MINISTERS ON TOUR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 25 July 1929, Page 6

MINISTERS ON TOUR

DURING RECESS COMMENT UV HON. W. DOWNIESTEWART HUMOROUS SPL4I3OU. I (By Telegraph) (From "The Mail's" Parliamentary Reporter) • WELLINGTON, 24th July. The peregrinations of Ministers of the United Government during the PariianienUiry recess were commented upon in humorous vein by the Hon. \y. Downie Stewart (Duuedin West), in the House of Representatives last night. Mr Stewart also took occasion to make ctrtain references to the .Minister of Health (Mr Stallworthy) and his attitude toward Sir Joseph Ward. Mr Stewart said that various Ministers had been touring the country in the leee.ss, and it had been most interesting to watch their attitude on general "political questions. Some of them, of course, who were- older and mure experienced, like the member for llutt (the Hon. T. M. Wilford), were very discreet, and avoided all reference to general politics. In fact, so far as he could see, the Minister of Justice realised that he was sitting on a very rotten political fence, and had decided in the recess to learn to fly. (Laughter.) Mr Wilford: The honourable gentleman 'might quote the author. Those were the words I used at Blenheim. Mr Stewart: "If he can fly well enough he might fly- to London more quickly than King'sford Smith* who would not see the way lie was going.'' (Laughter.) He said lie took no exception to Mr Wilford's speeches during the recess because he was dealing with his own task of aviation, and had refrained from dealing with the general political situation. There were other Ministers who spoke in the recess, and so far as' he could see all the difference between their views and those of the members of the Reform Party was that they might have been good Reformers if they had not been drafted into the wrong yard at the General Election. Some members had indulged in an orgy of boasting and bragging such as this Dominion had not seen from Ministers in the speaker's experience of politics. ■■ Mr A. J. Murdoch (Marsden): "What about 1925?"

Mr Stewart: "I am referring to the present time. lam not referring to i 925, because in 1925 many of the .Ministers were not in politics. The curious thing about this boasting and bragging was' that these Ministers, at the same time that they were announcing what marvellous things the United Party was' going to do and what -dreadful things " the Reform Party and the Labour Party were, were jeering at our work. They were saying that the political situation , was so difficult that the utmost tact and' consideration of all parties was heeded to enable them to carry on." MINISTERS' SPECIALITIES Mr Stewart said he considered there was some inconsistency in reconciling the critical attitude of Ministers with flie statement that the utmost consideration of all parties was necessary. K'e noticed that all Ministers claimed to have had a splendid reception wherever they went. He. believed that, because it was a fact that the public treated Ministers of the Crown with - great hospitality and consideration, more especially if- they belonged to a new. party. He dared say that the Labour Party, if it came into office, would find that its Ministers would receive the same consideration. Mr P. Eraser (Wellington Central): "The honourable- gentleman says they •would deserve it more." Mr Stewart: "'I don't say that. Some Ministers seem to specialise a good deal in banquets." Whether it was a fact that .the Minister of Lands (the Hon. G. W. Eorbes) had been delex gated by his colleagues to attend banquets by reason of his good digestive powers or to make long speeches without committing himself, he did not know, but he had noticed that at Cheviot it was stated by one speaker that Mr , Forbes had reminded him a good deal of Abraham Lincoln. "I am bound to gay that I had never noticed the resemblance," said Mr Stewart, amidst laughter. "1 said to myself, 'Goodness gracious, if we have to fight Abraham Lincoln as well as the Minister who claimed/ his authority as coming from a Higher sour6e, then we wijl have a very difficult task in front of us. As a matter of fact, as far as that other Min,r ister is concerned who claims his com- . mission from a very high source, I was puzzled when he emphasised that aspect of his call to the Ministry. I then remembered the fact that it was only a month or two before that he had declared that the Party would not stand for the present Prime Minister at all. Therefore, apparently, he conld not claim that he accepted his appointment • from the Right Hon. the Prime Minister. The Hon. A. J. Stallworthy: "That is not correct.

