. Allen: I say, now, that the statement is approximately correct, and I repeat the words here. Negotiations were going on, and Mr. Massey could, if he had liked, have been a member of the Ministry. Sir Joseph Ward, continuing, said that if the statement was made outside the House there was only one thing he could say, that it was absolutely false. He had never authorised any person to make a proposition to Mr. Massey that he should join the Government prior to the last general election. The position of the two parties in the House, was: Government 60, Opposition 1(5, Independent 4. Towards (he end of the session the Minister of Railways asked him to meet two gentlemen in "(he House who were not supporters of the Government. He saw these men in the lobby of the House, and refused to discuss their proposition. Had he done what was suggested, he would not have remained lender of the party for one hour. Mr. Massev said he had never been connected with a political intrigue in his life. He wanted to endorse what had been said by Mr. Allen. Messrs. Allen. Hemes and Buchanan could endorse what lie was going to say. A little over three years ago extended pressure was brought to limr on him to ask him to s llv lie would join the Ministry with another member of his party if given the opportunity. The Prime Minister had never had anything to do with the matter. He would say that the proposal 'was a vcrv serious one, and came from two gentlemen and more who were supporters of the Government. He took time to consider the matter, and consulted his friends, and came to the conclusion that he could not, cither in the interests of the country or the party, accept the proposal. He had never received any offer or suggestion from either the' Premier or any member of the Ministry.

Mr. Miliar said that Mr. Allen, in his southern speech, had said distinctly that the Lender of Ihe Opposition had been approached by the Premier with a view to getting him to join the Ministry. He endorsed what the Premier had said in regard to the interview in the lobby, lie thought Mr. Allen was placed in'a peculiar position. He should sav that the inference thrown out at hivereargill was not correct. A long discission followed, during which Mr. Allen was repeatedly urged to explain his statement. Mr. Allen said that what lie h-id stated had been absolutely proved by what the Premier had stated that, afternoon. Sir Joseph Ward had acknowledged that he had been anpniached to open negotiations. What he had said was' that negotiations were going on, and so they were. He had never stated that the Premier originated the negotiations. He stuck to his opinion that Mr. Massev and another member of the Opposition could have been members of Hie Cabinet had they so desired, lie had nothing to withdraw. The subject then dropped.