BUSINESS MEN

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 68, 21 March 1931, Page 8

BUSINESS MEN

■REPLY TO Mil. ATMOKE

"UNWARRANTED ATTACK"

A defence of business men was made in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. G. A. Wilkinson (Independent, Kgiuont) in a reply to remarks made hv the Minister of Education (the Hon. H. Atmorc) on the previous evening to the effect that business1 men wero not wanted in Parliament. Mr. Wilkinson said that tho business men were certainly no belter than the remainder of the community, but they wero certainly no worse. The Minister apparently knciv this speech off by heart, because he had delivered it in several parts of the country. Mr. F. Waite (Reform, Clutha): "Where did ho get it from?" (Laughter.) Mr. Wilkinson said that one Minister had stated that business men were wanted in Parliament, but another stated that they were not wanted. Mr. J. BitchcntT (Reform, Waitaki): "They are united." Mr. Wilkinson said that at the present time there wero four business men in the Cabinet. These included the Minister of Defence (Mr. Cobbc), the Postmaster-General (Mr. Donald), the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. do la Perrello), and Mr. Masters. j A member: "What about the Minister of Health?" Mr. AVilkinson: "J don't know whether he is a business man. I don't want to bring him into that." He said that business men would stand four-squaro against a tax on food, and would not erect high tariff walls around this eouutry. Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Reform., Riccartou): "The Chamber of Commerce supports them." Mr. Wilkinson: "The Chamber oi Commerce does not support them. Most chambers of commerce stand for free trade." At the present iimo Cabinet was divided. Some said that business men wero not wanted and some said that they were. The Government was now proposing to placo the railways, tho greatest business in tho country, under tho control of business men. Yet the Minister of Railways had said that ho did not believe in a board. The Minister of Labour had stated that sustenance payments would bo made on 21st February, but immediately tho Prime Minister returned he said that there would be no sustenance payments. Business men had taken a prominent part in the affairs of this country and of tho Mother Country. In tho British Houso of Commons thero had been, and were, some brilliant business men giving valuable service to their country. These included Joseph Chamberlain, Stanley Baldwin Bonar Law, Robert Home, and Reginald M'Konna. These men had been most actively engaged in business, and sonu> of them were still engaged in business. "It ill becomes a Cabinet Minister to make this unwarranted attack on business men," said Mr. Wilkinson. A BOGEY CRY. j Tho subject was referred to also by Mr. M. J. Savage (Labour, Auckland West), who deprecated the tendency or. condemning the men who had won their way into the Houso in favour of others who wero not there. Why had the others not received the support of tho people? They had the same right and the same opportunity to stand for Parliament and to show on the public platform what was in them. "And what is not in them," murmured Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Central). . Mr. Savage: "Yes, that is perhaps the reason the people don't want them. Anyhow, thero is nothing to prevent a business man getting into Parliament. The cry that has been raised is a bogey, and I agree with tho Minister of Education that Parliamentarians should be selected by the people tor their ability and their knowledge oi: public affairs, whether they are business men or not. If business men race the electors on tho public platform and it <s shown that they know less than someone else, they cannot complain it tho electors turn them down. I am not suggesting that Parliament has a monopoly of intelligence, but 1 am saying that everybody has an cqua chance of being elected. It only involves the payment of a £10 deposit tocnabio a candidate to try his fortune, backed as he may be by the Chamber of Commerce.'" (Laughter.)