SCRIM HITS OUT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 199, 24 August 1943, Page 3

SCRIM HITS OUT

MR. FRASER CHALLENGED REPLIES TO CHARGES (P.A.) Wellington, Aug. 23. Three thousand three hundred people—the. capacity seating of the De, Luxe and Paramount Theatres, Wcliington—last night heard Aircraftman C. G. Scrinigeour, Independent candidate for Wellington Central, reply to charges made against him in the House of Representatives by the Prime Minister and member for Wellington Central, Rt. Hon. P. Fraser. Mr. Scrhngeour described the use of a recording to discredit him as tantamount to a man peeping through the keyhole of another man’s bathroom and then charging him with indecent | exposure. He challenged the Prime Minister to allow him the use of the radio to reply to the charges levelled in the House and broadcast. There was a good reception for him at both.meetings: at the first, the De Luxe, he was received with a good round of clapping and some cheering. Most of the audience seemed to he there in neutral vein, wanting to hear what the candidate had to say and what disclosures he would make in his defence. They gave him a good hearing. Interjections were few and not organised. Mr. Scrimgeour said he would give his policy at a later meeting; that night would be confined to answering Mr. Fra§er’s charges. After his wife had asked that he be given the op portunity of replying he was given week-end leave with permission ta engage in political activity until noon on Monday; he was to appear in

civilian dress. Some quarters must have felt it would be disadvantageous to someone if he were allowed to appear in uniform. Mr. Fraser had talked about his wishing to evade his military obligations; he thought Mr. Fraser would be the Last one to raise such an issueHe was a tall lad at 1 1 1 and enlisted at the Gisborne recruiting office lor Great War service, though he d!d not get away with it; where was Mr. Fraser then? But now Mr. Fraser, and along with him many of his firebrand colleagues of those days, did not hesitate, without taking a referendum, to introduce conscription. It had been stated that he was concerned in a “radio racket.” All the arrangements for his appointment as head of the Commercial Broadcasting Service were made by the late Right Hon. M. J. Savage, who was Prime Minister and Minister of Broadcasting. The main charge against him concerned a recording of a farewell gathering to a commercial broadcasting executive. The recording was made for the purpose of presenting it to the wife of this executive, but h(had given instructions after hearing it played over next morning that it be destroyed. He was informed that this had been done. Instead, after his dismissal, it was handed over to the Minister of Broadcasting by a man who was one of the contenders for his position. Mr. Fraser’s attack on him wa»» caused by his refusal to forsake the principles he. believed in. even if allegiance to these principles meant placing a high-salaried job in jeopardy. When Mr. Fraser failed to discipline him as a free individual, apart from his official duties, he called in the aid of certain people. When Cabinet first dismissed him these men were brought in and made definite offers to “fix” the matter up. lie asked them how they would reverse a Cabinet decision. “Their reply was: ‘Don’t worry about those -- fools; we cut our teeth breaking Cabinet decisions.” They also advised him that if he was in the “team” Ihe “team” would look alPr him, but if he was out he might get “kicked to death.” Apparently that was what, was now being endeavoured. To his amazement the Cabinet decision was reversed, but there was a price demanded of him: to forsake the principles for which he stood and become The mouthpiece for the inner clique which had obtained control of the Labour movement. Mr. Scrimgeour went on to suggest that. Mr. Fraser with his control of the radio and other powers had almost unlimited* dominion over all forms of publicity. There was a censor known as the Director or Publicity who referred to Mr. Fraser all important items submitted to him for approval before publication, and a lot of unimportant items as well. Mr. R. F. Griffin presided at. the De Luxe meeting and Mr. E. J. Dyer at the Paramount.