A PROMISE TO PAIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 225, 22 September 1928, Page 11

A PROMISE TO PAIR.

LICENSING BILL DIVISION.

CHARGE AGAINST MR. COAXES

ALLEGATION BY MR. McCOMBS.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. An allegation that the Prime Minister dishonoured a promise to pair the Hon. Nosworthy in.favour of the third reading of the Licensing Bill is made by Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton) in a statement to the Press. Mr. McCombs declares that the Prime Minister could have ensured the carrying of the third reading, and by pairing with Mr. Nosworthy, his vote would have been recorded against the bill. The member for Lyttelton says that Mr. Nosworthy, writing to the Prime Minister from Auckland before leaving New Zealand, asked that his "vote should be recorded in favour of decision by bare majority polls every three years, as at present, and the elimination of the State control issue." Mr. Nosworthy's request was most explicit, and it is reasonable to assume, Mr. McCombs says, that when the bill was altered exactly as he wished it to b» altered, he would wish his vote recorded in favour of the third reading. "On the afternoon of the day on which the third reading division was taken, the Prime Minister, in the presence of a witness, promised the president of the New Zealand Alliance that Mr. Nosworthy would be paired on the third reading," Mr. McCombs says. "This arrangement was dishonoured, and so far as I have been able to learn Mr. Nosworthy has not been paired on any of the other three divisions: about which he left written instructions." Mr. McCombs explains that when he raised this question with the Chief Gov- j eminent Whip the explanation was that Mr. Nosworthy would have voted against the third reading had he known of the ! two new clauses, 19 and 37. "That ex- I cuse was futile," declared Mr. McCombs, "because the Prime Minister had promised reconsideration of those clauses, and on this promise all the 'drys' in the House had voted for the third reading. Subsequentlv I saw Mr. Nosworthy's secretary, who informed me he had asked to have Mr. .Nosworthy paired in favour of the third readins." MR. COATBS REPLIES. INTENTIONS OF MR. NOSWORTHY. (By Telegrann.—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, this day. Mr. McCombs' allegations were submitted to the Prime Minister, who replied that at the interview with the president of the New Zealand Alliance, when the request was made for pairs for Mr. Nosworthy, he (the Prime Minister) answered that Mr. Nosworthy would be paired in accordance with his own requests. Then he was asked if Mr. Nosworthy would be paired on the third reading. "I replied," adds Mr. Coatcs, "that I thought so, but when I saw Jfr. Nosworthy's letter I found he was not; to be paired on. the third reading. In any case Mr. Rhodes, who was away, was not a 'bare majority' man." The Prime Minister declined to deal with any other aspects of the statement, declaring he was prepared to leave it at that.