MR. PEARCE AND THE WANGANUI HARBOUR BILL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13522, 2 November 1911, Page 4

MR. PEARCE AND THE WANGANUI HARBOUR BILL.

While Mr G. V. Pearce probably spoke in good faith when making a certain statement at Aramoho last evening, the real facts arc so wide of the suggestion made that his opponents are bound to retort by sarcastic reference to the nature of Opposition tactics, while his friends must regret that the remark was not made in a different, way. The remark referred to was in regard to the Wanganui Harbour Board Empowering Bill, and, as reported this morning by the 'ocal Opposition paper, Mr Pearce said: “It has been reported that Mr Hogan offered to have a Commission set up to define the boundaries. He never did. The Bill was killed before he did anything of the kind. I was there all the time, and I can prove what I say to be correct.” Who started the report we cannot say. but, whoever he was, ho only partly stated the truth, leaving it to be inferred that Mr Hogan was trying to got credit for something he did not do. It is quite true that Mr Hogan did not make any such offer either during or after the debate. What he did say, when interviewed after the debate, was that Sir Joseph Ward’s idea of setting up a Eoyal Commission was a good one. Surely this is a different thing from Mr Hogan making such an offer, or claiming credit for an offer he did not make! It is also being “reported” (we do not know the author of this “report” either) that Sir Joseph Ward did not make any suggestion during the debate of setting up a Eoyal Commission. This “report is quite incorrect, and our authority for saying that he did is the Wellington Dominion, also an Opposition paper, which, in reporting the debate in Committee, says that Sir Joseph Ward remarked that “he was prepared'to • move later a clause authorising a Eoyal Commission to decide what districts should be included in the rating area under the Bill.” Such an attempt, firstly, to fasten on Mr Hogan the responsibility of words ho never uttered, and, secondly, to deny the Premier credit for words ho actually did utter, is quite unjustified by the real facts, and the foregoing must regarded by unprejudiced people as a complete vindication both of Mr Hogan .i:u! a-ir Joseph Ward. It is only necessary to add, also on the authority of the Dominion, that, after Sir Joseph Ward had made his suggestion of a Eoyal Commission, Mr Pearce moved, “That the chairman do now leave the chair.” Yet last night at Aramoho Mr Pearce, with the qualification that the personnel of the Commission must be satisfactory, approved of a Commission, and said he would support its verdict.