RIGHTS OVERLOOKED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 723, 24 July 1929, Page 11

RIGHTS OVERLOOKED

AUCKLAND MEMBER COMPLAINS VISIT TO A SCHOOL (THE SUX'S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. With a tinge of regret in his voice, and the more -i n - son - o w- than -in - anger attitude, Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) claimed this afternoon in the House of Representatives that he had been ignored in a question affecting his constituency. He asked urgently of the Minister of Education, the Hon. 11. Atmore, why the Minister had visited the old Newton East (Auckland) school on Saturday without the member for the district being written. He also wanted to know why the Minister had received a deputation introduced by a member from another district. Would the Minister, asked Mr. Parry, take steps to prevent a recurrence of that sort of thing, which might be considered to amount to discourtesy. Replying, the Minister said that he had always on his tours been punctilious in that the rights of members in their own districts should be protected. He had found on occasion school committees ignoring the member, and he had insisted upon his recognition. He had always been jealous of the rights of members himself as a private member. Mr. Atmore said that he did not suppose a member in the House knew the exact boundaries of the Auckland electorates. This matter, however, was one of the education of deaf children. He had been asked by an Auckland member to receive a deputation on the subject, but he did not know that the school was not in that member’s district. Had he known that the school was in Mr. Parry’s electorate he would have notified Mr. Parry. He recognised that there should be no question of party in education. He was considering making special provision for deaf children. Having been granted leave to make a personal explanation, Mr. J. S. Fletcher (Grey Lynn) said that he was the m<jer who had introduced the deputation. Certain people in his electorate had approached him, as they had children suffering from a disability that might be removed by attendance at such a school as Newton East. Mr. Parry: Why didn’t you mention ic to me on Saturday morning? Mr*. Fletcher said that lie did not know the school was not in his electorate. Three schools had been mentioned to him by the deputation, and he had no idea of making political capital out of the subject. If he had to notify all those interested he would have to inform every member of the House of his intention to place the matter before the Minister. Voices: Nonsense.