NOT INVITED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 246, 17 October 1922, Page 7

NOT INVITED.

— • i MR. SAVAGE COMPLAINS. AND MR. PARR EXPLAIN?. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Kcporter.) WELLINGTON, Monday. A complaint was made by Mr. M. JRavage in the House of Representatives to-night that there had been a breach in official etiquette in the opening of the new Curran Street Primary School at I'onsonby in that he, as member for the. district, had not boon invited to uttend. It appeared from the circumstances out- : lined by Sir. Savage that, in consequence of his not having received an invitation to attend the function, lie wired to the Minister who was performing the opening ceremony, expressing his regret at not being present, and asking Mr. Parr , to convey to the teachers and children his best wishes for success. To tins the Hon. C. J. Parr replied: "Telegram received. The invitations for Curran Street in accordance with the usual practice, were entirely a matter for the local school committee. I was not aware of the neglect to advise you until yesterday afternoon, and regret to learn that you were not invited. Unfortunately your ■ telegram only reached mc after the cere- I mony, otherwise I should have been pleased to have read it to the audience, and explained the reason of your absence." Mr. Savage said that, from inquiries made through the Telegraph Department, he learned that the telegram reached the j Minister at 2.25 p.m., five minutes before j the opening ceremony. He wished to know therefore, whether the discourteous action of those responsible for the arrangements in denying an invitation to the member for the district to I* , present, and which the Minister's own action at tlie least condoned, was in line with the policy of his Department. Did the ; Minister still deny having his (Mr. Savage's) wire prior to the opening j ceremony, and was it a coincidence that [ the Reform candidate for that electorate had a privilege extended to him that was j denied himself (Mr. Savage). Mr. Parr explained that the telegram was placed in his hands just before the j opening ceremony, and he placed it and ; certain other correspondence in his I pocket. Not until afterwards, when he ' returned to his hotel, did lie ascertain j the nature of its contents. He regretted ! that Mr. Savage should think there wae | any discourtesy. The whole responsibility for the invitations was on the com- ' mittee, and lie regretted that Mr. Savage ! had attempted to draw him intn tho i question. He did not know that the member for the district was not present until ) the ceremony had commenced. Thrre w:is i no question of politics in the matter at all. Personally !"• lik<-<1 t.. tii<member of the district present on such Farrell, the Reform candidate, being pre- j sent, he said Mr. Farrell attended the ceremony in his capacity as architect to ' the Education Board, and compliments i paid to him were thoroughly deserved, i, as it was one of the best school buildings j . in New Zealand. i (