IS THERE DANGER?

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 55, 13 September 1928, Page 11

IS THERE DANGER?

THE "1928 COMMITTEE" STATE INSTITUTIONS ALLEGED TO BE ATTACKED Tho aetivitiea of "Tho 1928 Committee" were sharply criticised in tho House of Representatives yesterday afternoon by tho Loader of tho Opposition (Mr. H. E. Holland), who alleged that the organisation, working in conjunction with tho Welfare League, was making a determined attack on various State institutions, and the Public Trust Oikce in particular. Mr. Holland referred to an attack which had teen made on the Public Trust Office by Mr. A. F. Wright, of Christchurch, and stated that the country could expect many attacks of a similar naturo between now and the end of the year. There was an organisation known as "The 1928 Committee" which appeared to bo working hand in hand with the Welfare League. A Labour member: "A first cousin?" Mr. Holland: "I don't think it's a first cousin. It is more like a multiple stepchild." Mr. J. A. Lee (Auckland East): "A mental defective." Mr. Holland went on to refer to a secret conference held in Wellington in March last which gave birth to "The 1928 Committee." xVt this conference certain principles were laid down in regard to State enterprise, and it was decided to make an effort to bring such State enterprises aa conflicted with private enterprise into line with private institutions. Mr. Holland said the members of the Central Committee of the 1028 Committee in Wellington were Messrs. W. F. Cuthbertson (chairman), Stronach Paterson (vice-chairman), D. A. Ewan; J. B. MaeEwau, D. J. M' Gowan (president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce), Gerald Fitzgerald, D. F. Bauchop, E. W. Ackland, and C. A. L. Treadwell. There were branches in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and the members were: Auckland: Messrs. E. Anderson, J. Lowe, H. E. Vaille, C. M. Fenwick, Eobcrt Laidlaw, H. T. Merritt E. A. Craig, R. C. Hammond, and D. J. L. Clayton; Christchurch: C. P. Agar, N. Francis, A. F. Wright, H. S. E. Turner, and W. Machin; Dunedin: W. F. Mitchell, J. Taylor, AY. R. Hayward, T. Somervillc, H. F. Sincock, and James Begg. Thero waa not a Labour man connected with the Committee, but practically all were members or supporters of tho Reform Party. Tho Prime Minister himself was at the conference, and he made n definite statement that the Government was in favour of private enterprise. Tho Minister of Lands (tho Hon. A. D. M'Leod): "Hear, hear." IN CONFLICT. Tho Prime Minister, continued Mr. Holland, promised the conference that ho would give full consideration to cases of undue interference with private trading by the Government or by public bodies. How did that statement apply to the Public Trust Office when that office came into conflict with the private money-lending institutions? It seemed that the Prime Minister and the Minister in Charge of the Public Trust Office would find themselves in conflict. The Prime Minister (the Right non. J. G. Coates): "Oh, no." Mr. Holland read extracts from a report of "The 1928 Committeo" to the effect that the committee had all along been anxious to carry tho Prime Minister and his Government with it in its work, and that there had been negotiations with the Prime Minister to that end. Such negotiations were described by the report as "a very necessary portion of our work." Mr. Holland stated that the financial report of "The 1028 Committee" indicated that it had given £400 to the funds of the Welfare League. Mr. Coates: "Has any of it gone to the United Party?" (Laughter.) Mr. Holland: "Tho Prime Minister ought to know. He was at the conference." Mr. Coates: "Oh, no. The conference came to me." Mr. Holland: "Well, at any rate, the mountain and Mahomet came together."' Mr. Holland asked the Prime Minister if he could say what discussions he had had with members of "Tho 1928 Committee." Mr. Coates: "Would you like a copy of the reports of the interviews?" Mr. Holland: "That would be most interesting." Mr. Holland said various committees had been appointed to meet the Prime Minister in regard to various State activities. For instance, Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell and Mr. D. A. Ewan were to wait on him in regard to the Public Trust. "If lam not mistaken," said the Leader of the Opposition, "Mr. Treadwell is a lawyer." Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central): "He has been carrying on a vendetta for many years." "Incidentally," added Mr. Holland, "the gentleman chosen to deal with honey control was Mr. Stronach Patersou. The Prime Minister may remember him as the man who wrecked dairy control." Mr. Coates: "That is incorrect." Mr. Holland: "I feel a bit concerned about " Mr. Coates: "I should think the hon. gentleman would." Mr. Holland: "In view of the facts I have presented I should think the Prime Minister was a bit concerned." It was significant, added Mr." Holland, that the Government had already remedied the chief complaints made by the Associated Banks against the Government The Leader of tho Opposition reasserted that the Prime Minister was at tho conference at which the various matters to which he had referred were discussed. Mr. Coates: "I deny that. It is quite incorrect." Mr. Holland: "I will take the Prime Minister's word for it." Mr. Coates: "The conference came to me as a deputation." WHOSE THE CREDIT? Mr. D. Jones (Ellesmere) said that anyone might think from tho speeches made that tho Labour Party initiated the Public Trust Office, which owed its origin to the work of a member of the party that preceded tho Reform Party, the Hon. E. C. J. Stevens. A voice: "No, Sir Julius Vogel." Mr. Jones said that Mr. Stevens had first advocated the .establishment of the office. Much had been made by Mr. Holland about the hostility of "The 1928 Committee" to the Public Trust Office, but "The 1928 Committee" was not the only organisation that was secret. It would be interesting to know what secret representations were made to the Labour Party from time to time, and which were not published in the "Worker." No proof had been advanced by Mr. Holland that "Tho 1928 Committee" had torpedoed tho Public Trust Office. Mr. Holland had no criticism to level against tho Government's administration of the Public Trust Office, therefore ho had tried to raise a smoke screen. Tho Labour Party's platform proposed to use the Public Trust Office fur all the administrative services of New Zealand. When the Labour Party got into power there would be no room for lawyers in Now Zealand. No evidenco had been given that the Government's administration

