SOUTHLAND "SNUB"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 31, 20 February 1937, Page 9

SOUTHLAND "SNUB"

Press Asaool*Moa.>

Mr Semple Answers Absent Members "MUST HAVE KNOWN"

(By Tele&TAph—

QUEENSTOWN, Feb. 18. A reply to statemeati mad* by the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Haioilton) and Mt J". Hairgesfe, member for Awarua, following his eriticism of their absence from their electorates during hit visit, was made today by the Minister of Publie Worka (the Hon. B. Semple). "Mr Hamilton was advised on Jannary 19 that I was making a tour of Southland, arriving at Invercargill on approximately February 12," said Mr Semple, ( 1 and wai asked to adviee early what business he wished transaoted. Oil February 2, a fortpight later, no reply had been received, and a reminder was sent to Mr Hamilton, whefi. he advised that he would like me to visit Otautau, if n6t also Tuatapere. Final detaila of the itiner&ry wero then compieted, and on February 5 X advised Mr. Hamilton that I woUld extend my tonr and make the whole of Tnesday, February 16, available itt his district. I purpoaep did not in the first instance fix a definite itinerary, as I wished to co*0perate with the member as far as possible and tiausact all necessary business. "I niight also inform Mr Hamilton that both myself and the Minister of Hines (the Hon. P. C. Webb) missed an important cancns meeting and several Cabinet meetings to visit Southland to attend to the needa of the district, Mr Webb's attention being coacentrated on the mining indnstry. If we could do this, surely Mr Hamilton could at least postpone his meeting. I have no nxore to say to Mr Ha iiton. "Pia reply to my statement was an ineffective atterdpt to defend hitOself, but be it said to his cfedit it was not couched in objectionable language." Eeferring to Mr Hargest's suggestion that when he visited Southland ©leven months ago he made promises which he had not fulfllled, the Minister inStanced a number of major pnblic works which were to be undertaken in Southland as a reault of his last visit. Altogether these would involve an expenditute of over £300,000. "The first thing that prompted me to say one word agaiUst the Leader of the Opposition was when I read his pnblic statement in Invercargill that people who voted for the. Labonr Government were irresponsible people who believed in mpb rUle," said Mr Semple. "This was not only an insult to the Government, but an insult to tens of thousands of people who voted agams't the late Government for no other reason that that they had for the last four years been misled and betrayed by it, and I . would not. have been human if I had not said something in. their defence. "I took strong esception too, to Mr Hargest scuttling from his constStnen«. . to a meeting in Wellington to consider^ ways and means of def eating the pregent Government, and on his own statement sending a wire to Mr Denham, a Bupporter of the present Government, to do the work while he was busy undermining the members along with other members of the Government from whom he had asked this favour. If I was guilty of such conduct, Mr Hargest would not only be entitled to refer to me as a mountebank, but he would eertainly be entitled to say that I possessed the cOnscience of a politieal imposter. "Mr Hargest seems to feel that I am concerned about his activity in the politieal arena," the Minister ConcludOd. "I want to advise him that I am not a scrap cqncerned. He and one or two others in his party are the best politieal asset the Labour Government have, and I would seriously advise him to increase his activities if possible. I shonld be very thankfnl if he would pay my di6- ' trict a visit. There is one thing I would ask Mr Hargest to do, and that is to give to the public of Southland a eomparison between the activities of the Labour Government in Southland for the eleven months o£ its administration as disclosed in my statement, as against the progress made in that district during the six years' administration of his Government. We could then leave it to the people to judge. "