ON THE EVE OF LAST ELECTION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3335, 29 September 1911, Page 5

ON THE EVE OF LAST ELECTION

(From our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 28. The statement that the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. W. F. Massey, could have had a seat in the Ministry was debated in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Sir Joseph Ward said he wished to ask the member for Bruce a question. He referred to a statement published, in the “Southland Times” and made by Mr Allen, to the effect that if Mr Massey had wanted to be a mombei of the Government he could have been so several years ago, but that Mr Massey had stood by his Party, and had remained faithful to his principles. Ihe statement went on to say that the secret object of the proposal made to Mr Massey was for a junction of the Government and of the Opposition to fight the Labor party, but the Opposition would not do’ a dirty thing like that. Sir Joseph Ward said he would like Mr Allen to inform him at what time suoh an offer was made; where it was made, and by whom it was made? He asked him —m fact he challenged him, — to reply to these questions. Mr Allen said the statement was approximately correct. There were some words there that he did not think lie had used; something about a secret object. He did not catch the exact words, but apart from that he repeated the statement as absolutely correct. “I repeat that here,” he added, And I say that no more negotiations were going on, and the honorable gentleman who sits beside me, could say something on the point if he liked. Mr Lawry : Oh get out! Sir Jas. Ward : Will you state with whom the negotiations were made? Mr Allen : I’ll say no more. Government supporters: Ah, ah. The Premier Indignant.

Sir J. Ward: If those statements were made outside the House, there is only one word I would use in connection with them. The words I would use are that they are absolutely false Mr Allen: All right. Use what words you like. , , , , , Sir J. Ward added that he had not, at any time, since he had been in the Government, himself suggested or authorised any other person to suggest, that Mr Massey, or any other member of the Opposition, be asked to join the Government. (Hear, hear.) Mr Davey: Has not the Leader ot the Opposition told the same story ? Mr Massev: I’ll tell you presently. Mr. Russell said he sat there while Mr. Massey made it. Mr Massey (sharply) : I’m here now. Sir J. Ward said the statements made implied to him conduct of the most dishonorable character \ conduct "that if it were such as stated would prevent him from holding the position he did. He. however, liad never been guilty of such conduct. He proposed to tell the House what he believed was responsible fpr this maligning of a circumstance, that took place prior to the last general election. A Government supporter: Ah ! Sir J. Ward : Who is that? Mr Massey: One of your own people. Was it Confidential?

Proceeding, Sir Joseph . Ward said that at that time the position of the parties was that the Government garty comprised sixty members, the Opposition sixteen, and there were four Independents, three of whom regularly voted with the Government-. Towards the end of that session the Minister of Railways asked him to meet two gentlemen at Parliament House who were not supporters of the Government. He had never before made any allusion to what occurred on that occasion, as he regarded the matter as confidential. During his absence from New Zealand Mr Allen had apparently ignored the confidential character of the matter, and in these circumstances he thought he was justified in putting the facts on record, without naming the two gentlemen concerned. The principal reason for his statement was that in the Christchurch “Press” of September 27tli appeared the following statement made by Mr Allen: “Mr Allen says he is still perfectly satisfied l that negotiations had been opened and that if Mr Massey had cared to accept it, he_ would have had a seat in the Ministry. Naturally, these negotiations could have been inspired by only ope person, the Prime Minister himself.” Mr Allen: I did not say that. The Prime Minister read on from his own remarks when he dealt with the matter in the House, and said there was evidence that something had been going on. Mir Allen: I did not say that it was “inspired by the Prime Minister.” The Prime Minister: There is only one man in the Government who canmake any proposal to anybody to join the Government, and that is the Prime Minister.- Now, Mr Allen says lie does not impute to, me that I inspired it. A Private Interview.

