BITTER WORDS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1932, Page 8

BITTER WORDS

BY LABOUR MEMBER, J MR «r VIEWS. WELLINGTON, October 19. Bitter words were iited in the Hous-e to-night when J. A. Lee (Labour, Grey Lynn) ;• attacked New Zealand representation at overseas. conferences.. Gesticulating forcibly, Mr Lee gave voice to ■ his objections to “Imperiallyminded”. persons representing the Dominion. In a loud voice he declaimed! .against Britain be:ng termed “home,” and declared that original white settlers <?.£; New Zealand-came from, the slums .of "that country. “The Ottawa Conference was a gathering of agents, of. destruction, declared Mr Lee, in opening his speech. He said that the people, who forced the gold standard back on industry were the peoole who, instituted the policy which killed British trade. Where the corpse was the yultur« gathered. Britain had never le”t money to New Zealand out of the good,, ness of her heart. The money had been lent to New Zealand so that the people of this Dominion, could buy British products. ...

“ANTHEM SHOULD BE CHANGED.” Referring to the suggestion that Britain would shut but New Zealand -exports if concessions were not made by the Dominion, Mr Bee likened it to Shylock refusing his :pound of -flesh; British manufacturers now had been given the right to interfere with New Zealand industries. One of the British anthems should, be-changed, “Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves, -1, < ~, “Now the Dominions shall be slaves. Dealing with the representation of New Zealand at conferences overseas, Mr Lee said he objected to . the Dominion being represented: time after time, by , individuals who referred to Britian as “home.” New : Zealand was .not peopled , out of goodwill-. ef the British people, but the original settlers were driven out of the slums. ■ Cries: No, no. Rubbish! Mr Lee said that settlers came to the Dominion to establish an eighthour day and to make a country that was much ahead of Britain. Now all £hese things were to be surrendered to the British manufacturers. Men , had been deported from Britain for forming trades unions. - 1 Mr Coates: That is riot so..

Mr Lee: 'Yes, it is, and I will give you historical reference. I Mr Richards (Labour, Roskill): They were; deported for catching a ra obit, Mr Lee:. Yes,’and, for stealing a ohielcen. . ' - ; .

I , “HOME”. !. 1 Mr Le e asked- if tin;- Children of Israel would! call the land of the pharaohs .“home.” He objected strongly ;fo New Zealand sending representatiyes overseas who ..talked of the population of the country being more ■English than England? and who called that country “home,” and who had not a healthy natural affection for (heir own country. He declared tli « system of ancestor worship would land New Zealand where it had landed China. “It is time we had someone there to fight for us-,” he arid, “fpr someone to liberate us from the influence of the British Shylock. John Bull loved us when we paid. There is no doubt about that.” He ob’-ect-ed to New Zealand following Downing Street vblindly. New Zealand had showed the way before now and someone was needed who would assert that this country was a. true nation with magnificent; traditions. Applause from the Labour benches marked , the conclusion of Mr Lee’s speech.

“SOAP-BOX ORATORY.” “He had lvetter speak about bis own parents and not the parents of members of th-e House generally,” said Mr A. D. McLeod (Coalition, Wairarapa), referring to Mr Lee's remarks regarding the slums. “I am not going to descend to such wild terms as Mr Lee uses every time he gets on his feet. T might be inclined to say something harder; I might call him the bubble of the House-. His mighty wisdom about going back to gold! If the House and this country are going to be led by the wisdom shown by Mr Lee in this House and out of it we are not going to be led 1 very far. The final part of his speech is the usual kind of so-a,p-box oratory We are so much used to. Mr Semple (Labour, Wellington East): Give us some from the cowyard. ■ ;• Mr M’Leod -. He would be better enioloyed in the cowyard than,,in tins House. There hr.,., might be doing something useful. ■