AN OLD GRIEVANCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 175, 25 June 1926, Page 4

AN OLD GRIEVANCE

MR LYSNAR’S COMPLAINTS. ATTACK ON MINISTER. [Bv Telegraph.—Special to Standard.] WELLINGTON, June 24. Mr, Lysnar spoke in the House of Representatives to-night on nis old grievance of the Poverty Bay meat works and the ship Admiral Codrington, and caused considerable amusement by his condemnation of Hon. W. No,s worthy. Mr Lysnar referred to the reconstruction of the Cabinet, and said that, while he agreed in the main with the appointments and congratulated tho Prime Minister upon them, lie felt in duty hound to protest against the reappointment of the member for Ashburton, Hon. W. .Nosworthy, to the position of Minister for External Affairs, Tourists and Postmaster-Gen-eral. “It is fair to say,” Mr Lysnar said, “that the lion, gentleman has proved himself a failure as Minister for Agriculture, and this is self-evi-dent by the fact that lie was relieved of the portfolio. lam extremely gratified in the interests of the Dominion that he was not reappointed to that position. It is difficult to understand why the Prime Minister should relieve him from office in one way and place him in office in another.”

Jjy Nosworthy (smiling): A bit of a,<wizzle. isn’t it. (Laughter.) Mr Lysnar: Not only a puzzle to me, hut a puzzle to other people in the Dominion, and I have received a number of letters on the question. Mr Nosworthy: It was a bit of a puzzle to you to get back to the House. Mr Lysnar: I got back to the House, and with a better majority than the lion, member. I had to tell my constituents that in his own department lie was lopeless, apd that nothing was done by. him ; that it was wasting my time to go and see him, and so I purposely refrained from going near him, it was so hopeless. I hoped that in the new Parliament there would be a change, but he has got into a position now that I pity the public servants who are under him. It will he impossible to get anything done. Mr Nosworthy: I will arrange for a trip for you yet. (Laughter.) Mr Lysnar: A trip would not alter the views I have expressed. The lion, gentleman must not think he can bribe me. (Laughter.) He can bribe me only by doing his duty as a Minister and giving satisfaction to my constituents. (Laughter.) While Mr Lysnar was speaking the Prime Minister entered the chamber. Mr Lysnar, noticing him, said: “I am sorry the Prime Minister was not here.” Mr Coates (laughing): lam sorry ; I apologise. Later Mr Lysnar attacked Mr David Jones and the Meat Board. He' said Mr Jones should be removed from the board. A little later the altercation flared up again. Mr Lysnar was declaring that the farmers had a right to expect the support of the banks, when Mr Nosworthy interjected: “That’s why you put your money into the ship.” Mr Lysnar (with much heat): That is another example. I only wish the Prime Minister was in the chamber to hear that. I think it shameful that a Minister of the Crown should laugh and scoff like that. Mr Nosworthy: You’ve never been very nice. Mr Lysnar: I try to be; but I perform my duty to my constituents first and the Dominion second. A Minister of the Crown should he impartial and judicial, but the lion. Minister shows a mind that is partial and unjudicial. We appealed to him, hut lie would not hear us, and our letters went unanswered. Mr Nosworthy: That’s absolutely incorrect. Mr Lysnar: It’s absolutely correct. Mr Nosworthy (seriously): I will deal with you now. Mr Lvsnar then transferred Ins attack to the Meat Board, which lie declared w.as not functioning, but was befriending the meat trusts and had prevented his company from making proper use of the steamer Admiral Coilrington and earning large profits thereby. He appealed to the Prime Minister to remove the chairman, Mr ]). Jones, from office on the ground that lie .represented the proprietary freezing interests and that lie had acted in an arbitrary and unjudicial manner with regard to the freight contract.