Minister of Health Baited by Interjectors

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 750, 24 August 1929, Page 6

Minister of Health Baited by Interjectors

A HARRIED SPEAKER ARITHMETIC TO THE BIBLE i (THE BUN’S Parliamentary Reporter} \ PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Friday. I Like picadors in a Spanish bull- j ring, Opposition interjectors had a wonderful time in the House of Representatives today at the expense of the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, who, with his contribution to the Budget debate, was playing the stel- ! lar role of the bull. The picadors—Mr. A. M. Samuel j (Thames), acting as commander-in-] chief—hurled their verbal darts i gladly, but Mr. Stallworthy also scored ] neatly on occasions, and routed his i crowd of tormentors. Mr. Speaker had to call the House i to order several times, and occasion- I ally harsh words passed between Mr. I Stallworthy and his interrupters. Mr. Samuel urged him not to read ! the speech, and then Mr. D. Jones (Mid-Canterbury) asked Mr. Speaker i if Mr. Stallworthy were in order in ! reading his speech. Mr. Stallworthy protested that he j was refreshing his memory on im- ' portant figures. He said that Mr. ] Jones should set about learning the j first principles of arithmetic and bud- ; geting. Mr. Jones: My views are my own, I anyway. “Are you still refreshing your i memory?” asked Mr. Samuel, when i Mr. Stallworthy glanced at the papers 1 before him. Mr. F. Langstone (Waimarino): He is looking for inspiration. Mr. Stallworthy: Some members seem to rely on their memory for their jokes, and upon their imagination for their facts. Mr. Samuel: Who wrote that? Regarding accumulation of the Main Highways Funds, Mr. Stallworthy said the policy was wrong with thousands of men unemployed. Mr. Samuel: Is that a Highways Board statement you are reading now? “Next page,” prompted Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Riccarton). Fortunately, claimed Mr. Stallworthy, there had been some 1. fmour in the debate. A Member: It is getting very dry now. Mr. Stallworthy: The first little joke—” “Was you!!” Mr. Samuel cut in. The Minister: . . . was when the Reform Party told the House how to balance its Budget. The second little joke—” Mr. Samuel: It is no joke to read your speech. The country, the Minister continued, was looking for a clear outlook. Mr. Samuel: And who printed that? Mr. Jones had convicted himself out of his own mouth, contended Mr. Stallworthy, and had told the House in so many words that he was absolutely insincere. Mr. Jones had advocated measures which his own party had failed to put into effect. “Take a look at this,” said Mr. Samuel, holding the United Party’s manifesto up in front of his face. The Minister: I am exceedingly obliged to the hon. member for putting something up to his face. It is much more pleasant to look at. “When I put that up I don’t have to look at you,” retorted Mr. Samuel. “The Reform Party,” said Mr. Stallworthy, “is in a state of septic disillusionment.” A Member: Who said that? Mr. Kyle: We are not under anaesthetic, anyway. Regarding the statements of Mr. A. Hamilton (Wallace), the Minister said that Mr. Hamilton would be long forgotten when the story of the telegraph boy who had won his way into the hearts of the people and up to the highest position in the land was still fresh. Mr. R. Semple (Wellington East): Be serious. PERFECTLY SERIOUS Mr. Stall worthy: I am perfectly serious. The story of this messenger boy w T ill not be forgotten. “But you said you would not follow him,” protested Mr. W. J. Jordan (Manukau). “Yes, what did you say a few months ago?” asked Mr. Semple. The Minister said that Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) had openly rebelled against his chief before the last election, and it was his stand of independence that saved him his seat. Mr. Samuel: Who told you that? The Minister: I am speaking my opinion. Mr v Semple: You haven’t one original opinion in you. The Reform Party, continued Mr. Stallworthy, had drifted so long without a policy that it no longer knew what a programme was. A ridiculous party attack had been made, not against the Budget, but against Ministers of the Crown and members of the Government. Mr. Harris: Why don’t you put your policy into operation? Mr. Stallworthy: The member for Waitemata says our programme has broken down. Mr. Harris: It never started. Mr. Stallworthy: The first instalment of the £7,000,000 loan has been effected. Mr. Harris: You haven’t got a penny of it. The Minister said that it was altogether unfair that the Prime Minister should be attacked so viciously as ho had been by Reform members.Mr. Langstone: He is used to it. The resourcefulness of the Prime Minister would enable him to fulfil all his promises, claimed Mr. Stallworthy. Mr. Samuel: No one attacked the Prime Minister more viciously than you did. The Minister said that he did not intend to follow Mr. Jones in his Biblical excursions. A Member: I wouldn't if I were you. Mr. Speaker: I am afraid the Minister is referring to a past debate. Mr. F. Waite (Clutha): But he lias a message to deliver, sir. The Minister said that he did not see that there should be a standard of conduct outside the House different from that inside. Mr. Jones had quoted the Scriptures, and had sneered at the man who professed faith in them. Surely that was inconsistency of the most contemptible kind. STORY OF THE DEVIL Called upon to withdraw, the remark, Mr. Stallworthy did so. He was astonished at Mr. Jones, a lay preacher in the Methodist Church,

being unable to find nothing more in the sfcry of Joseph than bluff. He was sad that Mr. Jones had quoted the Bible when discussing the Budget. It reminded Mr. Stallworthy of the story of the devil. Mr. Samuel: You are all right now. A Reform Member: You haven’t got a message from him, have you? Mr. Samuel: I wouldn’t mix it if 1 were you. Mr. Stallworthy: I would advise members to read the twelfth chapter of the second book of Samuel. “Is that where the calls come from?” asked Mr. J. A. Nash (Palmerston). Mr. Stallworthy: Let me read the first chapter. Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton): When does the collection come round? Mr. W. J. Jordan, who followed Mr. Stallworthy, claimed that Mr. Stallworthy had said, at a United Party conference, that he would not follow Sir Joseph Ward’s leadership. Mr. Stallworthy said that he made no such statement, either at a conference or on any other occasion, also the resolution asking Sir Joseph Ward to accept the leadership was unanimous. Mr. Jordan: I did not say the Minister said it. I said that those present said he had said it. Mr. Stallworthy: Why repeat it? Mr. Jordan: Ido repeat it. I was not present at the conference, and do not know what the Minister said, but I do know that those present said he made the statement, and I leave it to his divine conscience to square that.