THE GLOVES OFF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19534, 17 July 1925, Page 8

THE GLOVES OFF.

LIBERAL MEMBER’S CHARGE. AN INDIGNANT DENIAL. MR CORRIGAN CHALLENGED. (From On® Own Coebespondent.) WELLINGTON, July 16. Mr Corrigan, the Liberal member for Patea, in the course of his speech last night, met with a good deal of interruption, and for a time his rather quaint remarks amused the House. Members, however, pricked up their ears and became more serious when Mr Corrigan charged a member of the Ministry with havinxr been favoured by the building of a railway station on the Henderson line near where the Minister owned a pood deal of pro perty. Tho charge implicated not only the Minister (whom Mr Corrigan did not name) but also the Minister of Railways. The Prime Minister at an early hour in the morning dealt with Mr Corrigan with the gloves off. Mr Coates challenged Mr Corrigan to come out in the open and say what he meant by speaking of a member of the Government holding land near where a now railwav station was going up on the Henderson line. Mr Corrigan: I will get vou the information. Mr Coates: You ought to give the information when you make the charge. It is well known that no Government can stand for that. As a matter of fact, the bon. gentleman is guessing. A Reform Member: He is a guesser.— (Laughter.) Mr Coates said that no member of the Government owned land near the station In- no single instance had he allowed politics to influence him in the allocation of public money, and this declaration he made in reply to a suggestoion thrown out by Mr Corrigan. He asked if Mr Corrigan, who had just advocated the ward system of election for the Dairy Board, had not oome to him and said : “For heaven’s sake don’t let us have legislation on the ward system this session.” Hon. Members; Oh! Oh 1 Mr Corrigan wa s silent. Mr Coates; I shall not press for an answer. I shall just leave it at that.