KILLING THE WILLING HORSE.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1919, Page 7

KILLING THE WILLING HORSE.

To the Editor. i«^ ir 'T In your issuo of Saturday the,. 18th JE * 1 .. n 1 0^c ® your article, "An Undesirable system, in which you "whip up" Mr. Massey ]p- ft father unmerciful fashion because he still retains in the Cabinet Ministers Fraser, HerTies, Bell and Pomare. the latter's retention Being, by you, regarded as a joke. Surely you must have been in a bad humour when you wrote that article, as it is on the whole jar from being fair, all things considered, tonsider tho fact that Mr. Massey had just returned from the Peace Conference when Sir •1 Ward with nearly half the Ministry walk i.°£ offlce - leaving: the Prime Minister to tneet Parliament with a lot of new Ministers, ignorant of the working of their Departments, flnu entirely unused to the lab'ors and responsibilities entailed by their position. In addition to so enormous a handicap, you seem to think that Mr. Massey should have run out four of liis own mates and supporters In the Ministry for years 1 That would have been Flaying Ward's game with a vengeance I That | would have been a first-rate plan for breaking ! down the health of Mr. Massey and of Sir James Allen. These men are not made of non, any more than was President Wilson, who has wrecked his constitution by shouldering burdens beyond the powers of nature to endure. In my opinion both Mr. Massey and Sir .Tames Allen have both done wonderful work for the reputation and wellbeing of New Zealand, and so far, neither i? s * ecelved t}l o appreciation from the public which each has fairly and justly merited by faithful and successful services. But it will surely come, if not now, before very long. For myself, I hope to see Mr. Massey ifturncd at the approaching election with a good round majority, so as to keep things moving sieadlly lhntil the country finds its Tect again, and knows exactly whore it is. Mr. Massey is the only safe leader of any influence before the electors at the present time.—l am, etc., J. 0. TAYLOB. Lepperton, October 20, 1919. (Our argument was that Mr. Massey, in selecting his Ministry, studied party more than national interests, and that, the capable men in hJj» party were overlooked in favor of older and less efficient men. That cannot be denied, » £ result tho younger and capable members of his party are at this election flying independent and not Reform colors. Mr. Mausey has himself to blame for the defection. W& cordially agree that both Mr. Massey and he Jas. Allen are deserving of the country's gratitude for the great part they played in the recent crisis. No men could havo done more in circumstances extraordinarily difficult.—Ed.)