"CHEERED ON."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 216, 12 September 1935, Page 11

"CHEERED ON."

AUCKLAND CLERGY.

ATTACK ON GOVERNMENT.

MINISTER'S SHARP RETORT.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

"Trapped by political campaigners," was the opinion expressed by the Minister of Employment, Mr. Smith, regarding Auckland clergymen, who, under the presidency of Archbishop Averill, attended a meeting which passed resolutions calling attention to chronic poverty and distress in the Dominion and expressing no confidence in the Government.

Mr. Smith had heard Mr. W. J. Jordan, an Auckland Labour member, stress the significance of this meeting, and suggesting that the clergy had no confidence in the Government, and the Minister asked: "Who passed these res'olutions?" Only 2000 out of Auckland's large population attended, he said, and Communists an'd anti-Government supporters would walk dozens of miles to get the opportunity of passing resolutions condemning the Government.

"Purely party tactics,* - commented the Minister, "and I am sorry the clergy have been trapped into that." There were people in unfortunate circumstances long before New Zealand had unemployment. We had had 2000 years of Christianity, too, aad here was the Opposition trying to put the blame for poverty and want of thrift on the Government.

"It won't wash," declared Mr. Smith emphatically, who said he was sorry he had not been present at the Auckland meeting, for he would not have been surprised to find amongst the audience a good crowd of the anti-God people of which there was a group in Auckland cheering on the clergy to attack the Government.