SPEECH IN THE HOUSE

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 103, 28 October 1932, Page 8

SPEECH IN THE HOUSE

BY MEMBER FOR EDEN

"HYSTERICAL OUTBURST"

MR. LYE'S CRITICISM

"I want'to refer, more in sorrow than in anger, to the extraordinary speech made by the lion, member for Eden (Mr. A. J. Stallworthy)," said Mr. P. Lye (Government, Waikato) during the course of the Budget debate in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr. Lye commented upon the absence of Mr. Stallworthy from the Chamber, notwithstanding that he had notified him of his (Mr. Lye's)* intention to refer to the speech. "I have no feeling about the matter," said Mr. Lye. "I feel sorry for the lion, gentleman for his hysterical outburst." Mr. Stallworthy had made a public statement that he was going to have a Divine call, and one expected a higher standard of conduct from him. Mr. Ly e said Mr.. Stallworthy had stated that for the sake of protecting a "miserable bookie" he (Mr. Lye) had attacked the Postmaster-General, had forced the House to a division, and had nearly defeated the United Government. "I am not the type of man to run away from anything unpleasant," said Mr. Lye. The facts were, h e said, that he had happened to be chairman of a committee of the House which considered the petition of six Auckland postal officials who were dismissed in connection with a horse-racing matter. The finding of the committee was unanimous; the punishment was unduly severe, and the committee had made a recommendation for reinstatement. Mr. Lye said that he made no excuse or apology for standing foursquare on the finding of the committee, as it was the only decent thing any honourable man could do. Was there anything wrong with- that? The statement that had been circulated was entirely wrong and misleading. "NOT MOVED BY ANGER." "I am not moved by anger, and I want to be scrupulously fair," said Mr. Lye, proceeding to refer to what" he termed another extraordinary ' statement by Mr. Stallworthy dealing with the Minister of Education and Orders-in-Council. It was alleged that an order had been used by the Minister to protect his own interests in the picture theatre business. "When he was strongly rebuked . . . Mr. Speaker: Order! Did not Mr. Stallworthy withdraw the words? Mr. Lye: No, sir. Mr. Speaker said that he did not think the Minister had been accused of having used the Orders-in-Council for his own private interests. Raising a point .of order, Mr. S. G. Smith (Government, New Plymouth) referred to newspaper reports of the previous debate in which he had been alleged to have used the term, "It is untruthful," whereas, he claimed, he had said,' "It' is not so." "CHILDISH BEHAVIOUR.',' Mr.-\Lye went on to refer to Mr. Stallworthy's version of a conversation, he had had with the, Minister about the matter, and said it was an unwritten law among members of parliament that' confidences were not disclosed. He characterised Mr. Stallworthy's action as the "behaviour of a petulant child." . ■ In reference to Mr. Stallworthy's criticism regarding the school-book contract, Mr. Lye claimed that Mr. Stallworthy had no knowledge of the actual position other than what he had been told or what he had read. "I am sorry the member for Eden is not in his seat, for there is much more that could be said about the extraordinary attitude taken by this misguided member. Sir, in Paradise——" Mr. Speaker: The hon. gentleman's time is up.