“MUST FACE FACTS.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 714, 18 March 1933, Page 1

“MUST FACE FACTS.”

Master Printers’ Reply to Minister. TEXT BOOK INQUIRY URGED. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, March IS. The reply of the Master Printers’ , Federation to the statement made by j the Hon R. Masters at Stratford with i reference to school text books, says:— “It is characteristic of the Minister that in all his utterances VP° n the question for the past nine months he shows a definite disinclination to face the facts. A typical instance is his concluding statement, in which he says that the printers’ organisation was asked to appear before the Education ! Committee of the House of Represen- ! tatives and failed to put in an appear- | ance. This is absolutely inaccurate and j emphasises how little a Minister seated in the Upper House is in touch with | even his own committee constituted of j members of the Lower House.” 1 The federation here quotes the invita- ! tion of the committee to furnish its I views in writing, and goes on to say that in response the federation released to the committee its confidential statement to the National Expenditure Commission, which statement had already been released to the Minister. No material alteration was warranted, and the federation mentioned this when replying to the Education Committee’s invitation. “ The federation is willing at any time to give the Minister an opportunity of cross-examination before a public in- ■ quiry into all the circumstances of the i school books question, the inquiry to j be presided over by a Judge of the j Supreme Court.” j (The statement by Mr Masters is reported on page 30.)