ALLEGATIONS ABOUT KAIAPOI

Evening Star, Issue 18045, 12 August 1922, Page 8

ALLEGATIONS ABOUT KAIAPOI

MINISTER ANSWERS MR M'COMBS. LABOR add tee soviet. [From. Our Parliamentary Reporter-] WELLINGTON, .August 11. Allegations of jerrymandering tho boundaries of tho Kmfoi electorate to suit its Reform memb*r were answered by Mr Jones, member far Kaiapoi, to-day in the House to the accompaniment of running comment from Labor members. A charge had been made, he said, bv the member for Lyttelton which amounted to political corruption and jerrymandering of the worst type. It was made against the Sectoral Commianoners_ in order to get at the Government and himself. What were the facts? asked 'Mr Jones; and ho proceeded to state that after the altered boundaries were announced he was told by the member for Riccarton that sonic people in the Riccarton electorate had notified him they were going to protest against the inclusion of a portion of the former Riccarton electorate in Kaiapoi, and this protest was made by petition to the Boundary Commissioners, who allowed one month for such action to be taken. ■The petition would help him considerably in demonstrating his case. It was signed by M, Roesiter, of the Phams Hotel, Papanui, and 130 others. He did not think any hotelkeeper would feel pleased ■at the possibility of being placed in the Kaiapoi electorate. Mr M‘Combs, "’hen making his jerrymandering charge, should have-recognised this fact, but it pleased him to ignore it, as it did not suit his purpose. The Boundary Commissioners granted the petition. There was nothing wrong in 1 the action taken by the petitioner's. Members of Parliament bad petitioned, and their names were in the Commissioners’ report. This making of a direct attack on the Commissioners to get at the Government and himself underline Shelter of parliamentary privilege might appeal to the member ter Lyttelton as gentlemanly, statesmanlike action. “ I should say he would look upon it from his point of view’ ns a very noble action indeed; but it all depends upon the Standard on which a man is brought up to view certain things.” How was Eaiapol treated? asked Mr Jones, who went on 1 to say that there was a general feeling of dissatisfaction in Kaiapoi at being overweighted with city voters. —A Very Large Petition. — Kaiapoi electors objected to boundaries, but they did not get everything they wanted. He took strong exception to any member disguising the real facts in order to attack the Government through the ’Commission. Mr M'Combs should have known—he did know—that when Kaiapoi was altered into a country electorate tho country quota had to he allowed.; yet Mr M'Combs had alleged this was deliberately done to help a Reform member. As a matter of fact, •the Commissioners could have dona nothing else. Mr M'Combs : They did something else; you 16,000 population instead of —A Counter Charge.— Mr Jones: “ The hon. gentleman knows why.” He went on to remark that when one came down to jerrymandering there was something to be done in connection with Kaiapoi,- but not by the Reform Party. Some time hack the Labor Party decided not to run a candidate for Kaiapoi. Mr Holland : I think you will find one there. Mr Jones i Ah! Probably now, but when these negotiations _ were being carried out between the Liberal Party and Labor Kaiapoi was one of tho seats to 'be' purchased by the Liberals from Labor. . Mr Holland: That is not true. Mr Jones: I was informed by ope of the leaders of your party in Kaiapoi. Mr • Holland ; Absolutely incorrect! ■Name the man. Mr Jon.es ; And the position is Mr Holland ; Name the man. Mr Jones: I will please myself. Mr Holland s You dare not name him, (because no man told you. ‘Mr Jones:' When you discuss jerrymandering it is just as well to start with a clean record yourself. Mr Holland: You know you dare not name the man. Mr Jones, went on to refer to the proposal that a Liberal candidate should not run for Lyttelton. Mr Holland t You cannot wriggle away like that. " —Labor and the Soviet. — Mr Jones ignored the interruption, going on to say that Mr M'Combs had made a statement during his charges which he would now regret. He had referred to the’ Russian voting system with approval —a system under which industrial voters got four votes and country people one. This no doubt was the hon. gentleman’s system of Proportional Representation. (Ministerial laughter.) Perhaps the leader of the Lalbor Party would remember saying in Palmerston North that tho New Zealand Labor movement was part of the Russian movement. Mr Holland: Where did you get that ? Out of James’s paper? Mr Jones: The thing is not where I got it, but that it is a fact. ‘ Mr Holland ; The working-class movement is the same the world over. Did you not get a Communist out against me? Mr Jones retorted that Mr Holland was Communist enough, and the Reform Party would have nothing to do with such a candidate. Mr Holland: You would quickly put up the money. Mr Jones declared that at a recent conference of the Labor Party an indication was given to the Labor members that they must he moderate till after the election. Mr Holland : Absolutely false. Mr Jones : These sidelights are exceedingly valuable. Mr Holland: Yes; to cover up the jerrymandering. Mr Jones : I challenge you to go outride the House and make that statement, ancTput up sufficient cash to be worth suing. Mr Holland, declaring that he had been misrepresented, denied that ho had coun--selled any moderation to the Labor Party with a view to its effect on the elections. ■lf Mr Jones would give the name of his informant regarding the proposed arrangement in Kaiapoi it could be disproved immediately. ’ Mr M'Combs also claimed to have been misrepresented, and when general laughter came from the Reformers he appealed to Mr Speaker for protection “against this cackle.’! He assured the House that in a former speech he had expressed intense disapproval of the Russian voting system and hoped that nothing similar would ever be seen, in New Zealand. The approach to what was happening in_Eus-. ria was what occurred : in Kaiapoi. (LaiighterJ . Messrs Sullivan and Witty continued the discussion on the subject. The latter denied Mr Sullivan’s statement that there was more community of interest between Papanui and Kaiapoi than between Papanui and Riccarton. ' Discussing the fact that there were only 130 signatures to the petition, Mr Witty attributed this to the short time available in preparing, it. Had there been time the petition would have been' signed by all tbe people of Marshbanks. There would have been 1,000 signatures. ' He had never seen tho petition, but he had no objection to having the prei dn his electorate, even although Mr Jones did not want it, as Mr Jones had rung him up, reminding him not to forget to put tbe petition in. The change was of no great benefit, as Riccarton was well satisfied with’ their member. The Hon. E. Pi Lee asked Mr M'Combs Who had committed the scandal. Because the member had found that there were discrepancies in the figures for a certain electorate, did it warrant him.malting the accusation that it was a scandal ? 11 might be an error of judgment on the part of the Commissioners, but that did not uphold the charge of political influence. It was apparent that no alteration could be made in (boundaries which was’riot- for the benefit of one member or another. If the Commissioners were to

bo subjected to these charges df political influence it would bo difficult to find upright men to undertake tho duty. COMMISSIONERS’ WARM DENIAL, [Per United Press Association.] . CHRISTCHURCH, August 11. Regarding the comments by Mr M‘Combe in the House on the of the boundaries of tbe Kaiapoi and Riccarton electorate, the members of tho South Island Representation Commission, warmly refuted the insinuation that their decision in the matter had been influenced bv any political considerations. ‘Mr H. Quano said that no political influence had been brought to bear on tho Commission. The petition objecting to ■the boundaries as originally decided upon had been considered on its merits. Mr G. H. Bullard, Commissioner of Crown Lands, indicated that ho was in accord with Mr Qnane’s statement that no political influence had been used.