DODGING QUESTIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 June 1924, Page 4

DODGING QUESTIONS.

"What impresses you most about l lie new Labour Ministers;' 1 asked a crony of his friend the M.P., writes X in the “Paily Mail.’’ Tli.? M..P. leaned forward with the air of one imparling a confidence. ‘•Their manner of answering i|iiestioiis,” he said emphatically. "No high and drv old Tore, with

generations of tin- governing in liiud in Ids being, can say with greater aplomb and .-ell assur.ui'e, 'I must have notice of (lull question,’ or, ‘I (all add nothing lo my pieviou- answer,’ or Tt i-. not desirable in the public interest tlisti the information asked fur should lie given.' ’’ lie tlit.-v lory or Liberal or Labour. Ministers are all alike when :t comes t i countering the effort:-, of M.l’.s to extract information which the departments are not anxious to impart or in dealing wilh heckling posers.

Tlit" Civile coni intrenl wen- alternately eiira"ed :uul dismayed when they lir>t feme to Westminster and tedded • lie* Tory .Minister.'. •'lliit, .Mistor-r-r .''peal;er-r-r-r. It's no :m niioier-r-r at n 11." y Mr Kirkwood would proie-t. Ids lii'oed Dorie rollin;; tearfully. when some tenser subtly planned lied been turned aside tvitli e polite evesion <‘nti)Moseil in tlie best style id I lie Civil

Service. Mr Speakers snotliiny eoinnienl. "it may not be Ibe answer lie 1 lioiiotireble nieniber desired, bill it i- tbe answer tie- .Minister 'lives," did not pleeele t belli. "br-r-r-r" (i otitenipltimisly, front enotlier id’ the Clas.oe.v Socialists), "tliey ee.n’t answer anythin';." They were furious nl being baffled so often.

"I put a plain filiation. Win- can't I have a plain answer:'’ was their lalnciil. and tliey openly coniloled with

one another or muttered tlioir resentment. at the soft answer tlmt had failed to turn aside their wrath.

Nowadays the position is reversed. The Socialist back-benchers 101 l in their scats and look on with satisfateiou at the spectacle of the Liberals and the Conservatives being baffled by the same stonewalling answers that in their day had annoyed ihomsolves. They come trippingly off the tongue of the Socialist Ministers:—•

The matter is under consideration. That is a matter for another department. 1 <T,ni<o'. anticipate my Budget statement. Mv department lias no power to deal with the matter. The question should be addressed to the Prime Minister. That is a matter fdt* argument. Tt cannot bo dealt with by question Mid answer. These are some of the tried and trusty phrases. They lieye served many hard-pressed Ministers in the past; they will be friends of many in the future.