BY-ELEGTSON HOME TRUTHS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 147, 22 June 1923, Page 6

BY-ELEGTSON HOME TRUTHS.

"TAMMANYISM WITHIN THE LAW."

CRITICISM OF PREMIER. STORY ABOUT EDUCATION MINISTER. (By Telegraph.— Parliamentary Reporter." WELLINGTON, Thursday.

Further criticisms of Ministerial tactics during the recent by-elections at Tauranga and Oamaru were made in the House of Representatives this afternoon, when the debate oil the Address-iu-Reply was continued. Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wangamii) said the law required amendment in several directions, judging by certain conduct at these by-elections. It was extremely unfair to a candidate opposed to the Government that, while he was limited to £200 for his own election expenses, a Minister of the Crown might enter the electorate in support of the Government candidate and spend an unlimited amount of 'public money, hiring halls, traversing the district, aiid employing his stall on electioneering work. The law should be amended so as to bring in within the limit of £200 the expenses of a Minister if he chose to enter the field in support of ft candidate. Under existing conditions the Prime Minister might travel through the electorate, hire halla on his own behalf, hire motor cars, and do all sorts of things without restriction. Such a position of affairs was wrong and unjust. Furthermore, an amendment of the law was required to bring Ministerial promises made during an election campaign within the limit of bribery and corruption. At the present time it was taniHianyism within the law, but tajiimanvisni of the worst type.

Mr. Massey (interjecting): Why can not you make a coherent speech.

Mr. Veitch: I could if the Prime Minister would behave as ho should. OUT OF HIS OWN MOUTH. Mr. Veitch next quoted a question which Mr. Massey put in the Houae in 1895, addressed to the Minister in charge of the Corrupt Practices Prevention Bill. Mr. Massey's question was whether an amendment would be accepted that Ministers making offers or promises to electors, either directly or indirectly, with the object of influencing an election, should be deemed guilty of corrupt practices, and Mr. Massey added that the interference of Ministers for or against candidates was most objectionable, and should be stopped. A fenyears later Mr. Massey, on the same subject, had pointed out that a Minister's expenses during such interference were paid by the taxpayers. TAURAXGA TACTICS.

Interest increased when Mr. Veiteh touched on Tauranga incidents. He first dealt with certain transactions in which the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education, had a hand. Reading from documents, Mr. Veitch showed that on February 13 the Minister of Education wrote to the Morrinsvillc education authorities that their request for the establishment of a district high school could not be complied with; that as section 8S of the Edvication Act had not been complied with it would be very inexpedient in a case like that of Morrinsville for the Department to act without the decision of the Council of Education. '"It is therefore clear," concluded Mr. Parr's letter, "that neither the Department nor the Minister can legally constitute the high school."

"But." said Mr. "two days after the death of Sir Wm. Herries, aiid nine days after that letter, the Minister of Education wired to Morrinsviile as follows: Referring to representations made on behalf of Sir Wm. Herries, urging the establishing of a district high school at Morrinsviile, I have to-day discussed the matter with the Auckland Education Board, and have agreed to three months' trial being given, on the definite understanding that if the attendance is not kept up the school will be closed immediately. If the numbers are kept up it will, of course, be permanent.' "

"So," commented Mr. Veitch, "we find, as soon as the Minister of Educaiton learns an election is about to take place, he telegraphs sanctioning the establishment of the school, at least temporarily, in contravention of the law as quoted in his previous letter.' , " EXPOSURES NECESSARY. "It is in the interests of clean Government," said Mr. Veitch, "that some of these cases should be exposed in the House."

The member for Wanganui next dealt with the Prime Minister making a statement in his speech at To Aroha consisting of a declaration that ho (Mr. Massey) had supported the Old Age Pensions Bill. Mr. Massey: Do you contradict that? Mr. Veitch: When the Prime Minister's time comes —not now- —I should like to hear his explanation of that statement. On referring to 'Hansard," continued Mr. Veitch, it would be seen that Mr. Massey had declared, on tho second reading of the Old Age Pensions Bill, that it was simply an extension of charitable aid, and would probably do more harm tfian good. Mr. Massey: I did support the passing of the bill.

