EVADING ISSUE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20128, 23 December 1939, Page 4

EVADING ISSUE

SCRIMGEOUR’S WAY FARMER’S ALLEGATION RESPONSE TO CHALLENGE ACCEPTANCE IGNORED (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. “It would appear that Mr. Scrimgeour has no intention of according me even the courtesy of a curt acknowledgement to my acceptance of his challenge and my subsequent letters to him,” said Mr. J. J. Maher, in a statement yesterday. “It would appear as well that Mr. Scrimgeoifr’s utterances have been made with the full approval of the Government and I would therefore suggest that the Government should now state whether or not it approves of the action of its spokesman in issuing challenges and then failing to face up to them. It would appear however, that Mr. Scrimgeour is living up to the highest traditions of the Labour party, members of which have always been champibns at evading an issue. “I feel, however, as a humble working farmer, that I should warn the Government that if it desires to preserve the respect of the decent sections of the community, it should shape its conduct' more in keeping with the standards of honour to which we have previously been used in New Zealand. If it permits violent, loose, inaccurate and irresponsible statements to be made by a Government official over the air, such conduct can result only in the Ministry coming tb be held in contempt.

"Further, how can we New Zealand: ers, who have hitherto been used to fair play, respect a Government which allows one side, and one side only, to be put over the air?”