MEMBER APOLOGISES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 198, 23 July 1941, Page 6

MEMBER APOLOGISES

INCIDENT IN HOUSE. UNTIMELY REMARKS. . (Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, J-uly 22 - j During the Budget debate in the r! House of Representatives, this after--11 noon, Mr .1. Hodgeus (Laliour, Palr merston North), when referring to ! proposals to form a National Governi 1 incut, expressed his personal opposition •j to such a step under present eondi- > | tions. Alter the next election, he said, ■ | his personal opinion was that the ser- , ■ vices of the leaders of various sections ;j of the community might be enlisted. , ] Leaders of our economic life might bo i; brought in and called upon in the name ■ j of the country’s wellbeing to assist in j tlie Cabinet. i! Mr S. G. Holland <Leader of the Op- '! position): Would you give them Min- • isterial rank ? | Mr Hodgeus said lie was a hack ! heilcher. It was not. for him to suggest whether they should be taken | into the Cabinet or not. After Mr Hodgeus had named several to whom he would not go. Mr Holland asked if ho would include the , head of the Farmers’ Union. Mr Hodgeus: If l had my way the present head of the Farmers’ Union | would he liehind the prison bars. Mr Holland: That is pretty hot. ' Mr Hodgens: That is mv considered opinion. Speakers on the Opposition side have spoken about miners sahot- ; aging industry i Mr D. C. Kidd (Nat., Waitaki) : So : they did. Mr Hodgeus: Chiilcl I say this, that I the member for Tauranga sabotaged the war effort? Mr F. W. Doidge (Nat., Tauranga) : He’s spurred you into such war effort | as you have never known. ! At this stage the Speaker , inter--1 vened and ordered Mr Hodgens to withdraw his remarks. I Mr Hodgens: I shall withdraw as ! far ns the House is concerned | Mr Holland: This is a savage at--1 tack on the leader of the farmers of the country. Mr Doidge: And this leader is one of the most loyal men in the country. Mr Holland: Yes, and also a member of the War Council Mr Hodgens continued by stating that the two -parties in the House could never get together while the Opposition said that Labour meml>ors were dominated liv Trades Hall bosses. Air Holland: Would you he prepared to withdraw the attacks on Air Mulholland? Air Hodgens asked if the Opposition would he prepared to withdraw tlioir attacks on Trades Hall officials, wfio | had urged tens of thousands of workers to do what the Government reonired to he done c or the war effort. These Trades Ha l ! officials had come through this war with greater honour th°’i mnnv who had criticised them. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 5 30. FULL RETRACTION. Resuming his interrupted speech in the evening. Mr Hodgens said he 'wished to make a personal explanation. Tn the course of his address during the afternoon he had made reference to the president of the Farmers’ Union 7 Air W. W. Mulbolland). He had said he would like to see the present- leader of the Farmers’ Union behind prison liars. He much regretted having made that statement and desired to extend his regrets and apologies to Air Mulholland. Tt might lie that ho felt strongly about any criticism of the Government. he said, hut irrespective of any criticism by Mr Alulholland he had at the request of the Government acted ns a member of the War Council, on which he had given valuable assistance to the Government ill the war effort which he knew was much appreciated bv the acting Prime Minister and by Hie Government. Mr Hodgens said he again apologised and retracted what ho had said wliolehcm-tcd'v and ho expressed the hope that, there would he no ill-feeling between ITTr Mulholland and himself.