of tho Public Trust Offico was wrong. Until it was proved that the Government was influenced by the propaganda against tho Public Trust Office, such attacks as that made by Mr. Holland were in the nature of a smoke screen and were an absurdity. SOME EXCHANGES. Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) resented Mr. Jones's remarks and said that it was his usual "brazenfaced" attack. Mr. Speaker called on Mr. Parry to withdraw this remark, which he did. Mr. Parry said that nearly all of tho names read out by Mr. Holland were those of executive members of the Reform Party. The Hon. A. D. M'Leod: "Nonsense." Mr. Parry: "I put it to the Minister, will he deny Mr. J. S. Dickson (Parnell): "Of course." "I know he will deny almost anything," saicl Mr. Parry. "Will he deny that all but three are members of the executive of the Reform Party in Auckland and have been endeavouring to try to get candidates for the Reform Party in Auckland?" Mr. Coates: "Which three?" Mr. Parry: "Throe ot tho names were road out by the Leader of the Opposition." Mr. J. S. Dickson: "You are wrong." Mr. Parry: "I say they form part of the executive of tho Reform Party in Auckland and took part recently in selecting candidates. lam advised by the member for Christchureh South that some of the names read out arc those of members of the executive." Mr. Coates: "It is true in Christchurch." Air. Parry: "It is true of Christchurch, also Wellington." Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt): "They are not all members of tho Reform Party in Wellington.'' "I know," replied Mr. Parry, "but some of them are. Three members in Auckland are members of the executive." "Which three?" inquired Mr. Coates. Mr. Parry: "I have also stated that certain of the names read out are members in Christchurch." Mr. Coates: "One." Mr. Parry said that some of the names were those of Reform executive members in Wellington. Mr. M'Leod: "I don't know them." Mr. Parry: "The Minister of Lands <ioesn't know them. We know them. Is that not sufficient justification for Mie members of this (the. Labour) party to be concerned about the organisation that lias written articles attacking the Public Trust Office and "tlier State institutions?" Mr. E. J. Howard (Christehurch asked whether it was wise that ''white-anting" institutions should be •tartcd just before an election. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) •sited the Prime Minister to give, an assurance that he would stand four square by the Public Trust Office and other Government departments which were being attacked. In all four main cities there appeared to bo half a lozen individuals who had a vendetta isainst Government departments. He tsked how far tho Government intended to respond to the representations of "Tho 1928 Committee." A subterranean body which conducted its business secretly was a most dangerous innovation. . Tho Prime Minister said that quite a lot had been heard about "The 192S Committee.'' Ho knew* of only one supporter of the Reform Party in Auckland who belonged to tho Committeo, but he was not a member of tho executive of the Reform Party. He admitted that he was a very good man, and he would like to think that others were as active and robust supporters of the Reform Party. "I think they will be in the future," added Mr. Coates amidst laughter, "but at the present we have no indications, but wo are doing our best to prevent (hem going over to the Labour Party anyway." Mr. Howard: "They won't come our way, they have too much money." LABOUR PARTY'S PUNDS. Mr. Coates replied that no one would mind having as much money with which to contest an election as the Labour Party was seeking to get. Whether they would get it or not was another matter. Mr. Howard: "How much?" Mr. Coates replied that ho had seen £ 15j000 mentioned. Mr. Holland: "That would not pay for all those advertisements last election." Mr. Coates: "It would pay for far more than those advertisements." With regard to "The 1928 Committee," Mr. Coates said that one of its members had definitely stated that the Committee would approach the present or any other Government. "Personally," said the Prime Minister, "I don't think some of them will live long enough to approach, any other Government." (Laughter.) Mr. 11. Atmore (Nelson): "They must be very sickly." Mr. Fraser: "There must bo sudden death'in the ranks." "They did approach the Government," continued the Prime Minister. "Secretly?" inquired Mr. Fraser. Mr. Coates said that he had replied to the Committee by letter, but he was not going to reply to all its requests by letter by any means. If the Committee was depending upon getting a reply by letter to all its " requests it was depending upon something it was not going to get. So far as the general objective of "The 1928 Committee" was concerned, it seemed to him that any citizen, or group of citizens, if they thought they had not been fairly treated, had a right to go to the Government to point out their difficulties, and he welcomed them doing so. He did not care whether they were big men or little men. Any ciass of the community, commercial, banking, or anyone elso, were always welcome to go to him to point out what legislation they thought bore harshly upon their interests. WAR REGULATIONS. "Some of their complaints are perfectly legitimate," proceeded Mr. Coates. "It is quite true thnt in tho war period there was a growth of regulations that cannot now be justified. It has now been proved bo3"ond doubt that some of those regulations will have to go, or else business will go. That is a matter for the Government to consider." It was the Government's duty to listen to representations and to put grievances right, although there were some grievances that could not be put right because it would not be in the public interest to interfere. However, not all of "The 192S Committee" were Government supporters. If some of their expressions gave an indication, they were much moro likely to support the Labour Party. (Laughter.) Mr. Parry: "Then you will get nobody in at all?" Mr. Coates: "It looks like it. The outlook is pretty black." (Laughter.) Mr. Fraser: "They are pretty slow in their intentions of supporting the Labour Party."