THE BUDGET DEBATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22859, 14 October 1937, Page 16

THE BUDGET DEBATE

Sir, —I desire to support the protest of " Fair Play," published in Friday's Herald. The tactics adopted by occupants of the Government benches, when prominent members of the Opposition are speaking over tho air from Parliament, apparently meet with tho approval of Cabinet, otherwise such tactics would cease. It would appear that this practice has become a habit arising from the tactics adopted during recent years by the present Labour Party in howling down any prominent speaker opposed to its point of view. The interruption we hear from the occupants of the Government benches is probably a mild form of the usual practice of organised political Labour when candidates opposed to tho extremes of its policy are addressing public meetings. On many occasions in New Zealand lately the usual fair and impartial hearing given to candidates addressing citizens of a "British democracy has been substituted by a method of howling down, hooliganism and abuse, therefore many thoughtful citizens refrain from attending political meetings of any sort. Now, as listeners over the air, they are compelled to suffer tho same annoyance. The heckling, laughter, etc.', and especially the constant raucous cough near the microphone, that blurred Mr. Coates' speech on the evening of October G, suddenly ceased when Mr. Langstone, tho Labour Minister, rose to speak, and he had tho apparent advantage of a clear reception over tho air. The contrast was most marked. The Government would be well advised to change the procedure, for the majority of New Zealanders belicvo in British fair play. Constant Listener.