THE MUD RAKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 91, 3 September 1912, Page 4

THE MUD RAKE.

The member for Stratford will figure in the political history of this decade as the Man with the Mud Rake. He achieved ineffacablc notoriety by bringing his celebrated charges against sundry legislators and the Government of the day, and it will be no fault of his if that notoriety dwindles in any way. Ho was again in the limelight on Friday evening. He was championing the work of the Public Accounts Commission, of which he is chairman, and showing the extravagant and inefficient work revealed by the searchlight. "In some departments," said Mr. Hine, "the committee had found that it had been the practice to give holidays on special occasions, and all those who stayed at work received double pay. It was revealed during the examination that this had happened in the Printing Department on one occasion, and some thirty took the holiday, while 400 remained at work, and drew double pay." But, alas, Mr Hine had seized hold of the wrong end of the stick, having blundered into transposing the figures, a fact which Sir Joseph Ward immediately drove home. Nothing daunted by the unearthing of this mare's nest, however, Mr. Hine-went on to make capital out of Mr. C. W. Russell having disposed of a portion of the Runanga estate to the Government. He made no charge, it is true, but the inference was plain that Mr. Russell had done something quite improper—had committed, indeed, another alleged act of Tammanvism. It was subsequently conclusively shown that, in the opinion of the Departmental officers, the Government had received good value for the money paid; that negofiations were entered into before Mr. Russell became the owner of the property; that the selling of the property had been to the detriment of the value of the block as a whole, and that Mr. Russell, instead of pushing the sale, had endeavored to cancel the arrangements, but that the late Under-Secretary for Lands had shown that the negotiations had already <ione too fur for him to do so. So ended mare's nest No. 2. Now, we do not blame Mr. Ilino, or any other member, for bringing forward for investigation any matter that is "fishy," but we do think tluit before he makes statements reflecting on the character of those politically opposed to him, ha should be very sure of his ground and his facts. It is easy enough to make charges and insinuations, but it is another thing to sustain them. Anyhow, it is not fair or honest fighting, and the Prime Minister would be well advised if, before his impetuous protege attempted to hurl any more thunderbolts, he were to devote a few minutes to the examination of the ammunition. Then there might be fewer misfires, less "unsccmlv recrimination, and less waste of time and money.