COMMENTED AS M.P. FOR NAPIER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 169, 4 August 1937, Page 4

COMMENTED AS M.P. FOR NAPIER

• — . . m j* . . . • Mr Speak«r Dejen4s Crjticism riaflings HIS TWO CAPAC1TIES YVhqn the Herald-Tribune reproved the Ho.n, \V, E. Barnard, Sp.eaker of the House of Representatives, for having critieised the findii^g of the. RoyM Comtr.ission that investigatec^ the affaiTs of the Napier. Hospital it ipcnrred that gentleman % dispTeasiire. f his was shpwn last evouing wheii Mr Barnard told a meeting qf his constituents that he 'made the bo.mment as member for Napier and not as the Speaker. He also sqid that he would not lo.ok to the, liqrald-Tribune for his creclentials. Th'ough he hqd been appointed Spepker 'of "the House of Representatives, be iully realised that. ne had a duty tq perfQim as a member for the constitqency, said Mr Barnard. During last session there had bgen two -Ipoal BRls which he-* had personally pilqted through tRe House, so that = when it came to lqcal a4fhlftisriative matters, he was still eifiqieht a representative as: ever, Thep again, Mr B.arna*4 sftid, he had projniseci the electqrs that, they would have the sam6 free acctss tq him as they had enjqyed in the. p.ast, knd he felt surp that tRey all had received all the cave aud attention that could be givon tbein. "I have not been uninindful, either, of oflier matters cpncerwng the people and have gone to, ihe length recentJy of critieising the fiudings of a eertain cqmmissiqm in Napier, in which you youfself, My iy|ayqr, had pioye than a nodding' interest, " he "A eertain" Hawke's Bay paper, t© wit the tierald-Tribuue, attempted to revile me, as. Speaker of the House, for my reference io that matter an4 tlie licence I allowed myself. With a show of atrocio.nsly bad taste it dragged in the name qf a preyious Spesiker of the House. I never shall look to. tfie Her-ald-Tribqne for my predentials. A voice : Hea? 1 Hear 1 "I want to tell the editor and directors that 1 have not yet. smothered my head in the yyig or tangi ed my legs in the gown,''- he said, amjd laughter. "Whenever 1 do something for Napier the paper appears to make out that I sleep in tlie. wig and use the gown as a suit of pyiamas,' J he added. "W'hen 1 made the reference I did 1 obyiqusly was not spcakingj as the Speaker of the Hous.e of Representatives, but as memb.er for t-his constituency," he continued "and when l' said what 1 did I felt that I expressed the opinion of 90 per cent., o'f the electoxs of this constituency," (Cries ol: Hearl Hear!.). -"Aud 1 wapt aho to say that the editor is the last person to prate about impartiality. Qne bas only to read the leading articlea day by day to discover that on almost every occasion possible it tries to misconstrue qnd twist every uction of the Lahour Government. No, x don't look to the editor of the Herald Trib.une as my caiion of impartiality. The Herald-Tribune qounfs for uttle or nothing at all in Napier. 1 make this statement not aS Speaker, of the House, not even as membex^ for this constituency, but as an average pecent citizeii wh° kas taken as his code of ethics tlie maxim of fair play, and that is, not to kiek a man when once he is down.'1