"BUSINESS – ABILITY."

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 220, 17 September 1930, Page 5

"BUSINESS - ABILITY."

MEMBERS BAIT MINISTER. ] a£R. DONALD AND CHAMBERS I OF COMMERCE. "POLICEMAN FOR BOSS SEA. -, (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Possibly offended by the public declarations of the Hon. J. B. Donald that more j business men are needed in Parliament. j members of tlie House of Representa- j tives got their chance of showing their; feeling to-night, when tliis Minister, in j charge of the Marine Department, faced i the House in cominittee to deal with the | Marine Estimates, though the annual j report of the Department had not been j tabled. This immediately followed a sue- i cessful protest by the Leader of the j Opposition against the Railway Eesti-1 mates being taken before the Statement j in the hands of members had been discussed. ; "But I won't make another protest," explained Mr. Coates. *'T want to be reasonable, and won't stick my toes in.' ,, j However, the Opposition Leader's plan j was not followed by others. Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Central) making caustic comment on. the position. It was an extraordinary way of doing business, said Mr. Fraser. Was this a j sample of business- j like ability about j which the Minister had been talking the chambers of commerce ? "For outstanding, wonderful, unparalleled business ability commend me to the Minister of Marine!-' , he added caustically. Mr. E. J. Howard (with mock severity) : Extraordinary! Mr. Fraser: He is not even conversant with the ordinary procedure of the House. Mr. E. A. Ansell (Reform, Chalmers): He is not a politician. "Most Slovenly." Mr. Howard: I hope we won't get any more business men into the House, because this is the nibst slovenly thing I have experienced in my 11 years here. This is a most important Department, and we do not know what it did or what it will do. The Minister, as a business man, gets things done. Are we the things lie gets done? (Laughter.) Mr. Howard called attention to a vote of £150 for the Ross Sea Dependency, asking what it was for. A Member: For a policemanMr. Howard: If I had a map and the report I could see where he was to be stationed, I have been watching and waiting to see these special qualities business men are endowed with, and I must admit I have not seen evidence in any shape or form. The Chairman: Order! Mr. Howard: Order what? (Laughter.) "Not a Living Soal."

He wanted to know who would get the £150. The Rev. Clyde Carr {Labour, Timaru): Some chamber of commerce in the Boss Sea. Mr. Howard: If there are business people there they might get it. but there is not a living soul in Ross Sea, except whales. Is that a business proposition ? Mr. Donald, in reply, explained that the £150 item was for the expenses of a New Zealand officer who accompanied a whaling vessel to the Ross Sea last year. 3fr. W. Lee Martin (Labour, Raglan): What for? Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Labour, Christchurch East): For ice cream! The Minister made no explanation of the non-appearance of the Departmental report, nor did he venture to cross swords with the critics of his business ability in Parliament.