Continuing, Sir Joseph said tliat as soon as he saw the interview with Mr Allen that morning, lie made up his mind to deal with it. The two gentlemen were introduced to him, and their interview with him took place outside that Chamber, and he did. not even take them into his room. He regarded it as confidential, and was not going to give their names away, as lie did not think it would he a proper thing to do. Mr Fisher: Whom did the two gentlemen represent ? Sir J. Ward: You had better ask them. They did not represent the Government; that is certain. The Prime Minister then read a letter which he had written that day to the Hon. J. A. Millar, asking hnn to state what was liis answer to tlio two gentlemen who interviewed him, as referred to, hear the end of the session prior to tlio last general, elction, and urged that a coalition between the two parties would, in their opinion, and that of tlieir friends, be desirable. Mr Millar’s reply (which the Premier also -read) was that Sir Joseph Ward absolutely declined to discuss or entertain their proposals. There was hardly anybody in the country at that time who did not -know of the suggestion that the two parties should coalesce, as it was appearing in the Press, though not in tlio press of the Liberal party. There was only one other person who

STORY OF THE SUGGESTED COALITION. A WARD-MASSEY GOVERNMENT. “TO FIGHT THE LABOR PARTY.” WARM DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT. MR. ALLEN REPEATS HIS ASSERTIONS.

ever made a statement toi him at about that time concerning the same matter, and it was a gentleman who was opposed to him.

Mr Massey: Was he a member of tire House?

Sir J. Ward: No, he was a supporter of the Hon. Gentleman outside the House.

“Absolutely Without Foundation.” He (the Premier) was passing through a certain town, -when the gentleman called on him and mentioned the position of the Opposition party, and suggested not anything against the workers, hut against an extreme section that was exercising the minds of thy people of the country. The gentleman in question suggested that an effort should be made to have a strong party, and said that a number of the members of his own party thought so. He (the Premier) gave the same answer as he had given to the two other gentlemen a fortnight or ten days before, and he heard no more about it until he received a cable from his colleague while he was at Home, and to which he replied from London under date June loth, mi:

“Allen’s statement absolutely without foundation of any kind, i never at any time either suggested Massey’s inclusion in the Ministry or authorised anybody else to do so. Never heard of the suggestion until I got your cable.—Wa^d.”

The Premier further stated that he had never heard, until he received his colleague’s cable, that he had suggested that Mr Massey, or any member of the Opposition, should be in the Ministry. There was not an Opposition member of the House, nor a present, or past, member of the Ministry, nor any member of the House, who could say that he (the Premier) liad ever discussed such an idea with him. He had never done anything of the kind. Had he done what had been suggested, the only course open to him would have been to call his party together, and tell them that he was not prepared to carry on, and that he would resign. Not a word had been said between Mr Massey and himself at any time, either directly or indirectly, of the nature indicated. Mr Massey assented to this statement.

"I Have Never Wavered.” Sir J. Ward said that if what had' been suggested was correct, he would have been false to his colleagues, because he would have had to negotiate for others to take their places, and he would have been false to his party in Parliament, and in the country. He told the two gentlemen who waited upon him at the House that with a party of such dimensions it would be useless to discuss the matter, and he would not entertain it. His speeches showed that he had never wavered from doing his clean duty to his party, to the House, and to the country. He liad never entered into any political Intrigue and had never asked any membe“ of his party to do so. Had he done what liad been suggested he would not have remained the Leader of the party for an hour. If the party got into difficulties that required anything different from the usual procedure, and if they _ would not give him the support required, he would resign the leadership. If he had to go out of the House he would go out without intrigue. (Much applause from Ministerial supporters.) Statement by Mr. Massey.

Mr Massey said that he had one or two opportunities of intriguing, but he had never taken advantage of these opportunities. and he now endorsed what the member for Bruce had stated. He knew all that had taken place, and Mr Herries and Mr Buchanan and others outside the House could endorse what he was going to say, and it was this :_ A little over three years ago, prior to the last election, extreme pressure had been brought to bear'on him, not only in Wellington, but also in Christchurch and Dunedin and Auckland, to induce him to say that if given the opportunity he would join the Government party. •A Government supporter: Who by? Mr Massey: All, now! I have got the correspondence. Sir Joseph Ward: The hon. gentleman does not suggest that it had been done by me? Mr Massey: Certainly not. Mr Allen : Nor do I. Mr Massey: No, that is perfectly candid, and I am very glad the right hon. gentleman lias given me the opportunity of ‘saying so. Mr Massey again stated that extreme pressure had been brought to bear upon him, and another member of the House in the matter. Mr ,Hogan: Is that why you said you could have been in the Ministry ? Pressure Brought to Bear.

