"TWISTING" ALLEGED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1938, Page 23

"TWISTING" ALLEGED

EARLIER ELECTIONS

HON. P. FRASER'S CHARGE

Statements on record as having been made by Mr. Will Appleton in the two previous elections were quoted by the Minister of Education (the Hon. P. Fraser), when speaking in the Victoria Hall, Adelaide Road, last evening.

During his absence from Wellington, .said Mr. Fraser, he had seen it reported that Mr. Appleton had called Mr. Nash a "twister." That statement was en-

tirely unfounded. "I am not going to justify the use of the term, but when a man in public controversy uses it he cannot complain if the same name is applied to him because he himself has 'twisted,'" said Mr. Fraser.

He recalled that in 1931, when Mr. Appleton was the National candidate for Wellington South and had the privilege of being defeated by Mr. McKeen —(laughter)—he had said that there was only one thing for the National Government to do and that was to reduce wages and lower costs of production. He had supported the cuts in education, the shutting-out of the five-year-olds, the closing of the training colleges, "and all the other miserable economies that were practised, and some of them were miserable, too." (Hear, hear.)

In 1935, Mr. Fraser continued, Mr. Appleton had stood as an Independent candidate for Otaki and among other statements had made the following serious accusation of the National Government: "Under the conditions which have existed during the past four years we. are only building up a more powerful governing class whose present and future will be cared for from the public purse, and on the other hand a class of serfs and peasants whose labours will provide the credits to maintain these superior officials."

That accusation had been made against men whom Mr. Appleton was now supporting, added Mr. Fraser. He asked the audience to judge who was guilty of "twisting."