THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 29 June 1939, Page 6

THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

REFERENCE TO “THE LEE LETTER* [Ft »ir O'.’r Own Parliamentary Rcp*-»*rl WELLINGTON. 29th June. The now celebrated document known as the "Lee letter” carfie in for early prominence on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday when the first serious business of the firs*, session of the twenty-sixth Parliament was taken. Mr S. G. Holland (National. Christchurch North) jumped to his feet during question time and gave notice of his intention to ask the Prime .Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage* U his attention had been directed to the document in question. *‘ls it the intention :o f the Government to risue a reply to the attacks made in that letter to the Minister of Finance?" a ’ ed Mr Holland amid smiles from t..e Government benches; "and to the allegations against the Government of shilly-shallying, vacillation, lack of policy, drift and j betrayal of the working class? If such ft statement is made over the broadcasting service will the author of the letter concerned be given the same right of reply? A little burst of disdainful laughter and an ejaculation of "Humbug!” from someone on the Government benches greeted Mr Holland's remarks, while the reputed author of the letter, which incidentally, is selling in pamphlet form in certain centres, just smilad broadly. j This was the high point of a series of questions from tha Opposition benches that were not so numeroui as usual and less searching than might have been expected. However, there it plenty of time yet and some pertinent queries are likely to be fired at th# Government's first line of defence ill the front benches. The first business « a the Lower House on its assembling after tha openI ing was the swearing In of two members who were absent yesterday, Messrs H. G. Dickie (National, Patea > and W. A. Bodkin (Nrtic.;al. Central Otago) The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon M. J. Savage) was again in absentee, l though he is recovering satisfactorily from his bout of influensa. and th# | Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata was also away. The latttr was granted four days* leave of absence.