MR. HORNSBY'S WIT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 19, 17 October 1917, Page 6

MR. HORNSBY'S WIT

ATTACK ON "DOMINION" NEWS- , PAPER. An attack upon the editor of The Dominion was made by Mr. Hornsby in the House of Representatives .yesterday afternoon. Ho gave notice to ask the Prime Minister if bis attention had been called to the following sentence contained in a leading article in Tire Dominion newspaper of that day's date having reference to tho proposal to appoint a Food Controller for New Zealand;—

"It will be seen, therefore, that what is' proposeil is that the Food Controller shall buy foodstuffs at their full export value, sell them to tho people below that value, and make up tho loss out of tho pockets of the people in a roundabout way. A fanner, for instance, sells his butter at the export price of Is. 7d. a pound. Ho buys it back for his own household use at Is. sd. a pound, ami the 2d. loss sustained by the State is taken out of the taxation which ho pays into the Consolidated Fund."

"In view of this extraordinary asinine statement," said Mr. Hornsby, "will the Prime Minister direct the National Efficiency Board to have tho editor of Tub Dominion newspaper medically examined in order that while the said editor is suffering from brain-storm, induced by an over-zealous desire to protect the food profiteers, he may I>o removed to a curative institution —

At this stage the Prime Minister objected to Mr. Hornsby proceeding further, and the Speaker stated that the question would have to be submitted to him before it wont on the Order Paper.