"A POLITICAL PHARISEE?" Mr Stewart: "It must be some comfort 10 the Prime Minister to know that this declaration of the Honourable the Minister of Health relieves him of a great deal of responsibility. (Laughter.) In listening to the speech of the Minister of Health the other night, I thought that the. keynote of his remarks was very unfortunate, and that if his speeches continued in that line there would be some reason lor thinking that he is developing into a political Pharisee, because he was saying that 'We of the United Party are not as other men.' There was some degree of selfrighteousness in his speech, which was somewhat unfortunate, because it was his first speech in the-House." GOOD RECEPTIONS Mr Stewarl snicf he had noticed that the Prime Minister had had receptions in various parts of the country. One member stated that afternoon that the reception accorded to Sir Joseph Ward was all the more wonderful because there was no organised attempt to put on a good show when he arrived. (Laughter.) "I am bound to say," ••aid My Stewart, "that that called to mind the fact that/ it, was .staled in the Auckland papers that lie ,ivas met by two rows of'"women dressed in scarlet and blowing silver trumpets, I thought, "Am I fending of the entry of Louis IV into the Palace nf Versailles, or is this a turn at Wirth's circus?' (Laughter.) The reception in Auckland was certainly a very well organised and ap Pflrently a very successful reception, as indeed was the l>;iiii|iict in Invereargill. which, of course, way tremendously attended, but unfortunately led to' cer lain difficulties. I noticed in the re port of the '.Southland News," which is a Government paper, that ii said that shortly after midnight, after the sing ing of 'Aulrl Lang Syne' and 'God Save the King,' the gathering dispersed when j "The spirit of enthesiasm and the spirit

of (lie evening were Mill running high." (Liinglifcr.J i| ran bo high Ilia I lb" promoters were lined I'm- having 100 much spirits, and after thai apparently i! tarpaulin muster had In be held In lind ihe money I" pay for the banquet. I notice Mini hhe council of Gore, formerly presided over by ilio member For Mniawra, Mr McDougall, 'received' (.tin letter asking for » subscription If I might inata a suggestion, I suggest [hat Sir Harry Lauder should I, • asked (') contribute, because, lie •„ ■;■ quite > !ol uf the limelight." MINISTER'S DENIAL Alter Mr Stewart had concluded, Mr Stallworthy W lo a point of order, and said Mr Stewarl had very grossly misrepresented him. Mr Stewart had said that before the election Ihe speaker had staled thai he would not stand for Sir Joseph Ward being leader of the United Parly. "Never on any occasion." said Mr Stallworthy. "have 1 made such a statement, which could he construed or misconstrued in such a way. While members of the Reform Party were moving up and down asking who was this Sir Joseph Ward and asking, "Where is he now?—He is lost,' f from tho public platform, advocated the present leader of the Government as the outstanding Statesman of New Zealand, who had a right to be leader of the United Party so as. to bring this country back to prosperity." A REPORT RECALLED Mr Stewart: "The honourable Minister says I misquoted him. That can only be the ease in the event of my disavowing the report published in the Auckland 'Herald' and the 'Evening Post,' wliicli was as follows: 'Mr Stallworthy said it is a complete surprise to heaf that an invitation has been sent, to Sir Joseph Ward to' accept, the leadership. Certainly I have never been consulted about it, nor has any other Auckland candidate. If there bad been any genuine movement of the kind 1 am sure 1 should have heard about it. Probably the whole thing is camouflage. 1 There had. he said, been a clear misunderstanding (the extract- continued) that the leader was to be chosen by th ■:: conference of the party. 'Neither he nor any other candidate to .his knowledge had authorised the executive or any person to approach Sir Joseph Ward. He had heard the names of several possible, leaders mentioned in the course of conversation, but Sir Joseph Ward's name was not among them. He did not believe that Sir Joseph Ward would stand any chance of being selected by the conference.' " (Loud laughter.) Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Riccarton): "He was up above then: he was in the clouds."' Mr Stallworthy: "On the face of the very statement that had been read tonight. I submit that the member for Dunedin West has grossly misrepresented me. (Laughter.) Having the alleged personal interview with me before me. the misrepresentation is all the more gross because in the statement that has been read out there is no statement attributed to me that I would not stand by the Right Honourable gentlemen being the leader of the party. Never on any occasion have. I said anything that could be construed or misconstrued in the direction indi-' cated by the honourable member."