MOSCOW MISSION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 177, 28 July 1944, Page 6

MOSCOW MISSION

expense criticised QUESTION OF FURNISHING (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, this day. "I think it gross extravagance to be sending a man to Russia to represent this country as Ambassador when a trade commissioner would do the job for us, and do it cheaper,"* said Mr. A. Murdoch (National, Marsden), in the House of Representatives this morning when speaking in the debate on the finance bill The subject of the mission to Moscow arose when Mr. Murdoch asked whether included in the unauthorised expenditure the House was asked to approve by a clause in the bill there was the cost of the transfer of a former member of Parliament from the Bay of Islands to Russia.

The Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mr. Sullivan, interjected, saying that no commitments had been entered into by the New Zealand Government in regard to the purchase of furniture for Moscow. Was that clear enough? he asked. Inquiries had been made in regard to the price of goods, and he thought he was correct in saying that probably not more than £5 had been spent All that had been done had been to inquire into the cost of fur. niture.

"Our Part Will be Small"

"What we are concerned with is the trading activities of this couiv. try " said Mr. Murdoch. "I know it will be said that we must takQ our part in great world affairs, Our part will be a small part in world affairs, and much that is spoken by these gentlemen could be written and sent by post. It would be much cheaper."

The Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, intervened in the debate and sugRested that if the members agreed New Zealand should be represented; in Russia they could not.send people unless they had a house, ana they could not throw them on the mercies of a Russian winter to starve in the snow. (Laughter.) The first necessity was a house and the next the furniture, but looking at the list which had been quotea he thought somebody's imagination had run amuck. He saw a billiard table mentioned in it. This was utter nonsense. No Minister would agree to sending it, but if it was a plane or a tank they would approve. What happened wag that they had been advised by the Foreign Office that a house and furniture would have to be provided and this had been confirmed by the Australian Legation in Russia. "In the Inquiry Stage" Mr. Holland: Will the Prime Minister say none of these things have been ordered? Mr. Fraser replied that it was only in the inquiry stage. He added that if Moscow gave New Zealand results —and he hoped it would—similar to those achieved by New Zealand foreign missions elsewhere, then every penny spent would come back to the Dominion a hundred-fold.