RUMOUR DENIED

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21257, 31 August 1934, Page 12

RUMOUR DENIED

.NO DISHKNSION IN LAIJOI'R I'A KTY WHY 1.1;AI>J;I; IIIMD \t.«snr: l From Our Parliament.):,•• i;n■:i • WELLINGTON. Augu.-,t ::i). Because tin' leader di' the Opposilion (Mr M. .J. Savage) dined alo:;.last, evening while a caucus meetim; of the Labour party was proeeedi ing, it has been suggested that there • ,is dissension in the party and that ! the purpose of the meeting v.a. to j "try'' Mr Savage on Ihe ground Hiat : his leadership was unsat ; ' The suggestion can he given un- ' qualified denial. The facts are thai Ihe LaPous party held a caucus to discrn.. the; budget on Tuesday evening. As sev- J i oral members were absent it was de-' cided to hold another meeting last; evening to discuss various points on , which the former absentees wished ; to express their views. Mr Savage i was due to open the budget, debate ' in the House at 7.30 last evening, so j ' he attended the meeting for only a i i short time. As the caucus lasted ; I until nearly 7 p.m. Mr Savage per- '■ ■ force had to dine without the company of any of his parly colleague:, 1 and later he spent some time re-' ! freshing his mind on points he in- ( tended to make in the budget de- i ; bate. ''That is always my habit,"; said Mr Savage, in an interview this ; everting. "If 1 have to make an im- : ! portant speech in the House or from] : the public platform I do not allow j I myself to become preoccupied im- j I mediately before with other ques-1 j tions. It was not until to-day that:, i I heard a circumstantial story that ; I was on trial by my party, and on' | enquiry I find that during ihe whole; .of my absence from the caucus my i| : name was not once mentioned. It; i looks like a case of the wish being! | father to the thought on the part of] ! those responsible for the circulation' of the story." '