ROUND ABOUT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 198, 12 August 1940, Page 5

ROUND ABOUT

(By Aitcliel) According to the Honourable the Minister of Public Works and National Service, Mr Robert Semple, it will not be long before we commence the second round of this great 'all-in* contest. Or will it be the second round? Depends a good deal on what can be considered as the first. Anyhow, it will be interesting to see what happens after this vigorous and entertaining Minister has gone round the country 'hell-for-leather' and, as he added, 'without running shoes, either.' "A post for everybody, and everybody in the post" is going to be his guiding motto, so don't be surprised at developments. « m « • Incidentally, the opinion had been current that ' there were not sufficient rifles in New Zealand to equip a large body of men and various training groups had looked with horror at broomsticks. But we will take the Honourable the Minister's word for the equipment. He said: "And we won't have to fight with pop-guris and bows and arrows, either. We've got the mechanism. That's all. That's all." « » m • Inconsistency is hardly a charge that could with reason be laid at the Hon. Mr Semple's door. Yet, though denying the Press the chance of publishing his revelations concerning the Dominion's armed might—and, if we take his word for it, it IS might—he calmly let the cat out of the bag to a collection of local body men, business men and farmers. Now, the Minister should , know that for rapid distribution of news the 'bush telegraph' has it all over the newspapers, its only and major drawback being that it ijever tells the srajpe tale twice and anything which, at the source, was a fact or a true statement, often becomes so distorted as to become a dangerous magnification or slander when it is at least halted at Spirit Bay or the 3?lAifs. Certainly by the time it has worked its way back again. . I am not suggesting that those present in the Borough , Chambers on Thursday will distort Mr Semple's .statements. But I do make the point that the news will travel, and if it has to travel at all, a safer , means would have been per medium of the Press. ■ * * » ' * We Labour blokes are very free with each other. Familiarity is nothing to us. : Not like in the National Party,: where members fawn on a jCalDinet^Minister and say, "Yes, Mr So-and-So" and "No, Mr Something, Sir." Oh, no, no, no. • We're not like that. Look at the way A. F. Moncur, c Affy,' we call him, gets on with the 'Onourable Robert | Semple. Just one instance, mind i yon, just one instance. Mister Semple was. sitting at the* ; head of the council table on Thurs--1 day and A.F.M., M.P., sat at one i end of the horse-shoe. He, pulled a - cigarette out of a packet for himi self and then—what d'you think? 1 He pulls one out for the Big Boss. 1 Does he go round the table and sub- - serviently whisjjer, "I beg your par- ) don, but I have a fag for you, if it pleases Your Honourableness"? Not him. He just sings out, "Hey, Bob!" and chucks the gasper the length ' of the room. Bob smoked it, too. [ That shows how pally we are, we Labour blokes. » As a rule I ■ endeavour to break up . this column and try to avoid dealing with but one topic. However* the Hon. R. Semple comes,, to the ; town but. seldom, and I may not j have the opportunity again. Before ; concluding for this week, I must ; observe, for the benefit of who ? unfortunately could not present 1 to hear the Minister deliver hist ? characteristically vigorous speech, s that they missed the treat of their - lives. More able speakers have been s heard, but few with the .same efe fectiveness, and if his "speech was ~ not grammatically perfect, its force- - fulness and appeal atoned. He is a t man who gets things done, apparenti ly, and in this respect at least, sets * an example to some of his colleag--3 ues.