THE HINE REPORT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10159, 1 December 1910, Page 5

THE HINE REPORT.

DEBATED IN THE HOUSE.

PATHETIC SPEECH BY SIR I JOSEPH WARD. J VIOLENTLY ASSAILS HIS TRADUCERS. (By TlcgrapH—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. The debate 011 the report of the Hinc Committee was resumed today. Sir Joseph Ward, replying :i speech of Mr Massey at tlio j.ievious sitting, went into details iphiting to his resignation from the Ministry and the House. Hs h.ut. in the light of after events, marvelled at his moderation in ing himself from the cowardly, soc ret, malicious attacks made upon him in connection with his pt-avious business affairs. Referring to the liquidation of the Ward Association, \ and the charges made against him in connection therewith, lie nav-T had the opportunity of being heard in his defence. Out of six rhousand farmers doing business with his firm, not one had lost a shilling on I his current account, which was a record in the history of liquidation. The whole of the creditors of the Ward Association had been paid 20s in the £. Referring to the Bank of New Zealand and it's difficulties, Sir Joseph Ward said he had taken part with the late Mr Seddon in attempting to put the Bank on a sound basis at a time when it could not have paid a shilling on the notes then current. He was. the only man doing business with the Bank who did not get two years to re-adjust his position. There was not a single man with whom he had business relat ; oi>s ' who had withdrawn his business from him. The pamphlet in circulation against him was distributed freely from door to door. He asked the members for Bruce and I\auranga what they would think of him (the Premier) if lie got any paper relating to these members' dead mothers, and took the '.pportunity of drawing people's attention to it while travelling in trains. He would deserve to be called a blackgucrd and a skunk. Would Mr Allen deny that he had acted as described in connection with the pamphlet? Similar treatment to what lie had received hadbeen meted out to the lite 'Mr Ballance and Mr Seddon. He had never known of similar persecution in connection with British public men. ,He contradicted the suggestion that lie was hankering after the High Commissionership or any other position outside New Zea» 1 land. He had sought legal advice in regard to the pamphlet, and had discovered that a man in his position had no redress. As Sir Joseph Ward sat down, the Government supporters rose and cheered, many shouting "Hip-hip-hurrah!" Mr Massey said if Sir Joseph Ward could Drove that he (Mr Massey) had anything to do with the 1 production of the pamphlet, he was prepared to tender his resignation to the Speaker and retire, from politics. If Sir Joseph Ward believed that any member..of the OppQsition was responsible for the pamphlet, then he ought 10 state the name of the member. _ Mr Allen said it was true that he had received a copy of 1 pamphlet and showed it to one of Joseph Ward's supporters in a train. He I had not read it through, and did not ' know it contained references to Sir ' Joseph Ward's mother and wife. Mr 1 Herdman said he. had asked Mr Massey if any member of the Opposition had anything to do with the issue of the scurrilotis pamphlet which was cowardly and contemptible, The Leader of the Opposition assured him that they had not. No member of the Opposition would indulge in such a mode of attack. Mi Herdman contended that the evidence showed that "Tammanyism'; did exist. Mr Allen's amendment, that the report be adopted, with the exception of the portions referring to the Te Akau block, Flaxbouvne. Estate, and the letter from Mr Symes to Mr McCluggage, was their put and rejected by 46 to 20.