PARTY TRUCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24607, 15 May 1941, Page 6

PARTY TRUCE

ALLEGED BREACHES REPLY TO MR HOLLAND MINISTER’S STATEMENTS JUSTIFIED (P.A.) WELLINGTON. May 14. A reply to the telegram sent by th» Leader of the Opposition, Mr S. G. Holland, to the Acting Prime Minister, Mr W. Nash, concerning alleged political propaganda in two recent ministerial statements was made to-day by Mr Nash. His telegram to Mr Holland said that the agreement made between Mr Fraser and Mr Holland to minimise public platfoi’m propaganda-for a period was in complete accord with the policy of the Government and he expressed the hope that the agreement would b* honoured. 1 ; “ The statement made by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr D. G. Sullivan, and the Minister of Health, Mr A. H. Nordmeyer. do not in any way represent a breach of that agreement,” Mr Nash continued. “Mr Sullivan's statement relative to the Industrial Efficiency Act and import selection policy was in reply to charges made by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce—the charges to which the Government and, in particular, the Ministers in their responsibility to the people of the Dominion must reply. I read carefully the published reports of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. If the views of the chamber are correctly reported the Minister’s reply was not only justified but essential. Mr Nordmeyer simply stated that the B.M.A. was not co-operating, although many of its members were desirous o| operating the medical benefits of the Social Security Act. I personally hope that an 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,” Mr Nash concluded, “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 . circumstances relating to the operation of the policy ox the Government were not made known to the public. THE FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY ' .- . — | SLENDER- MAJORITY IN FAVOUR - I OF PLAN ’ (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 14. The Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr D. G. Sullivan, said last night that the statemen t by the -Leader of the Opposition, Mr S. G. Holland, in the press yesterday on the footwear industry would certainly not tend to help the war effort. % “ He attacks my statement announcing the formation of an industrial committee consisting of representatives of the State and of the principals and employees of the industry, and challenges me to a questions, the implication being that the plan was not carried by a majority of those engaged in the industry, 1 Mr Sullivan said..“ Of those who voted, 29 principles (or 55 per cent.) out of 53 favoured the plan, and on an employee basis 2269 (or 53 per cent.) put 0f’4471 workers in the whole industry voted in favour of the plan. There are 73 principals engaged r in the industry. There were 20 non-voters, whose employees totalled 197. I was legally entitled, therefore, to recommend to the Government that the plan be implemented by regulations, even though the majority was slender on an employee basis. . • ' , , “An industrial committee has already begun to function, and this committee is thoroughly representative of all sections of the'industry. -. Some leading and respected.firms which opposed the plan accepted in the best possible spirit the decision to proceed with it, and have promised their full co-opera-tion.” . ■ ' ~ . ■ - -