ANOTHER "CANING"?

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 24, 27 July 1929, Page 11

ANOTHER "CANING"?

MR. WILFORD AND THE

OBJECTORS

A suggestion that .the' Minister of Justice (the Hon. T. M. Wilford) had been "caned" by the Prime Minister over the attitude he had adopted in connection with tho conscientious objectors was made by Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Eiccarton) in tho House of Eepresentatives yesterday afternoon.

"Several of the Ministers have been accused of having been whipped by their chief at various times," said Mr. Kyle, "and I would liko to draw the attention of the Minister of Justice to the attitude that was taken up by his chief in regard to the question of the conscientious objectors. The Presbyterian Church people met the Minister of Defence and received an answer, and the Prime Minister then took it upon himself to go one further and tell them, that if they had come along to him no. doubt they would have received a different answer."

Mr. P. Fraser ("Wellington Central) •'That is quite incorrect."

Mr. Kyle- said that the Minister of Defence had made several interjections about the member for mid-Canterbury (Mr. D. Jones), and had suggested that the member could not hold his seat. "I remember on one occasion when the Minister was absent from the Dominion the Eeform Party allowed his seat to go by the board so that the Minister could win the seat. I think the Minister is the last member of this Houso who should say anything about the discourtesy qf the Reform Party. Then at the last election we all know what happened. If there had been a triangular contest-in the Minister's electorate the seat would have been won by the Labour candidate."

Mr, Wilford: "Never on your life. Never on your life.".

At this stage Mr. Speaker called Mr. Kyle to order, remarking that he appeared to be dealing with matters that had come up in a previous debate.

Mrl Wilford: "Look out. You will be caned." (Laughter.) Mr. Kyle: "Well, I got it in anyhow!"

Mr. Speaker warned Mr. Kyle that if he persisted in that lino ho would have to ask him to resume his seat.

Mr. Kyle proceeded to deal with other matters.