CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 98, 27 April 1932, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE

ABUSIVE LANGUAGE

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—-Your correspondent "Simeon Stylite" in Saturday's "Post" did not mention that crowning bit of Sempleion hurled at Mr. Makitanara —a Maori member. Whatever the vested rights of the Labour Party in the matter of abusive language, there is a point wffere.siich can be carried beyond the "Gaiety, of Nations" stage —I refer to Mr. Semple's "Get back to the cave," and when called to order, following up with "I don't want a lecture from a savage." Has a coarser insult .ever been •cast in our Parliamentary history? I doubt it. Mr. Semple has been long enough in New Zealand to know that we New Zealanders from earlicstdays have learned to respect and esteem our Maori brethren, and any abuse cast at them by outsiders, to say the least, is an affront to us also. I am sure Mr. Makitanara has the sym.pathy of every honest Englishman in the land.—l am, etc;,

MEECIFUL.

Another correspondent, "W.GkM.," also enters a strong protest, especially against the personal attack by Mr.'.Semple.'on Mr. Shirtcliffe, chairmjin of the National Expenditure Commission. "Mr. Semple made himself rather'childish in his stated desire" to meet the. members of the Commission (practically all. old men) on the green.' ; . Mr. Langstone also had a tilt at Mr. Shirteliffe. Mr. Shirtcliffe is a man who has worked extremely hard all his life. iTrue,; he made a fortune.. True also, he created labour that provided homes for many hundreds of people, and still doing so." ". ' ' ,