Statement Provokes Immediate Denials

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 839, 6 December 1929, Page 8

Statement Provokes Immediate Denials

UNITED AND LABOUR

MOTION ON SALARY ