"TOO CONTEMPTIBLE"

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 221, 19 September 1927, Page 8

"TOO CONTEMPTIBLE"

MR. HARRIS' STRONG PROTEST

LOSS OF CHAIRMANSHIP. HON. MR. McLEOD BLAMED. LIVELY DISCUSSION LIKELY. (By Telegraph-—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day.

More than passing interest has been aroused in Parliamentary circles by the factTthat Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) has been deprived of the chairmanship of the Industries and Commerce Committee, and it is understood that the matter is to be raised in the House on the first opportunity. Several members have intimated that they intend to speak, and Mr. Harris •himself will have something pointed to say.

It is known that Mr. Harris had an assurance from the Prime Minister this session that the Government con-

templated no change in the chairmanship, and when the committee was appointed, the fact that Mr. Harris was included was taken as an indication that he would continue as chairman.

Discussing the matter -this morning with your representative, Mr. Harris said the whole thing was too contemtible for words. It would never have happened, he said, had the full committee been present last week when the first meeting of the session was held. However, there were only six in attendance.

"I place all blame on the Hon. Mr. McLeod," he added. "It was a stab in the back with a poisoned dagger, politically speaking. It would be an insult to all the other members of the commitee to imagine that any other one could be so small."

A lively interlude is expected when the matter is discussed in the House.