REPLY TO CRITICISM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 15 May 1941, Page 5

REPLY TO CRITICISM

j ALLEGED POLITICAL PROPAGANDA j MR NASH’S TELEGRAM TO MR HOLLAND (United Press Association! Wellington, May 14. | A reply to the telegram sent by the ; I Leader of the Opposition. Mr Holland, j j to the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, 1 I concerning alleged political propaganda | in two recent Ministerial statements' was made by Mr Nash yesterday. Mr Nash said he hoped the agreement between the Prime Minister and Mr He. ! land to reduce public platform propa- J ganda to a minimum would be hone I ed, and expressed the view that the statements complained of did not Irans- j gress that agreement in any way. The text of Mr Nash’s telegram to! ; Mr Holland was as follows: — j j “In reply to your telegram of 12th j ! May the agreement made between the ■ Prime Minister and yourself to mini- j , j mise public platform propaganda for a | j period is in complete accord with the! 'policy of the Government,, and I hope j I that the agreement will be honoured. ; I The statements made by the Minister : of Industries and Commerce and Health ! respectively do not in any way breach ! that agreement. I "Mr Sullivan’s statement relative to ! the Industrial Efficiency Act and the I import selection policy was in reply jto charges made by the Auckland | Chamber of Commerce—charges which the Government, and, in particular, the ' Minister, in their responsibility to the j people of the Dominion must reply to. il have read carefully the published ! reports of the Auckland Chamber of j Commerce. If the views of the chain ] ber arc- correctly reported, the Minister's reply was not only justified but essential. The Minister of Health, Mr ‘ Nordmeyer, simply stated that the B.M.A. was not co-operating, though many of its members were desirous of operating the medical benefits of the i Social Security Act. I personally hope ; that agreement will be reached at an early date with the B.M.A. “I hope also that it will be possible for party politics as such to be avoided, but you will agree that it would not be in the interests of the Dominion if charges against Ministers were allowed to go unchallenged or if the circumstances relating to the operation of the ! policy of the Government were not j made known to the public.”