ELECTRICAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 184, 5 August 1936, Page 12

ELECTRICAL

M.P.'S CHALLENGES.

THRILLS IN HOUSE.

MOTUEKA AERODROME. MINISTER AND MEMBER. (By Telegraph.-—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON", Tuesday. The atmosphere of the House of Representatives was electrical this afternoon, a presage, no doubt, of what was to follow later on—the first Budget of the Labour Government with its "more taxation" proposals.

The trouble started with a challenge from the Minister of Public Works, Mr. Semple, issued to the member for Mofcueka, Mr. Iv. J. Holyoake, to go to Motueka with him and there repeat a statement he had made in the House of Representatives in respect to the recent trouble that had arisen owing to the action of the men employed on the Motueka aerodrome.

This occurred during the second reading debate on the Political Disabilities Removal Bill. The Minister's challenge was made with his characteristic vigour.

Later in the discussion, a counterchallenge was issued by Mr. Holyoake. He offered to resign his seat if Mr. Semple would also resign and that they should both contest the Motueka seat on the question at issue. Mr. Semple commenced by reading a newspaper report of the speech of the member for Motueka when the bill was introduced in the House 011 Friday afternoon, in which Mr. Holyoake was reported to have said that, addressing the men at Motueka, the Minister had said: '"You shall not speak; you shall not think; you shall have no opinions." Mr. Holyoake also said that most of the men whom the Minister addressed in that way went to school with him and were personal friends of his. Public Position. The Minister said that if he had been guilty of making a statement of that kind 'to New Zealand citizens, whether they were working men or any other section of free-born citizens, lie would not be fit to hold down his present position for five minutes. On the other hand, any man occupying a public position who in cold blood would make a statement of that kind reflecting on a Minister of the Crown was not a fit and proper person to hold public office. Mr. Speaker: Order. "In my life," continued the Minister, "I have made sacrifices and been punished for standing four-square for the rights of free citizenship. I have been subjected to a campaign of vilification and slander toy the Communist party of this country for the past 15 years. That campaign of vilification and slander has been more cronounced since I have * held my present office."

The Minister added that the sentiments expressed by Mr. Holyoake were definitely in line with the slanderous statements of the Communist party of New Zealand.

The Minister said there were four newspaper reporters present at his meeting in Motueka, including two members of the Press gallery. Both those gentlemen said there was not a tittle of fact in the statement he was alleged to have made, and they had been good enough to swear an affadivit that he had made no such statement.

Mr. Semple said he had also discussed the matter with the chief engineer of public works, the acting-Secretary of the Public Works Department, and the district engineer, and they were amazed and shocked almost at a statement of the kind being made. He added that he was putting the matter on record to show what was done to try and discredit members of the present Government—a Government that thought lit to give the people freedom to think. Yet he was branded as an individual who etood for a form of despotism hitherto unknown in this country.

After quoting a remark by Mr. Holyoake that some, of the men at Motueka were blood relations of his, Mr. Semple said that the man who caulfed all the trouble there was not a resident of the district. He was a man with 23 convictions for theft and while in a position of trust in the Government had stolen £1000. He was an educated scoundrel and was sent there for the deliberate purpose of creating trouble. Not One Protest.

Continuing his speech, the Minister said that between 700 and 800 people were present at his meeting in Motueka and not a single protest was made concerning anything he said. As a matter of fact, Public Works organisations throughout the country had sent letters of congratulation to him.

"No one in the country," he continued, "would believe that myself or any other member of the Ministry or any member of the House would presume or be stupid enough to stand on a public platform in New Zealand and tell people that they have not the right to think, to live or to talk."

The Minister said there was ample evidence that he did not make the statement. He challenged the member for Motueka to repeat the statement outside, and also challenged him to go to Motueka With him and make the statement to the people of Motueka.