GENTLEMEN’S AGREEMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 29 August 1930, Page 11

GENTLEMEN’S AGREEMENT

LABOUR AND UNITED REFORM MEMBERS MAKE MERRY. PARTY EXCHANGES IN THE HOUSE (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter). Wellington, Last Night. More party exchanges were indulged in in tho House of Representatives this afternoon. When the Imprest Bill was under consideration references were made to the pact which is alleged to exist between the Government and . the Labour Party. The debate was initiated by Mr. W. J. Jordan (Manukau), who said public servants had been very badly treated. He had supported the Government in the past, but he was getting a little impatient. Some of the actions of the Government, from. the business .point of view wore not at all creditable.

“There has apparently been,a distinct breach of faith between the Government and the Labour Party,” said Mr. A. M. Samuel (Thames) amidst laugh? ter. The member for • Invercargill, Mr. Vincent Ward, had issued a. manifesto during the election campaign, in which ho had.said there would be no fusion with Reform but co-operation with Labour. lie had no objection to that, for : everyone knew very-, well what- had been going on in the country ever since the last election.

: “I am indeed pained,” said Mr. Samuel, “that this gentlemen’s agreement has been broken. I hope the Government will • take the Labour Party into- its confidence. I should be very pained if the Labouri Party Started ’a sham fight-against the Government, for I think it would mean the breaking of the arrangement we have with the Prime Ministei’.”' •••• • ;; . -u---. •

“There is one thing the Labour Party wpn’t do,” declared' Mr. W.' Ei‘’Parry (Auckland Central), ‘and that is take advantage of the crying needs of the nation for party purposes. The Labour Party won’t be a party to that sort of thing.” “Has it changed?” queried Mr. F. Waite (C'lutha). Mr. Party: If ever there has been a lesson : for • tho people of New Zealand it has been administered since the beginning of this session. Mr. Samuel (with enthusiasm): Hear, hear!

Mr. Parry: I have listened to speech after speech from the Reform benches, and not one practical suggestion have I heard made. Most anaemic and futile arguments have been advanced. Mr. Waite said it was quite apparent that the Labour Party had been disciplined by the Alliance of Labour, Mr. W. L. Martin (Raglan): Don’t talk nonsense.

Mr. Waite: They have been told to get on with their work. The people who support the Labour Party are getting tired of their continued subservience to the Government. Mr. Waite said that Labour members must accept responsibility for the dismissals of public servants which had already taken place, and which were likely to take place in the future, because they had helped to keep the present Government in office.

Mr. V. Ward (Invercargill), who was greeted with applause from all sides of the House, said he had found during the Invercargill by-election that the United Party was gathering te itself supporters from all other parties. (Reform . laughter). A voice: You are trying to be funny.

Mr. .Ward read an extract from a Wellington paper, in which the following appeared; as a special message from Invercargill: “The suggestion has been made in certain quarters that Reform considers Labour should he represented at the by-election, since Reform nominated a candidate for the Hutt by-elec-tion to enable the Labour candidate to be elected.”. Mr. Ward also referred to a statement which Colonel Hargest, his. opponent, had included in his advertisements, to the effect that the United Party had increased its own emoluments. Ho would not have mentioned that had it not been for the fact that the word "own” had been included.