WHEAT AND OIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 154, 5 December 1914, Page 5

WHEAT AND OIL.

SIR JOSEPH WARD DEALS WITH MR OKEY. (Special to Daily News.) Wellington, Last Night. In the course of his speech at the Town Hall to-night, 4000 people being present, and 2000 being unable to gain admission, and according Sir Joseph Ward a splendid reception, the leader of the Opposition reminded the audience of the Prevention of Monopolies Act, ■which his Government passed, and pledged himself to prevent' monopolists keeping up the price of imported articles. Mr. Okey, the man of superior ideas, wh'owaa standing for Reform at New Plymouth, had wondered, in reply to an; interjection, how much wheat his (Sir Joseph Ward's) firm held. The answer telegraphed from his firm was that during the last twelve months they had sold , 85 sacks of seed wheat to farmers. - (Cheers.) "We have never been operators in wheat, but I wonder if Mr. Okey lias.be'en an operator in oil, and whether any legislation was put through last ses- ■■■' sion. in which he was personally inter- - estcd." "A DAMNABLE LIE!" ' MR, WILFORD'S REPLY TO MR. OKEY. Mr. T. M. Wilford referred last night to the statement made by Mr. Okey at the Theatre Royal on Wednesday night that ' he would like to know how much wheat Sir Joseph Ward is holding at the present tima." This statement —or, rather, ap innuendo, or suggestion—was characterised as "a damnable lie." "I know," said Mr. Wilford, , "that Sir Joseph Ward does not hold, and has not held since the war began, one bushel of wheat, but some people, for the sake of political capital, would damn a man's reputation and tear him limb from limb, That suggestion is worthy of the maker." Mr. Wilford read a telegram from Sir Joseph Ward. "Statement is absolutely untrfce. I am not a wheat speculator,, and hold no wheat, nor have I held any. It is like some of the other lies circulated about me." Mr. Wilford concluded by remarking that this style of thing, was characteristic of the "Reform" campaign. ...