EVENING SITTING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12405, 29 December 1909, Page 5

EVENING SITTING

lln the evening there was a full House < Sir Joseph Ward again stated his ' case. He held that the vote had originally been struck out upon a misunderstanding. The matter was not brought forward' with the object of settling the House at defiance. He was still quite willing that there should be no commitment "be3'ond June, when the House could reconsider the whole matter. Ho ' was no a- prepared to let Mr Massey 'go on with his divisions, and he was quite ready to take the necessary walking allowance He was a very good walker. Mr Massey: You're a better runner sometime!?. Mr Massey said as the Premier had repeater! his offer, he (Mr Massey) would repeat him. He had said at the outset that he would have been prepared to accept a reduction of only £1, and that reduction could bo moved by. Sir f Joseph Ward's own supporter. Mr Day- ! ey. 'That offer was still open. Would ' the Premier accept it? Sir Joseph Ward would not accept tne offer. He said the Opposition were making it a personal matter. Mr Massey warmly retorted that it was not at all personal. He challenged the Premier to prove it. He pointed out that the Rosebery Government had gone out of office for such an issue as this—the reduction of the salary of an official. As to the personal element, , the member who was strongest in per- ! sonal grounds against Mr Reeves sat bej hind the Premier himself. iMr Rhodes: The personal feeling js ' all on the Government side. |Mr James Allen challenged the Pre- ' mier to say that the personal element entered into the matter with the Opposition in any way. He could produne correspondence to prove that the ' Premier was trying to make it a per- ! sonal matter. He should accept the word of the Opposition that such was not. tho case. Mr Alien said the Opposition would bo quite willing to pass | tho item if the word " liability" in brackets were appended to it. Mr Russell admitted that he himself v.iis influenced to some extent by personal feeling against Mr Reeves in regard to the original vobo, and others 1 were- also. That was why the Government had been defeated. Members also voted under a misapprehension, in fo far as tht'y did not know that porj lion of the vote had been already earned. He was prepared now to recast his vote. He saw the Leader of the Opposition smile. Mr Massey: Is there any objection^ to my smiling? Mr Russell: No. The lion, gentle- ' man can smile if he likes. iMr Massey: Those laugh best who j laiuih last. Mr Russell: During the course of fur- : ther remarks, said he understood the ! Premier was quite -willing to give Mr Reeves six months' notice. -At this the Opposition raised a chorus of " Noes," and Mr Massey, jumping up in his seat, said " I'll accept that right out." Mr -Russell then modified his statement in accordance with the Premier's actual statement that the matter could be reviewed in June next. Mr Poole, in a wordy speech, saiii he would now change his vote after hearing the Premier's statement that the matter could be reconsidered in June next. Mr Clark was also prepared to change his vote, because at first lie did not

tl iinderstind that the money was owing. ! After 399 divisions, and when it camo ; down to a reduction of £1, ho would j bo prepared to vote again with the Opi position, as an indication that this office ] should be wiped out, and;that the Hon. [Mr Reeves should bi> wiped out so far ias New Zealand was concerned.

j Mr Massey: Why, I offered to accept ■ that! ! Mr Newman said the High Commis- [ sioner's office was becoming a sort of a | house of refuge for New Zealand offii cials.

i Mr Taylor said the proceedings of the last five days were sufficient to drive any reasonable man on to the Governj ment side. (Government " Hear, hear.") He strongly urged the necessity for an elective executive (Mr Laurenson: " Hear, hear! ") and if they had that system the Leader of the Opposition would be in the executive to a deaa certainty, added Mr Taylor. Mr Taylor want on to condemn the Conservative newspapers. " In connection with such matters," he said, "they distort, ' they misrepresent, they He, and they prostitute their journalistic reputation in the interests of party. For scurility and for unjust tactics I do believe the Conservative newspapers of New Zeai land take the cake." : i"* Hear, hear.") Ho would vote with the Government to discharge the liability.