ANOTHER SENSATION

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10569, 27 February 1912, Page 5

ANOTHER SENSATION

WELLINGTON, Last Night, When the House of Representatives met bo-night, Mr W. F. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, made the following statement: "On Friday evening, in giving . an account of a conversation between tho member for Grey Lynn anduny.self, and ~e request of the former, i quoted an extract from a letter which I had read to the member mentioned. In doing so I committed a grave error. The terms of the extract . suggested that a member of this • House was subject to corrupt influences. Some of my own words may have been capable of this same construction, though I did not so intend them. By some • honourable members the words I used with reference to the Prime ■Minister and the member for Na-. pier appear to have been understood as suggesting that the members I have mentioned employed some improper influence. £ feel it .my duty to the House, • to the Prime Minister, and to tho member for Grey Lynn, to express my regret, not only for reading the extract, but for the words I myself used; and, fur-, fcher, it is due to them that I should at the earliest possible, moment unreservedly withdraw all tho imputations against those honourable members. I <lo not believe that a bribe has tteen accepted by any, member of the House, or that any member has offered another r a bribe. My statement is made without pre- ,.' vious consultation . with my, par-. tyy. and I have only been guided •by my Wn sense of what 1/due . l>y one manto another, and bya member of the House*.to ;■ '.-the ' ' ~. House.":. ■■■ - ■ : W&M':-S HOW. T; WftCKENftE WAXES ELOQUENT.

The. Hon. T. Mackenzie said he hoped, the statement woulfl be made to f include Ministers as Ministers, and would state that they had not accepted bribes. He went on to say that in Auckland and elsewhere it was jaid that it was impossible to obtain grants unless five, ten or one hundred pounds were left on the Ministerial doorstop. Members: "Oh, no!" Hon.'T. Mackenzie: "The 'Oh, nos' are all very well; but this state of affairs exists. He wondered why Opposition members, eopecially the leader, had been afraid to discuss the ■Speech from the Governor. They absolutely refused to discuss it. They declined to enter into a discussion on a policy which embodied the amelioration of the community. With regard to the land question, he stated that the Opposition had made a point of crying about the pepole who had left the country because they could not obtain land. This was absolutely incorrect. The people who Lad left this country had done so because they had made money. They had gone abroad to the Argentine and Canada to obtain larger holdings than were obtainable here, where the area of country was limited. Thoy had gone forth as colonists-, just as people searching for small areas had come here from the ( 01d Country > With regard to the statements that the people should not invest their. ' money here, the statistics showed that • - the earnings on invested capital were from 25 to 35 per cent per annum. The President of the Bank of New Zealand had some few months ago said that the country was in for a period of low prices for agriculture-; hut the present conditions showed that he had made a false deduction. An attempt had been, made to politically assassinate their leader. He * was accused of receiving pickings ■from loans, paying the country's mo-, uey to divert the ship which brought him from Home after the Imperial Conference. Everyone knew those were false, and he dared'anyone who knew similar cases to com© forward and state them honestly. When this political turmoil had passed, his (Sir Joseph Ward's) name would stand forth for the reforms ho had invented and passed. They had thrown him into a pit like his namesake of old; but he would come to be loader of- the country. Mr Mackenzie then entered into a detailed defence of.the Agricultural Department, and pointed out what had been done to help "" the farmer. If the Opposition want- - ed to criticise the Department, they

SEQUEL TO FRIDAY'S INCIDENT MR MASSEY UNRESERVEDLY WITHDRAWS HON. T. MACKENZIE DEFENDS THE PREMIER (By Telegraph—Press Association.)

should .criticise the same, and not the officers who were doing their best in the interests of tho country. Speaking on tho land question again, ho emphasised the fact that large estates must be broken up. Public opinion at the present time, lie said, was started by newspapers established for the puupeso of making money for their shareholders, and therefore for the capitalists. It was not public opinion iu reality. There was a suppression of the truth, and a suggestion cif the false, and that it was that was more influencing public opinion at present than anything else. Referring at the close of his speech to the refusal of the Opposition to give a pair to Mr WiH'ord, ho said they expected to win• but if they won by one or two votes, which ho did not think they would, what a victory it would be—a matter which would never be forgotten. Tho Opposition was endeavouring to capture the votes of members on the cross benches. Ho was not going to go any further than to say to them to vote as their constituents and consciences dictated. MR LAUREN SUN SPEEAKS.

Mr Laurenson said the motion moved by Mv Massey was not directed against Sir Joseph Ward. Ho had announced his intention to resign the leadership of the party of his own accord immediately after the division. The motion was directed against the Liberal party, ami therefore against the Liberal programme. He had never heard so much inference and innuendo given utterance to. during recent <y©ar.s.. •Gliarg^s.li'ad^been levelled .against the Administration' right and, left.;- but never one had., -eyer. .been proved." Only to-day.a. man.from TaranaKi had sent him a telegram, whioli contained a. charge against a Taranaki member. He did not intend to read an extract from the telegram, but would read the whole thing. He reviewed the legislation passed by the Liberal Government during the past ten years. No more radical legislation had ever been passed. He proceeded,.to uphold the provisions in tlib Governor's Sp'eech, and maintained that the Opposition were bitterly opposed to them.

Mr R. W. Smith declared that the Opposition had conducted a campaign of innuendo. He asked, what had the Opposition done for Labour? Nothing! On the contrary, the Government ha'd for 21 years been putting labour legislation on the Statute Book with one hand, and holding the Opposition off'with-the other. It was j not the worker who was behind the I Reform Party, but the man with the money. He was looking forward that night to the division, and ho had not very much care as to the result.- ■ ' Mr Myers said nothing more gross in the nature of innuendo had taken ..place in tho past in connection with politics. In private life, the members of the Opposition were honourable men. but he could not understand the political tactics of the party. Tho Opposition had been misled if it had convinced itself that all it had 1o do was to assemble in Parliament and take a vote, and then be ensconced in the Treasury benches.. If the electoral laws had been more perfect, the Opposition would 'have had ten •seats less than thoy now hold, and .the "Liberals three-more than at pre- - sent. The silence of ■ the Opposition showed, that it had been wrong in 1 its anticipation. " Persistent efforts ■ had been made to drive out of office the present leader. There could be no doubt there was a species of "Wardism" rampant. There was no doubt the Liberals had not lost their constructive ability.

Mr Glover moved the adjournment of the debate, "and the House rose at 11.to p.m.