Politician and Pioneers

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 28, 27 October 1932, Page 11

Politician and Pioneers

Sir, —I notice Mr. J. A. Lee, M.V., is reported to have .stated that “All the pioneers were driven out of London slums.” It takes a fully-fledged Labour member of Parliament to say a thing like that. Tbe utterance was not only objectionable, it was silly, for the majority of pioneers never lived in London—some had never seen it—if those who settled in this district arc any criterion. Inquiries made hereabouts (Oroua County) have elicited the information that the “breakers-in” of this part of tbe Dominion camo from Scotland. Ireland, Wales, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Scandinavia, and England generally, though only one from London itself. What applies to these parts would be more or less the case in other districts. ... It is remarkable that 90 per cent, of the crude and cruel things said in Parliament come from the Labour benches . . . and such statements as that made use of by Mr. Lee-do the party or cause more harm than good; they hurt even when untrue, those to- whom they apply.—l am, etc., T.J. Holcombe, October 23.