SMITING THE FOE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 711, 10 July 1929, Page 9

SMITING THE FOE

A MAIDEN SPEECH BALLOONS AND RAILWAYS (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) j PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Tues. In a level, almost lugubrious, voice, Mr. T. W. McDonald (Wairarapa) set out to smite the hosts of Reform hip : and thigh in his maiden speech in the Address-in-Replv debate. He 1 was heckled, but managed to keep going with success, and a few drinks of water. He had one sharp brush with Mr. j J. A. Nash (Palmerston) on the subject of the Palmerston North devia- j tion. He was justifying the Government’s abandonment of the scheme when Mr. Nash cut in, ‘You're an authority?” Mr. McDonald : Yes. Mr. Nash: Tell us how it is done. Mr. McDonald: I will finish my speech and tell him privately, afterward, how and by whom things are done in Palmerston. Mr. Nash (hotly): Tell us now! But Mr. McDonald swept on with his speech until Mr. Nash queried ! later, “Why not tell the House what I you want to tell me privately?” Mr. McDonald: I’ll tell the House | what I deem fit. ! Mr. Nash: You’re not gome, i There the incident closed. Later, talking about the Kirikopuni j line, and taunting Mr. Coates, Mr. j McDonald asked Mr. Coates if he had ' over been up in a balloon, explaining ! to Mr. Speaker that the question was I necessary. Then he spoke of the | “balloon loop,” which he said occurred when the line went here and there and back to where it started from. What for? A Voice: Picnicking! Mr. McDonald: Yes—picnicking for votes.