Air Massey said tliat extreme pressure was brought- to bear, and a Wellington organisation, apd branches of that organisation, one after another, had sent him letters showing the _ advantages from bis own personal point of view, and the point of view of the country as a whole, that would come from such a coalition. Government members: The Farmers’ Union. Another member: Why don’t you publish tlie correspondence. Air Alassey: The proposal was a very serious one. It came from more than two gentlemen, and some of them were very prominent supporters of the party in power. (Opposition hear, hears). Continuing, the Leader of the Opposition said he had taken time to consider the proposal, but liis instincts were against it from the first. Neither was this the first overtures that had been made in the direction stated. Six years ago a similar suggestion had be-cn. mado, though it did not go to the same extent. Ho had consulted his friends about the last overtures, and tliev were of the same opinion as be himself, ana they had come to the conclusion that it would bo neither in the interests of the country, nor in the interests of the party, that ho should do wliat had been suggested; that it would be wrong, and that it would be exceedingly disloyal to the party with which for so many year* lie had been connected.“I gave them to understand,” concluded Air Alassey. “that personally I would sooner go out of Parliament

than leave the men who liad worked with mo for so many years past.” The Hon. J. A. Millar said that the inference contained in Mr Allen’s statement, was that Mr Massey had been approached by the Prime Minister to join his Cabinet. Mr Allen: I did not say that. Mr Millar continued that Mr Massey admitted that he might have had pressure from his own party, and the pressure might have come from his own party, with a view to wiping it out i altogether. He' - endorsed what the '■ Prime Minister had stated. ■' , Mr J. T. Hogan (JVanganui) said that the Government party would never have Mr Massey in its ranks, as it knew him too well. A voice: You have no voice in the matter. Mr C. A. C. Hardy (Selwyn) said that the Opposition party liad been asked to cast in its* lot with the Government, in order to resist the inroads of Socialism. That request was contained in a circular issued by a large association in Christchurch. Mr Ell: The Farmers’ Union? Mr Hardy: It was not the Farmers' Union. "Mrs. Partington and Her Broom.” Mr I). McLaren -(Wellington East) said that the proposal for a coalition of the two existing parties for the purpose of downing labor was approved by the Employers’ Association, which was scared at the rising tide of Socialism, and so that there should lie one party to fight the Laborites. Mr McLaren added that any effort to sweep back the -labor movement that was surging . through the Dominion would be very much of the nature of Mrs Partington’s attempt to aweepr back the ocean with- her broom. : - Mr W. C. Buchanan {Wairaxapa) eaidthat a coalition had been talked of for years. Members of the Government party, including the Hon. T. MacKenzie, when he was a private member, had advocated in the strongest terms a coalition as the only means of putting down the single taxers, and the. Socialists. Mr James Allen said he believed that what he had said had been absolutely proved by the debate. It had been shown that negotiations went to the Prime Minister. Mr Laurenson : Well, upon my word! Mr Allen: Ido not know who these men were. I know that two men, who I presume were the same who approached the Prime Minister, came to the Leader of the Opposition. They were not the only men who came to the Leader of the Opposition, as there were many others. I have never said that the Prime Minister originated any negotiations. but it has been proved that the _ Prime Minister knew that negotiations were going on, and that negotiators came to him. In my opinion the Leader of the Opposition might have been a member of the Ministry, and also another member of this party. An Abrupt Termination. The Prime Minister: That is not so. Mr Allen : I give that as my opinion, based on a good deal that I know. Members of ■ the House may believe it or not, just exactly as they like. I have nothing to withdraw. What I have said on the public platform has been proved by the Prime Minister to a large extent. I have given my opinion, and I repeat that Mr Massey, it he had liked, could have been a member of the Ministry.

Mr J. C. Thomson (Wallace) said that the one object of Mr Allen’s statement was to show that the Government was a concentrated essence of political mendacity. The debate had proceded only with, the indulgence of the House, and •it was suddenly terminated by Mr F. M. B.’Fisher (Wellington Central), who objected to its continuation. .