That Voucher Inquiry

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 36, 7 September 1905, Page 18

That Voucher Inquiry

The ' Tablet ' does not fly, as a knot in the tail of any political party kite. It sees beyond aod albove the bickerings and wran,g\lings of mere party strife. It exercises its citizen rights to stand for clean administralftion and honlora'bie methods in public life, and it usesi the knout, on occasion, with strict impartiality, upon legislators, mo matter wha!t thjedr politjical (blue may be. In regard to the Auditor-General's recent report, we adopt the only course that is possiblo— a full and frank acceptance of his finding that no improper payment was/ made out of the public funds to Captain Seddon. The evidence tendered at the inq.uiry placed any other verdict beyond tfhe furthest bounds of possibility. And it is now abundantly clear that the charge alleged with suph vociferous emphasis by Mr. Fisher and his Newi Liberal friends was based on nothing more 1 substantial than an over-4iasty perusal of two vouchers that were duly drawn, for proper and legal payments, to a contractor's agent, Mr. R. Sneddon." Messrs. Fishen and Taylor declared their (intention of abiding) by the Auditor-General's report. Yet they are not satisfied* The Christohurch Memjbeir seems to think that a disproven assertion deserves attention merely because it is repeated in a shriller key. He talks in torrents around the s<uh(ject and calls for a fresh inquiry, without havijng taken the sane precaution of advancinig), in support of bis demand, so much as a scrap of fresh evidence vital to the issue that he and his friends have raised. His action reminds us of a long-windod Massachusetts legislator who was delivering a political addresa to his constituents in a village some miles from Boston, The speaker was one of those pump-handle orators, of the Viscount Caatleroagh order, who rise • ' And coolly Spout, and spout, and spout away, ' In one weak, washy, everlasting flood.' An old Scotsman in the audionce bore the hosing of the dreary (oraltorical flood for a solid hour. Thon he arose and conSipicupiusly left the hall. Outside, he met a brither Scot who was waiting with a buggy to drive the legislator to the station. 'Is he done yet, Slandy?' the driver queried. ' Aye,' replied the wearied listener, ' he's done lang ago, bjut he will na stop.' That is about what is the matter with Mr. T'aylor. For all useful purposes', Ms last word hasi been said.' Yet he ' will na stop.' And the last word to have come from the accusers upon this wretched themo ought to have been a frank withdrawal fromi the humiliating position in which they havo placed themselves 1 before the country. (Since the preceding para/graph was set up in type Mr. Fisher has made a frank and free apology to Mr. and Captain Seddon.).