MR. OKEY'S "MARE'S NEST."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 137, 1 December 1911, Page 4

MR. OKEY'S "MARE'S NEST."

It is not often that Mr. Okey says anything original, kit the other night at Fitzroy he ventured on an unbeaten track and l sought'td make a name for himself. In this he certainly "succeeded, but hardly in the way he desired or intended. It was in connection with the Mokau, of which the people must by this time be heartily sick and tired. It was described as a'"new phase," ,but by the time people have heard all about it they will use an adjective that will more correctly define the condition. Briefly, Mr. Okey alleged that 5021 acres of land belonging to the Mokau block, awarded to the Grown in saitisf action of survey liens for £14*09, had been sold by the Government to the Mokau syndicate for ,Cl4fi!). The property, he maintained, should have been offered to the public, in which case it would 'have fetched between 30s and £2 per acre. And, of course, lie proceeded to show, how wicked the Government was to do such a tiling, and the Herald, in that unctuous >way characteristic of it, and before awaiting any official" information', had tried, convicted and sentenced tihe Government for such a glaring act of swindling! The thing was so pa'lpably fishy tßftt we took the liberty of wiring the Premier for an explanation of the circumstances. In another column we print the Premier's reply. It is crushing in its effect, and convicts Mr. Okey of misrepresentation of a gross kind. We don't know what Mr. Okey will liaive to say for himself now, but he owes it to the Government, the electors, and himself to apologise for making; his misleading statements. A persual of the! official statement will show that no Imnd. has been sold as alleged by Mr. Okey, simply beeause the Crown never possessed any title to the 'land in question. All ,t!ie Crown had was a charge over the area in respect of unsatisfied survey, liens. When these liens were paid off the Crown's claims disappeared. The Mokau syndicate bought the estate with its' obligations. This lien was one of the obligations, and the company .simply discharged it. The facts are quite plain and completely pulverise f the charge brought forward " with such evident giee by .Mr. Okey. The electors ill the face of Mr. Okey's disproved statement, would be justified in taking any other statement made by him with the object of damaging the administration with a "grain of salt." We are conscious that Mr. Okey himself is most likely the gun' chosen to fire this shot into the Government camp, and we are rather sorry that he is not sufficiently discriminating to know the value of the ammunition .handed out to him. To be an echo'of'someone else is frequently most damaging to oneself.