"FAVOURITISM."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 290, 8 December 1932, Page 11

"FAVOURITISM."

LABOUR CHARGE.

MORTGAGE COMMISSIONS. METHOD OP APPOINTMENT. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) ■ WELLINGTON, this day. "Tlierc hi-sheen too much of this sort of thing going on for the good government and clean political life of the country," declared Mr. F. Langstone (Labour, Waimarino), in the House last night, after charging the Government with appointing only men who were supporters of the Government to membership of the Mortgage Adjustment Commissions. A vote for an additional £5000 to meet the expenses of these commissions was before the House. In replying to the discussion, Mr. Coates described the charge as being not worth replying to. Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour,. Grey Lynn) asked how appointments to commissions were made from end to end of the country. He said the commissions were packed with supporters of the Government. It would be interesting to know if the party secretaries in tlio various districts nominated the individuals who comprised the commissions. "Best Men Procured." The Minister of Justice, Mr. Cobbe, who is in charge of the Department, said he considered the vote to be a particularly good investment. The appointments were not political. The best men who could be procured were asked to act. In his own district three men who were politically opposed to him were appointed. A Labour Member: They are not opponents now.

Mr. E. J. Howard (Labour, Christchurch South) described the members of the commissions as "good party men," but men not good enough to get seats in Parliament.

"Favouritism has been shown by the Government in appointing every one of these commissions," said Mr. Langstone. "They have been analysed as to what their political faith is. It is nothing more or less than spending the public funds on political friends. Mr. Coates: No. Mr. Langstone asked Mr. Coates to name one strenuous opponent of the Government who was a member of a commission. He asked why the vote had been split —£5000 appearing on the main Estimates and £5000 on the supplementary Estimates.

Mr. Coates explained that, as double or treble the number of cases anticipated had to be dealt with, it was natural that the vote should be increased. It was very difficult to estimate how much work there would be for the commissions. "He Talks and Talks." Mr. Langstone: I wouldn't expect you to be able to calculate anything. Experience has shown that. The Chairman of Committees: You must not be offensive. Mr. Langstone: I did not intend to be offensive. Mr. Coates: He doesn't count. The Minister added that there were eleven adjustment commissions in rural districts and two in the cities. "I don't think anyone need take the member for Waimarino seriously," said Mr. Coates. "He talks and talks, and now he just talks. He talked his poor unfortunate candidate out at Motueka. We must put him on one side, as not being worth replying to." He added that the selection of the commission was made carefully. It was difficult to find members of the Labour party who were farmers and who were able to understand the difficulties of the farmers. 1

Labour Members: Are all the brains on the Government side? Mr. Coates: I don't care if they are supporters of the Socialist or any other party. We appointed the best men for the job. Colleague Defended. Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Central) said they had heard something from the Minister of Public Works that fortunately was rare in the House —an attack on the personal ability of a member. Mr. Coatee: Yes, very definitely. Mr. Fraser: Quite definite. The only difficulty in the matter i 3 the qualification of the Minister of Public Works to judge. I want to say that Mr. Langstone will compare .more than favourably with any Minister or any member in this house. Mr. J. Bitchener (Government, Waitaki): Ha, ha. Mr. Fraser: The old Reform cackle lias broken out again. We have not heard it for a long time. "I don't know whether the Minister of Justice realises the implication contained in his own statement that three members of the Feilding commission were his opponents," said Mr. W. E. Barnard (Labour, Napier). "It means that they must have been members of the Reform party." Two Guineas a Day. Replying, Mr. Cobbe said there were 13 commissions in all, with three members on each. The members received £2 2/ for every day on which they sat, and out of that they ha°d to pay their own hotel expenses. They were provided with transport.

"That means that 39 individuals have got an increase of £250 a year," said Mr. Howard. "Some of those individuals have incomes of up to £1000 a year. What about the poor farmers? they have to foot the bill." •,

Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Labour, Christchurch East) declared that 99 per cent of the men appointed to the commissions were supporters of the Reform party. Mr. R. McKecn (Labour, Wellington South): And the other 1 per cent supporters of the United party. After a prolonged discussion, during which Mr. Cobbe reiterated that the best men had been appointed, the vote was passed.