Mr. Veitch: The Premier voted against the motion for the second reading, and in committee he voted to change the word "pensions" in the title to "relief." He supported 60 or 70 amendments undoubtedly intended to kill the bill, and he is recorded as having voted against the iinal passage of the bill. MR. PAER'S EXPLANATION. The Hon. C. J. Parr said Mr. Veitch had read only part of the Morrinsviile correspondence, and had made the suggestion that there had been illegal action on the eve of the election by the setting up of the high school. The facts were that a resolution was passed by the Council of Education authorising the Minister to establish district high schools "provisionally where he was satisfied that the attendance was likely to be satisfactory. The only bone of contention was the possibility of Morrinsviile getting sufficient pupils. Mr. Masters: Did you not know that when you wrote your first letter? Mr. Parr added that on the same day he authorised the provisional establishment of high schools in other electorates. DISCUSSION AT NIGHT. The galleries were crowded with interested visitors at the evening session, when Mr. Masters (Stratford) renewed criticism of the Minister of Education. He said Mr. Parr had complained that the whole of his letter had not been read. That document statea that under section S8 applications for such schools must be approved by the Council of Education before the Department could establish a district high school. Mr. Parr further stated in his letter that Morrinsviile children could travel to Hamilton,, and that the Department held Morrinsville's need could not be considered urgent, but ■when the seoior inspector's report on the matter had teen furnished the Minister would give the question further consideration. -

"I should like to sco that report," said Mr. Masters ndding, that the in-E-pectors opposed the establishment of small district schools. It was clear, he said, that the Minister of Education did not have tho advice of the Education Council before he wrote that letter, and did not have it when the Tauranga election was on. In the first instance the application was turned down because children had only a small distance to travel to other high schools at To Aroha, Paeroa, Thames, or Hamilton. The reason for granting the school later was the Tauranga election, and the Council of Education never decided in favour of that school.

Mr. Parr: You are wrong. Mr. Masters: The council meets once a year, and is meeting now.

Mr. Parr: You have overlooked a very essential factor.

Mr. Masters: The Minister of Education did not overlook the essential fact in Tauranga when tlie election was on in order to bribe the votes of Morrinsville people. (Interruption.) The Speaker of the House called on Mr. Masters to withdraw the expression. Mr. Masters: I withdraw the word and substitute the words "Influence the votes." CRANKING THE TAURANGA CAR. Mr. Masters next dealt with the Premier's activities in Tauranga, adopting the Macmillan metaphor of the motor car. Mr. Macmillan's starter went wrong, said Mr. Masters, and he (the Premier) cranked it for him. Mr. Massey was cranking for three weeks, but people realised that the car was not being steered very straight, and, despite the Premier's efforts, the Reform majority was decreased. "THE CROOKED ROAD OF OAMARU." Mr. Masters said the Premier for eight months did nothing but electioneering from one end of the country to the other. It was not creditable that when a member wrote to a Minister he was informed that the matter would be attended to on the Minister's return to town.

A Reform member: Was the Minister at Oamaru? Mr. Masters: If not at Oamaru he was at Tauranga. THE PREMIER'S CONTINGENT. Mr. Masters next declared that secretaries, typists, and even a "Hansard" reporter, were at Oamaru, a motor car being provided for the last mentioned. Further, a "Hansard" man attended Mr.< Macpherson'3 meetings and supplied progrese reports.

Mr. Massey: That was a private ar rangement, and he wae not a "Haneard" reporter.

Mr. Masters: A "Hansard" man was taken from Wellington and provided with a motor. Mr. Massey: That is not so. Mr. Masters: I say it is . I know perfectly well that a "Hansard" reporter went to Oamaru and" followed Mr. Maepherson, and provided progress reports. Mr. Massey: You are misinformed. Mr. Masters: It is a absolute fact, and the Prime Minister knowe it. % Mr. Massey: I do not. Mr. Masters: He knows it now if he did not know it before. MR. MASSEY ASKS A QUESTION. The fact that Mr. Massey during the Oamaru election was reported to be favourably impressed by a request for a subsidy 'greater than £ for £ for a bridge n?ar the 'boundary of ihe Oamaru electorate was criticised by Mr. Masters, and brought an interjection from Mr. T. W. Rhodes (Thames).

"How many two to one subsidies has the member for Thames had in his district? " retorted Mr. Masters. Mr. Massey: Do you know the answer? Liberal members in chorus: We do. Mr. Masters, continuing, eaid Mr. Maephereon's majority came from the farming community. Mr. Massey: It came from outside. PULLED DOWN THE BLINDS. One of the tidbits of Mr. Master's speech was his reference to Mr. Massey's retreat from Oamuru. One of the regrettable things at Oamaru, he said, was the way the Prime Minister deserted his second best Minister after the election. He did not do what he did when he won the Tauranga election. When Mr. Masfey knew hie position in Oamaru he left on the morning of the election, pulled down the blinds of the railway carriage, and travelled to Christchurch without lifting one of them till he got to Lyttelton wharf. (Laughter.) Mr. Massey: That is not true. Mr. Masters: Then they tell mc when they arrived in Wellington Mr. Massey was the last man to get off the boat, and when he disembarked he hurried away quickly in a taxi. (Laughter.)

Mr. Massey: If I wore an elector of yours T would be nshamed of you.

Mr. Masters: We'll let thnt. pn «= '-•- what it is worth. A majority of the Stratford electors were more proua vi mc than of him.

Mr. Mas?ey: What did the county chairman cay about you?

Mr. Masters: He said I was the best man that ever sat in the House. (Laughter.)