M.P. FAILS TO APPEAR

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 27, 16 February 1937, Page 5

M.P. FAILS TO APPEAR

—Press Assooiation.)

Ignored Minister's Visit to Electorate MR SEMPLE FEELS SNUBBED

(By Telegraph-

INVERCARGILL, Last Night. | "I am disappointed and I regard it as a snub," said Hon. R. Semple this afternoon when he received a deputation from residents of the Awarua electorate and the Member for Awarua was absent. "It is the first time that I have hacl an experience of this kind. When my itinerary was arranged I communicated with Hon. Adam Hamilton and Mr J. Hargest, and asked them to bring any matter affecting their electorates before me. "Their replies came very late, and now, when I arrive, they are not. in their district, though Mr Hargest wrote to say he could not accompany me to Stewart Island. I am here to do my best for the people irrespective of party, yet they leave local people to do the best they can. ' ' I am making arrangements and residents of their electorates are interviewing me on matters with which I am not familiar, and it leaves me groping in the dark. It is fair neither to the Department nor to the Minister. Meuibers should look after the interests of thei? electorates first. "Mr Hamilton asked me to devote a day to his electorate. I agreed to this and fixed a time to meet his wishes, and now he fails to meet me. I am not surprised at this when I hear that Mr Hamilton quite recently publicly made a statement that the Government represented that section of the people which believed in mob rule. ' ' That was a definite insult to tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens who voted for the Government. If they were absent for any legitimate reaBon, one could understand it, but it. is well known that they are attending a meeting of the exeeutive of their party. "Evidently Mr Hamilton prefers to disregard the needs of his . electorate rather than be associated with a Minister who represented what he t,erma ♦the flotsam and jetsam of the Jlg? tiou " '