HANDS FORCED?

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 281, 26 November 1937, Page 9

HANDS FORCED?

TRANSPORT CONTROL.

CHRISTCHURCH CLAIM,

'EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT'

Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday.

"No officer of the State is going to force the hand of this Government," declared the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, with some emphasis in the House of Representatives to-day, when Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (National, Riccarton) was quoting extracts from a statement reported to have been made by the Mo. 3 Transport Licensing Authority at Christchurch.

Mr. Kyle asked whether the Minister of Transport had been reading the Christchurch newspapers lately and noticed a statement made by the' Licensing Authority about the licensing of transport. "Here it is," said Mr. Kyle, flourishing a newspaper clipping. "I'll read what he says: *1 am trying to force the hand of the Government as far as these licenses are concerned, because I am satisfied as soon as you get the transportation system under license you do not need to worry about licensing industry, as they are doing in Germany. Get control of transport, and you will get control of industry . . .' "

Mr. Kyle said it was an extraordinary statement for a public servant to make. On more than one occasion the Prime Minister had declared that there was only one body of authority in New Zealand, and that was the Government, but Mr. Savage se emed to have reckoned without the No. 3 Transport Licensing Authority, an individual who proposed to dictate the Government's transport policy and to use Ms power* over transport to establish control over all branches of industry.

The Prime Minister: Who is he! Mr. Kvle: Mr. T. H. Langford. The Prime Minister: That is not con sistent with his actions.

Mr. Kvle: Here it is. The Prime Minister can have a look at it if he wants to.

Mr. K. J. Holyoake (National, Motueka): Another Scrim!

Mr. Kyle: Scrim seems to have nothing on him.

Mr. A. S. Richards (Government, Roskill): Don't von like him?

Mr. Kyle: He says he is forcing the hnnds of the Government.

The Minister of Railways (Mr. Sullivan): Yon are reading the text without the context.

Mr. Kyle: J wonder what the hands of the Government are going to do about it.