MR. SAVAGE'S REPLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 127, 1 June 1939, Page 14

MR. SAVAGE'S REPLY.

CANDIDATE'S CHALLENGE.

BY-ELECTION STATEMENTS.

(By Association.)

GHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday.

Replying to a challenge issued by the National party candidate in the.Chrietchurch Booth by-election, Mr. M. E. Lyons, asking blot to publish the set of Instructions Issued fo officer*, of the Social Security Department, the Prim* Minister, the Rt. Hoa. M. J. Savage, to-day saMi "If Mr. Lyona thinks there Iβ any thine questionable In these instructions, lethini paWWi them." Mr. Bavage added that Mr. Lyons' own Intelligence should tell him that there were many regulations and details connected with all Acts of Parliament that were not necessarily embodied in the Act itself. He could assure Mr. Lyons and the public that the provisions of the Social Security Act would be carried out in full.

"Let Mr. Lyons come out Into the open and nay what la at the back of his mind," said Mr. Savage. "Let Mα talk in plain fact* and not la innuendo** that nobody understands. If he Is in possession of anything he thinks should be published, let him publish it at once.

"I will take the opportunity of referring to another statement which Mr. Lyons ha* made," continued the Prime Minister. "He has said that a certain person Iβ In New Zealand at present and that he k here on the «*me sort of mission as be was on when lie was in Newfoundland some time ago.

"In reply to that I would say that, again, the decent thing for Mr. Lyons to do Iβ to come out into the open and tell the public what lie knows. Let him be quite straight about it and stop making these unfair innuendoes. If Mr. Lyons knows what ia wrong in New Zealand, and if he knows why the individual he refers to is here, then it ie Wβ duty to give everyone the benefit ->f Mβ knowledge."