M’s.P. AND DONATIONS.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17964, 8 March 1930, Page 9

M’s.P. AND DONATIONS.

STATEMENT BY MR H. E. HOLLAND Speaking at the Buller Labour Representation Committee meeting, which was held at Reefton on Saturday, Mr H. E. Holland, ALP., referred to tlip numerous demands that are made on members of Parliament for donations. Several years ago at Cobden, he. said, he had made a public statement in relation to this problem, and he now wished to repeat what lie. then said. He would appreciate very highly the honour conferred on him by the various sports bodies and other organisations both within and beyond his own electorate when they made him patron, vice-president, etc., and he would at all times he more than willing to do everything in his power to further the interests of clean and legitimate sport, and to support every movement with an elevating purpose; hut he could not undertake lo make donations to each body that so honoured him. To do that would mean that he .would have to go deeply into debt, for to make donations to all the sports bodies and kindred organisations within the Buller electorate alone would mean an exceedingly heavy levy. It had to. he remembered that it was not possible to -subscribe to some and not to others. He held that the member of Parliament owed it to his constituents, as much as to his family and himself, to keep as free from debt as possible. Especially did the Labour member owe it lo the Labour movement not to become involved in debt. Wben they remembered that in constituencies like Westland and Buller the net -salary did not amount to anything like £5 a week they could understand how difficult it was to avoid going into debt, even if there were no problems such as those of donations. Of -course, cases of distress must always be responded to; and pf these there were many—most of which were known only to the M.P. himself and the parlies directly concerned.