TALKS TOO MUCH AND TOO OFTEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17882, 25 June 1926, Page 8

TALKS TOO MUCH AND TOO OFTEN.

SIR JAMES PARR UNDER HEAVY FIRE. LABOUR CHIEF TRAINS GUNS ON NEW HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR N.Z. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 25. “1 do not think that the High Commissionership should be used for enabling the Government to give a plum to one of its own members,” remarked Mr 11. E. Holland in the House yesterday. The Prime Minister: “It gave the hon. gentleman a supporter. Mr Holland: The Government did not know that it would do that when they did it and I do not think that the Government has appointed the most suitable man for the purpose because the hon. gentleman appointed talks too much. It is not, necessary for me to tell the Prime Minister that that, was one of his weaknesses in this House. No sooner was he in the Old Country than he started to put his foot in his mouth. Mr Holland alluded to the refutation which the Agent-General of Western Australia had made of certain remarks of Sir James Parr and said that if Sir James Parr had not made them the Agent-General would have been hardlv likely to have contradicted them. If they had not been made surely Sir James Parr would have rectified the mistake and published the fact. “He has been silent ever since,” continued Mr Holland, “I take it the Prime Minister has communicated with him and begged him not to talk so much in future.” The Prime Minister: He is a very able man. Mr Holland replied that in some directions Sir James Parr was able, but it was hardly necessary for him to call the recollection of Government members to the fact that on one occasion Sir James was “stonewalling” his own Estimates.