PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2148, 10 July 1920, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS.

MR. POTTER ON EXTREMISTS. The hardest attack yet made on flie extreme Labourites was that of Mr Vivian Potter, the new member for Roskill, in his speech in the House on Wednesday night. He said that these people had done more to raise the cost, of living than any other section of the community. They were opposed to immigration. They pretended to be in favour of immigration, but these people dii| not Avant immigrants. They seemed to suggest that before a man could be brought here to settle we should build him a six-roomed house, furnish it, put pile carpets on the floors, and say to him, “There you are.” He himself would like to see coming to New Zealand the hardy type of settlers who were the pioneers of this country, men who would carve out their own destiny successfully. “I am very much opposed,” he said, “to the proposal of the Labour members to bring over to this country two thousand extreme Bolshevists from Broken Hill on the pretence that this country needs miners. A blind man could see through that.”

A definition of “Loyalty’’ was demanded by the member for Bailer (Mr Holland) in his speech on the Address-in-Reply, and Mr Vivian Potter spent a couply of minutes giving him examples of a Icav acts that Avere not loyalty. He mentioned among thom.ljio failure of a councillor in the capital city of the Dominion to sign the address of avclcorae to the Prince of Wales, the activity of certain persons in seeking to induce men to refuse to light when the country avus in danger, to go to gaol themselves rather than go to light —and a number of like instances. These Avert cases of disloyalty to the CroAvn. The worst case, although quoted vaguely, had reference to the Waihi strike, and it avus an example, he said, of disloyalty by extremists to their own class. There avus a strike, and for a time all Avent easily for the strikers. Presently the arbitratiouists who favoured constitutional methods gathered strength, and when they began to get into the ascendant the leader of the strike went to a town a hundred miles aAvay and did his business from there. That avus not loyalty to his class. Later, Avhen the arbitrationists gathered more strength, the strikers, being at some risk, as they thought, of personal'hurt, ranged themselves in this formation; In the front rank they put the children and babies, next were placed the Avonien, and the men Avere the third line of defence — “with their running boots on and an open road behind them for line of communication.” That, Mr Potter said, was not loyalty to their class!

Mr Potter addressed his first remarks to the extreme Labour candidates, criticising the party on general grounds. He said that the leaders of the party Avere out for their uavii personal ambitions, and that their new-found interest in such subjects as education AVas nothing more than pretence. The Labour members bad said in answer to the suggestions that workers should Avork more, that the first requirement should be that men not Avorking at all should begin to Avork. “1 should suggest to the leaders of Labour,” lie said, “that they should set an example. 1 don’t count it Avork —this cheap oratory. 1 know it is Avorth eight pounds a week in many instances, but I don’t count it Avork.” He said that it was in his opinion Avrong that disloyal persons should ever be allowed to sit in the House. He preferred to the disloyalist “the out-and-out Hun, who you know is after your blood, rather than the thief in the night—who Avill murder you after the lights are out.” Labour speakers speculated on the days Avhen their party should occupy the Treasury benches, but the benches would never last so long — unless they Avere to be made of ferro-concrete! In fact, the only chance the Labour Party had of occupying the Government benches was to gel permission from the ser-geant-at-arms to occupy them during the recess, (Laughter.)

After saying some extremely bard things about Labour extremists, in the plainest of prose, Mr Vivian Potter wound up his speech with u little verse, craving the indulgence of the House as he did so. His verse was, as he said, the song of the extreme Labour leaders; — We are the Extremist Leaders; Wo care not a jot for the workers. We light with our might, Be the cause wrong or right, For the go-slow, the strikers, the shirkers. We shout out the wauls of our women, Their sympathies we want to score, But not in this laud did we lend a hand To protect them —during the war. We are out against law and order, Prepared to turn Earth into Hell. Industries may fail and workers may starve, So long as the leaders do well. PRICE OP BUTTER. THE COMING INCREASE. PRIME MINISTER’S VIEW. Next season the price of butter to the people of New Zealand is almost sure to rise to 2s 3d per pound, an increase of sixpence on the present price of Is 9d. A question on this subject was asked in the House on Wednesday. Dr. Newman asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the in-

creased price the butter people Avere likely to get during the coming season for their output, he would take Avhatever steps were necessary to prevent a large increase in the price of butter to the people in the tOAvns. Mr Massey: So far as Aviuter supplies are concerned this has already been done. There is a sufficient supply of butter in the cold stores right through the country to supply the needs of the population until Avell into the spring-—September Ist, I think. I dare say the honourable member recollects that even now avc are subsidising the butler producers to keep doAvn the price of butler for local consumption.

Dr. NcAvman; But I understand it is going higher.

Mr Massey; Well, if it goes higher it will bring more money into the country. ;

Mr Holland: It Avill take it out of the poor people’s pockets.

Mr Massey: If more money comes into the country the people will have sufficient money to pay the increased price, Mr Holland: Will you guarantee that?

Mr Massey: I will guarantee that every man in this country avlio Avant s work can get woi’k, and wages have never before within my memory been so high as limy arc to-dav.

Mr Holland; Their purchasing poAvcr is lower. \ Mr Massey: I will look into the question asked by the honourable member, a proper question to bo asked by a representative of a town constituency. But avc must bear in mind that avc have no right to do anything that may cause the producer to suffer. The prosperity of (he Avhole community depends on the producer, and if* the producer suffers the Avhole country suiters.