BOYCOTTS AND GULLING

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 115, 5 August 1927, Page 16

BOYCOTTS AND GULLING

MR. R. A. WRIGHT IN A MERRY MOOD REFORM FUNDS AND ADS. (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. galleries in the House of - 1 - Representatives are always assured of a bright debate when the Minister of Education, the Hon. R. A. Wright, crosses swords with Labour as he does nearly every time he rises to speak. He was in excellent fettle to-night when dealing with his favourite subject—party funds. Mr. Wright declared that the Reform Party did not publish its contributors’ names because many of them were business men and could not afford to be publicly associated with politics. Many had been detrimentally affected. Mr. P. Fraser: Give us instances. Mr. Wright: I will. He then retailed the story of a mine manager in Westport who became estranged with the men who believed that they were unfairly treated. The men could not take it out of the manager personally, so they enlislf d the assistance of their wives and boycotted the local parson, who was the mine manager’s father. The parson had to leave the district. Mr. H. E. Holland: What mining town was that? Mr. Wright: It was long ago before your time. Mr. Holland: It could not have been Westport, because miners do not live there. Mr. Wright: It was a small parish nearby. Mr. Fraser: Was it the collection box they boycotted? Mr. W. A. Veitch: They were strong men to influence their wives. Mr. Holland: You cannot say that the parson was a business man. Mr. Wright went on and said that 1 every contributor to the Labour Party funds did not have his name published. How could they have the names of those who contributed in the plate at Sunday evening meetings? Mr. J. A. Lee: You would get the collection if you could. Mr. Wright: Why, I might put five pounds in the plate. (Loud shouts of derision from Labour, and Reform merriment.) Mr. Fraser: I will take it now. Mr. G. W. Forbes: That would be a miracle. Mr. D. G. Sullivan: It is beyond our comprehension. Mr. Wright: There you are. The member for Wellington Central, with his native instinct, and as a sensible man, would take the money. (Laughter.) M.r. Wright continued and said that the public of New Zealand would not be gulled by advertisements as suggested by Labour. Labour voices: They were gulled. Mr. J. McCombs: Were they gulling advertisements ? Mr. Wright: 1 refuse to believe that they will be gulled by Reform Party advertisements. Mr. W. J. Jordan: Not in the future.