ALLEGED 'SCANDALS'

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 86, 28 April 1937, Page 5

ALLEGED 'SCANDALS'

-Press Association.)

Mr. J. A. Lee Wants More Information "WHAT ABOUT 1ZB?"

(By Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, Last Night. "I want to know whether Mr Mazengarb wili issue a oategorical statement of the housing 'scandals,' " said Mr J. A. Lee, Parliamentary UnderSecretary ia charge of Housing. "I am curious to know what is meattt. and I doubt if Mr Mazengarb appreciateg what is meant,'> in referriflg to statements made by Mr 0. O. Mazetig^rb at a meetifig of members of the National Party in Wellington oa Monday night. Mr Mazengarb was reported to have said, "A few more political scandals like the housing contracts and the Scrimgeour appointment and they (meaning the Labour Government) will be defltiitely 4on the run.' " "Quite a lengthy questiottnaire appearg to have eiuanated from the meeting which was evidently in a mood of hatred against the Labour Party. While Mr Mazengarb is busy outlining the political 'scandals' that have been perpetrated by my department, we might as well ask hiitt for a iittle information cotteeminig the RefOrm Party 'scandals.' "How reliable W&s Mr "W. A. Bodkin, Nationalist M.P. for Otago Central, and his friettds, mcluding the Press when they said that if the people voted Labour at the last general election they would lose their savings bank deposits? Is it not a 'scandal' that Mr Mazengarb and his friends have not apologised to the Labour Party for what was obviougly nntrue? "Since the National Party is in a questioning mood about radio, and is concerned about the 'powers behittd the scene,' perhaps it will answer this question : — Will the party state whether the Leader Of the National Party, who stated that a radio set installed at Newmarket, Auckland, prior to the last gieneral election, for the purposo of jamming 1ZB, had been installed for the purpose of stepping up a Rugby union football broadcast reception from Brown's Bay, was stating an tintruth under instructions from an unseen influence or merely being untrue becailse he felt that way? Will Mr Mazengarb and Mr Bodkin state whether in their opinion it was a 'scandal' to privately jam IZB, and if they justified that action will they say that tkO circumstanc* es warrantOd the untrnth ? Will Mr Mazengarb and Mr Bodkin state Whether it was not subsequently adr mitted that the station was jammed ott the instructions of the then Postmasf ei'-General ) Hon. Adam Hamilton? "The National Party aSks a question as to what ethical standards weighed with the Labour Party, btit will Messrs Bodkin and Mazengarb tell' us what ethical standards, if any, weighed with the National Party on the eve of the last general election? The question of commissioner control appeare to be exercising the concern of the National Party, but will Messrs Mazengarb and Bodkin state tc what extent the commdssioner was consulted in connection with the establishment of a staff to lam a licensed radio service? "My curiosity is not second to that of Mr Bodkin and Mr Mazengarb," coxxcluded Mr Lee, "and I have been waitmg an anSwer to these questions for nearly lS months. When these are replied to I wxll be delighted to fttrnish some more,"