SAYS HE WAS SNUBBED

Wairarapa Daily Times, 16 February 1937, Page 6

SAYS HE WAS SNUBBED

MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS. INVERCARGILL, Monday. “I am disappointed, and I regard it as a snub,” said the Hon. R. Semple (Minister of Public Works) this afternoon, when he received a. deputation from residents of the Awarua electorate, and the member for Awarua was absent. “It is the first- time that I have had an experience of this kind. When my itinerary was arranged, I communicated with the Hon. Adam Hamilton and Colonel J. Hargest, and asked them to bring matters affecting their electorates before me. Their replies came very late, and now when I arrive they are not in their district, though Colonel Hargest wrote to say he could not accompany me to Stewart Island. I am here to do my best for the people irrespective of party, yet they leave local people to do the best they can in making the arrangements. Residents of their electorates are intervieAving me on matters with which I am not familiar, and it leaves me groping in the dark. It is fair neither to the Department nor to the Minister. Members should look after the interests of their electorates first. Mr Hamilton asked me to devote a day to his electorate. I agreed to this, and fixed a time to meet his wishes, and now he fails to meet me. I am not surprised at this when I hear that Mr Hamilton quite recently publicly made a statement that the Government represented that section of the people which belieyed in mob rule. That was a definite insult to tens of thousands of lawabiding citizens who voted for the Government. If they were absent for any legitimate reason one could understand it, but it is well known that they are attending a meeting of the executive of their party. Evidently Mr Hamilton prefers to disregard the needs of his electorate rather than be associated with a Minister who represented what he terms ‘the flotsam and jetsam of the nation’,” —(P.A.)