MR. FRASER CONSIDERED TO HAVE LOWERED DIGNITY OF HIS OFFICE

Chronicle (Levin), 10 July 1946, Page 5

MR. FRASER CONSIDERED TO HAVE LOWERED DIGNITY OF HIS OFFICE

~press Association

Dannevirke County's Strong Protest At Reception of Depntation 4

By Telegraph-

■ DANNEVIRKE, Juiy 10. , When hospital rating was dis1 cussed by the Dannevirke County Council, Cr. H. Stratford (Norsewood) took.;. strong exemption 'to the reported remarks of the Prime Minister; (Mr. Fraser) to the recent combined deputations of the New Zealand Counties' and Munieipal AssociaJons* on the subject, and moved "that the office of Prime Minister has reached the lowest point of Parliamentarv integrity, and that this council as' a local oody cannot place any further trust m Parliamentary Commissions." Councillors, while supporting the procest, oisliked Hie wording of the .noiion, whieh was eventualiy withdrawn. The following motion was pass-

"ed: "That this .council takes the strongest possible exception to tne statements attributed to the Prime Minister in his reply to a depuiation from the Munieipal ' and Counties' associations reiative to hospital rating, in that such statemenxs were entirely irrelevant and not in accord with the usual courtesies extended to deputations. It is the council's oplnlon that the dignity of the office of Prime Minister . has been lowerea by nis attitude, and further that had the Prime Minister applied himself to the problem of discussmg ways and means of - bridging the gap between increasing costs and his Government's staPiilsation poiicy, | a better service would have been j rendered to ratepayers wRhin the \ Dominion, both urban and rural."