DENIAL REFUTED

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 124, 27 May 1937, Page 10

DENIAL REFUTED

ALLEGED REMARKS

BY M.P.

DUNEDIN UNEMPLOYED^

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, This Day.

Further details of the meeting of the Unemployed Workers' Movement at which he alleged that Dr. D. G. McMillan, M.P., had stated that the unemployed as well as other workers had been "sold" by the Labour Government were given' by Mr. F. McCornish yesterday. Mr. McComish1 refuted Dr. McMillan's statement that remarks attributed to him had never been made.

"The words I used at the meeting on Tuesday night were practically identical with those spoken by Dr. McMillan at the general meeting of the Dunedin branch of the Unemployed Workers' Movement," Mr. McComish said. "The president of the Dunedin West branch of the Labour Party was also present. Dr. McMillan asked me first of all whether there were any Press representatives present, and on receiving a negative reply hSS later made the statement which I quoted on Tuesday night. In addition to saying that workers had been 'sold' by the Labour Government and that the Parliamentary Labour Party was controlled by eleven men who were incapable of doing the job, he said that he was convinced that only under Socialism could the problems of New Zealand be overcome.

"It is useless for Dr. McMillan to repudiate that statement," Mr. McCornish added, "because there were about 80 people present and every one of them will remember what he said. It seems that he was in a position where he either had to stand by his remarks and receive a severe reprimand from the Labour. Party, or deny that he made the statement. Evidently he chose the latter course.'*

When Dr. McMillan was asked by telephone last night if he had any comment to make on Mr. McComish's further statement, he repeated his denial that he had made the remarks attributed to him. "I have nothing to add to the statement which I made on Tuesday night," he said; '