"NOT WORTHY."

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

"NOT WORTHY."

RESENTMENT SHOWN.

COUNTER-CHALLENGE MADE

MR. HOLYOAKE IN DEFENCE. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Keuorter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Declaring that the Minister of Public Works, Mr. Semple, had said that the member for Motueka was not worthy to hold a public position, Mr. K. J. ffolvoake, in reply to the Minister, said he accepted his challenge.

"I will resign my seat if he will resign his seat and contest the Motueka seat on this point," Air. nolyoake said, in concluding ins remarks in the ''electrical storm" that disturbed the tranquillity of the House of Representatives this afternoon.

Mr. Holyoake was on his feet immediately the Minister sat down. He said that some of the words and statements made by the Minister required dealing with. He explained that the report of the remark, though more or less correct, was not quite correct, and that it had been made in reply to an interjection from the member for Grey Lynn. Personally he had no wish to enter into the dispute or episode, or whatever it was, but his name had been besmirched in the whole transaction.

The Minister: Why did you start the controversv if you wore not interested?

Mr. Holyoake: I think I have explained the position, that I was answering the member for Grey Lyun.

He went on to say that the criticism made by the men at Motueka was not against the Minister but against the general secretary, Mr. Cook. They had no dealings with the Minister.

The Minister: You know.;all about it. Mr. Holyoake: I am taking what I am saying from Press clippings. Mr. Speaker Intervenes. Mr. Speaker intervened at this stage, and pointed out the House could not be detained with a discussion on the situation at Motueka. Mr. Coates (National, Kaipara) immediately raised a point of order. He said that a deliberate charge had been made against the member for Motueka under the guise of the Political Disabilities Removal Bill, and the membetr was entitled to answer that. The Minister: The charge was made against the Minister. Mr. Coates: No. The charge was made against a private member of this House, who is claimed to have used certain words. Mr. Coates alleged that Mr. Speaker was endeavouring to curtail the right of reply. Mr. Speaker: Order, order. Will you please resume your scat? You are entirely out of order in making that suggestion. I was endeavournig to give some guidance to the member for Motueka. I indicated that I had no desire to curtail him in his speech, but the whole of the time of the House must not be taken up in discussing the rights and wrongs of whatever happened at Motueka. I.am the judge in this matter, and the time has not arrived for any question of my fairness to be impugned by the honourable member. Mr. Coates: I have not done that. Mr. Speaker: I think now that the matter has been made sufficiently clear. No Criticism. Mr. Holyoake said that as far as he knew the men at the Motueka aerodrome did not criticise the Minister. They criticised the agreement to which the Minister was a party. They criticised their general secretary for signing the agreement, but not the Minister. The. Minister was invited to go to Motueka, but the men, at no time, had contact or correspondence with him. The secretary had been criticised because the men had no part in framing the agreement. The resolution expressed a complete lack of confidence in tlie general secretary signing such a document as Mr. Seniple's "so-called agreement." Surely the men had a right to an opinion—-had a right to think. They had criticised their secretary and the Minister had said "Get off the job."

Mr. Semple: You know that is abso liitely wrong.

Mr. Holvoake said it was reported in the newspapers. The men had to withdraw and apologise if they were to retain their jobs. The Minister had said that the men must have no opinion, must not speak their minds or else they would not have the right to live. He eould not get affidavits to prove it. He had been merely replying to the member for Grey Lynn, and he was not apologising. I£ a stop-work meeting lasting even a whole day had been held, it would not have mattered, as the men were on contract. Mr. Semple: Does your party stand for that? Not Malingering. Mr. Holyoake said the Minister had proved that the men were not malingering. He had shown that they were earning from 19/ to 23/ a day. Mr. Semple: Under your Government they would have earned 10/ a day, and kmc 10/ a week. Later Mr. Semple said he had made a general statement of principle in regard to men offered work, and who would not take it —that they were not going to be allowed to live on the nation.

Mr. Holyoake said the Minister was reported as having made the statement. He quoted statements from reports of the meeting, one being that if the same thing happened in Germany heads would be missing in the morning. The Minister had said, on his return to Wellington, that he (Mr. Holyoake) had incited the men on the job. "I will take the Minister on at Motueka any time he likes to come down," he said. If the Minister desired to besmirch his (Mr. Holyoake's) character he would have to improve 100 per cent on the speech he had made at Motueka. ' "He can take every hall, and I will pay for them," he said. Down in Due Course. Mr. Semple: I will be down in due course. I will be there all right. The Minister of Labour, Mr. Armstrong: Can anybody come into it, or will it be just a private affair? (Laughter.) Mi\ Holyoake: Yes, it is free for all. Continuing, lie said that the Minister had said that the member for Motueka was not worthy to hold a public position, and he accepted the Minister's challenge. "I will resign my seat if he will resign his, and contest the Motueka sent on this point," he added. i

The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment.