MINISTER'S FORECAST

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 7, 8 July 1938, Page 8

MINISTER'S FORECAST

"A DIRTY ELECTION"

JUSTIFICATION CLAIMED

The claim that he had ample justification for the statement that the coming election contest was going to by "the dirtiest contest in the political history of this Dominion" was made by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) when speaking in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives last night.

"The hon. member for Christchurch North (Mr. S. G. Holland) made reference to something I had been saying and I don't apologise to anybody for what I have said either publicly or in this House," declared Mr. Semple. "The hon. member said that I had made a statement that this contest was going to be the dirtiest contest in the Apolitical history of this Dominion; Yes, I definitely said that and I had ample justification for saying it."

Mr. Semple said that he had with him a bundle of pamphlets-from the head office of the National Party, some of which had been sent to religious institutions. He 'alleged, that ah effort was being .made to couple the British Labour Party with the Communist Party,.and in the document he had in his hand it was stated that the Communists in New Zealand were associated with the Labour Party. The fact was that the Communist Party in Engr land was not associated with the Labour Party and never had been, and the position was the same in New Zealand. Such documents were composed of a tissue of lies and cowardly innuendoes. * Producing another pamphlet, which he said he did riot suggest came: from the National Party office, Mr. Semple described it as being distributed in the district of the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash) by people "scrounging around homes like thieves in the dark of night." i Mr. Holland: That has been officially j repudiated. ; i Mr. Semple: I am not suggesting it came from the Nationalists 4 office. It is not a one-man job. It is being distributed ?by an organisation, and what organisation it is I don't know. "FOULEST DOCUIrtENT." "I am not afraid of this kind of stuff," said Mr. Semple, after reading the pamphlet. "I ajn disgusted with it. It is the foulest document ever issued against a public man in the history of this country, against a man who has lived a clean and honest life and has never done his fellow-creature a wrong from his Childhood. It is a crime- of the greatest magnitude for this kind of thing td be distributed, instead of fighting with clean hands and .• minds the economic problems of the nations. We as;«. Government have never claimed to be Infallible. We are just human mortals' and we have tried' to do our best.

"I am glad to be associated with the Minister of Finance. I have, never been associated with a cleaner or better man in my life. These foul indictments arjs not issued because there is a tittle^ of-truth in them, but because those'responsible for them are (afraid of his ability and courage and' [cannot stand-up tc>.him man-,against jman." .;■■:<:'.' .;•; f.-.\s?-.~ -;- -■■■-.■.••..• ■..'■-* ■ v - ! Mr. Semple saidsthat Mr. Holland had challenged;.him to visit his constituency. ~." , Mr. Holland: Arid say what you know about me.

Mr. Semple:.l am coming into your constituency all right just when I am ready. I will say what I ought to say and do no back-pedalling.. The hon. member says he will defy me »to say anything about his political career. I didn't know he possessed a political career. I thought he could write it on1-1 the back of a postage stamp with a carpenter's pencil. (Laughter.) He never fought his way into this House. He climbed into it on the' shoulders of his father. It was a political fluke. "Ministerial language," interjected Mr. S. G, Smith (National, New Plymouth) to further remarks by Mr. .Semple. Mr. Semple: It is just as well to call a spade a spade. I do. ' "ORDERS FROM RUSSIA," Mr. K. J. Holyoake (National, Motueka) said that the Minister had quoted from two circulars. He did not deny that the first was probably issued in the interests of the National Party, but he was certain the National Party had had nothing to do with the second. When commenting on the first the Minister had left the impression that the circular stated the Labour Party got its orders from Russia. If the •Minister would read the circular again he would find that it stated that the; Communists in New Zealand got their orders from Russia and that the Communists had frequently said that they supported the Government. The Opposition members had not set up a bogy of Socialism, as some Government speakers claimed, Mr. Holyoake said. Government members had declared that they would socialise, the country and all the Opposition was doing was to point out the objects of the Government. It was for the electors to decide what was to be done about it. If Socialism was a bogy that was a matter for its supporters to consider. There were plenty of examples of the Government's drive towards Socialism, Mr. Holyoake said; Housing, transport, and the development of iron deposits were three concrete examples. There was private capital available to develop the iron resources of the country, but the Government would not allow that capital to be used.