THE WAGES CANARD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19446, 4 November 1925, Page 6

THE WAGES CANARD

LABOUR’S LAST WORD. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, Nov. 3. Mr Nash, secretary of the Labour Party, replying to the Hon. G. J. Anderson re responsibility for Departmental reports, says: It is hardly , just to throw the blame for the proposals in the Departmental report on | the head of the Department, who is un- ! able to publicly defend himself. The I reading of the Act is clear: “TheMinister shall make a report.” The : I Minister has stated that the report was I j compiled by the Secretary of Labour. , (This was not disputed. Mr Anderson . ; ' said it was his practice to discuss the > contents of the report, and that these! ! discussions did not bind the Minister ’ . ! or the Government to adopt them. This I - was the first admission made that the ’ ; proposals had been considered by the ; Minister. Mr Jones had stated that) . the Hon. Anderson had said he never | [ considered or even thought of the pro- i . posals. These statements conflicted,.! >( but the evidence supported Air Ander-( son’s statement, with one exception, I j and confirmed all that the Labour j Party had said. The Act stated clearly j . j that the Minister shall minke a - ; report in writing. He admitted ( ’ I discussing the report with the | secretary, and he was the one man who had the power to delete the » proposals sot out in the report. He had stated that the proposals were Mr Rowley’s, not Air Piddington’s. He • discussed them with Air Rowley, ami 3 up to the time of -writing no evidence i 3 had been produced of the existence on j October 3 (the. date, of the Reform | t manifesto) of any other proposals than I • i those contained in the Departmental ‘