RECRUITING ACTIVITIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23883, 10 August 1939, Page 8

RECRUITING ACTIVITIES

MINISTER OF PUBLI^^OitKS , . .. DENIAL OF RECEMT STATEMENT (Fiiom Our Parliamentary Reporter > WELLINGTON, Aug. 9, A complete denial of a statement made earlier in the debate by Mr J. Hargest (Opposition, Awarua) that Public Works men in Canterbury had been paid £3OO in overtime for listening to recruiting addresses by him was made by the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple) during the Financial debate in the House of Representatives to-night. Not one penny of overtime had been paid out in that way, Mr Semple said. "There was never a more absurd ftatement made in this house," the Minister said. "I travelled along the South * Wand main trunk railv.vy on a Saturday. I spent the whole day addressing meetings and I got a 100 per cent, response, as only, about eight out of 800 men did not enlist and they were not physically fit. I talked to the men in South Canterbury on' Monday, in some instances in their own time. 1 Where my addresses took place during working hours, we did not dock the men's wages but noj a single cooper' of overtime was paid out. '"I thought I was doing something with which everyone would agree," Mr Semple atfded. % but. instead art inifambus falsehood is.sent around thie (1 -COUntry.' ; -';';'"■>> ' ''"■' ', ■ '■■" '- '-« ■. The Speaker (Mr W. E. r ßarnard); Orderl, N Order!" • ' ; ' " ■;. :,- < Mr*;. Semple: I withdraw, -Mr. Speaker. .-.. ■'. '■.' ,). ■ .• (V ' ?* I: will say instead that deliberate misrepresentation Was made by the: self-appointed.'NapQkon of the Op-, poiitjpn^ '■''■' . :■"' ''',. The, menj on Public Works wens \ mostly:, young, jmd were physically l fit*': %i„ Semple said. Their' training would make them valuable, to New;. Zealand, in Me event of-war. After \ consulting with t'hcr-Prime Min'-'ter; (Mr M.;.J.?Sava<»e). the Minister of • Defence ,r(Mr F> Jpnes) and the Chief i.of General Staff .(Majorgeneral J, ,E,.Duigan), he had decided ■ that % personal appeal by himself as the man in charge'at the he tjie'best way to; getijilievPublic W<>rks men. into' the ter>it6r'ialv.. That" was his sole •purpose/% addtessing -the' meetings as he : li'ad,;doffe. ~;*/ ■'/■•/'^■■'. , ; '•/.' -■■■"■'