GOVT. AND “SCRIM.”

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 March 1943, Page 2

GOVT. AND “SCRIM.”

DISCUSSION IN HOUSE. WELLINGTON, March 4. Speaking in the Address-ih-Reply debate. Mr. J. A. Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn), made a denunciation of the Government’s handling of Mr. Scrimgeour’s appeal case before the Military Appeal Board. He said, there was a principle at stake, in the matter which could not be settled by a newspaper paragraph. It was bigger than that. It was bigger than "Scrimgeour. It created a doubt that certain people would not .hesitate to use the ballot arrangement, not for getting people into the Army, but for revenging themselves. When one was balloting for men’s lives it was not right for a Minister to say that there was an open season here and a close season there. Mr. Lee continued that he was opnosed to the calling up of any man forty years of ave with three children. He did not care if it were Brown, or Jones, or Scrimgeour. That class of person should be at home, doing his job. He felt, that the Armed Forces Appeal Board was used as an instrument of Ministerial vengeance. With regard to the locking of Scrimgeour’s door, which had been mentioned in a newspaper report since the hearing of his appeal, this was not the first time that this sort of thing had happened. When the Prime Minister had gone abroad, Mr. Scrimgeour’s office was locked, and civil servants seized correspondence. Mr. Lee strongly urged that differences in statements made by the Minister of Broadcasting, Hon. D. Wilson, and by Scrimgeour at the Armed Forces appeal case must be cleared up. Obviously someone was not telling the truth. Both statements had been made on oath. An inquiry should be held, and the public told who was correct. All regretted the difference of opinion, but many people thought that something pretty raw had been done. Mr. Polson (Nat., Stratford): They locked Scrim out. Then they reinstated him. Mr. Lee: I don’t know if he has been reinstated. Mr. Doidge (Nat., Tauranga): If he has been reinstated, it will look pretty queer, now! Mr. Lee stressed his view that it was wrong to lock Scrimgeour’s door and keep him out from his correspondence. He knew that the matter had been discussed heatedly by Labour members in the lobbies. Mr. Holland: Discussed with the door locked. (Laughter). Mr. Lee said that the whole, thing gave an impression that the tribunal had been used for the purpose of rail-roading someone whom the Minister did not want. Mr. C. A. Chapman (Govt., Wellington North), said that it was the Government’s policy that no civil servant who was directly under Ministerial control could be appealed for. Scrimgeour had not been appealed for and he had not been discriminated against. He had lodged an appeal himself. Mr. F. W. Schramm (Govt., Auckland East): The matter is-not settled yet. He was called out of turn. Mr. Lee: If he was called out of turn, those responsible should be dealt with! The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 10.30. RAILWAYMEN’S PROTEST CHRISTCHURCH, March 4. The following resolution of protest at the suspension of Mr.. C. G. Scrimgeour was carried unanimously at a largely attended meeting of the Addington Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants to-day: “This meeting strenuously < protests against the suspension of the Controller of Commercial Broadcasting by a Minister who was not even democratically elected by the people. Further, this meeting considers such summary suspension for disciplinary reasons, savours of victimisation, and urges the Government immediately to reinstate Mr. Scrimgeour to his former position, and in the name of Democracy, to replace in the Cabinet the Hon. D. Wilson by an elected representative of the people.’.’ The following telegram from the Canterbury Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants was sent to the Prime Minister by the secretary, Mr. A. B. Grant, to-day: “I am instructed by the Canterbury Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants that the members object to the procedure adopted in the Scrimgeour military appeal. They object to Mr. Scrimgeour’s suspension, and request his immediate reinstatement, and an investigation. They urge that the Hon. D. 'Wilson be removed frorti office.”