HEATED EXCHANGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22412, 7 May 1936, Page 13

HEATED EXCHANGE

A TELEPHONE TALK DIFFERENT VERSIONS GIVEN MR. DICKIE AND MR. SAVAGE [by telegraph—special' reporter] WELLINGTON. Wednesday Different, versions of a telephone conversation which took place last Sunday morning between the Prune .Minister, Mr. Savage, and Mr. H. G. Dickie (Opposition—Patea), led to a series of rather heated exchanges between the two in the House of .Representatives to-day. Mr. f)ickie claimed that he had requested the Prime Minister to postpone consideration of the Primary Products Marketing Bill for a week, but Mr. Savage denied knowledge of any such request. Finally the ingenious explanation was offered by Mr. W. J. Poison (Opposition—Stratford) that perhaps there might have been a hitch in the telephone service. Mr. Dickie said he had rung Mr. Savage from Hawera on behalf of the Federation of Dairy Factories of Taranaki, and had requested him to hold up the committee stages for a week so that members of the federation might have an opportunity of expressing their opinion on the measure. Prime Minister's Version Mr. Savage: You did not ask mo to hold up the bill. Mr. Dickie: I did. Mr. Savage: You certainly did not. "I do not know whether the Prime Minister knows the difference between firmness and obstinacy," said Mr. Dickie, "or whether he is so drunk with power that he is rushing through such an important bill in this way. I hope that before the third reading is taken the federation will have an opportunity of expressing its opinion." "It is due to me and to the federation that 1 should say exactly what happened," said the Prime Minister when Mr. Dickie had resumed his seat. "The member for Patea rang mo last Sunday morning and asked when the committee stages of tho bill would be taken. The opinion was expressed that the second reading would be finished on Tuesday night, and I said that we would go straight ahead with the committee stages. The member mentioned something about the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, but certainly did not ask that consideration of the Marketing Bill should bo postponed. Perhaps he forgot to make the request, but anyway I am not going to take the x'esponsibility for his mistakes " " Walking in His Sleep " "The Prime Minister's statement is entirely incorrect," replied Mr. Dickie. "I rang him at the request of officials of the federation, who wished to have another look at the bill, No intelligent person in tho House would accept the Prime Minister's statement. 1 asked him whether he would not go on with the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill in the meantime. He must have been walking in his sleep." The Minister of Education, Hon. P. Fraser, said that on Monday the Prime Minister had told him the story of the telephone conversation exactly as he had told it to the House. His impression at the time had been that the member for Patea must have forgotten something. The lit. Hou- J. G. Coates (Opposition —Kaipara): I think the PostmasterGeneral should get to work at once and see that these telephones are put right. Telephone Service Blamed Mr. Poison then rose to state that last night Mr. Dickie had told him of his telephone conversation with the Prime Minister precisely as Mr. Dickie had just told the House. "I do not think there is any necessity to doubt the word of either the Prime Minister or the member for Patea," said Mr. Poison. "I think there must have been some disconnection in the telephone service."

Mr. S. G. Smith (Opposition—New Plymouth) said he knew that the J'aranaki dairy factories were still in the dark as to the full purport of the bill. He asked the .Minister in charge of the bill, Hon. W. Nash, whether even at that late stage he would postpone consideration of the bill so that dairying interests might be able to reach a clear understanding of all its ramifications.

POLICE COMMISSIONER PENDING APPOINTMENT EXPLANATION BY MINISTER [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday The appointment of a new Police Commissioner to sufceeed Mr. \\. G. Wohlmann, who has retired, will not be made until Mr. Wohlmann's term with the force expires 011 June 30. This was indicated by the Minister in charge of the department, Hon. P. Eraser, when replying in the House of Representatives to-day to au urgent question asked by Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Opposition —lliccarton). Mr. Kyle asked whether in view of the uneasiness in the Police Force on account of there being no official head since the retirement of the late commissioner 011 March 31, would the Minister make an early decision about an appointment to that important position. "The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wohlniann, does not retire until Juno 30, as he was granted three months' leave of absence before liis retirement " said Mr. Eraser. "A now commissioner cannot be appointed until after the completion of Mr. Wohlmann's leave In the meantime the secretary of the department, Mr. R. F. Machlen, has been appointed deputy-commissioner. There is 110 evidence of any uneasiness in the Police Force."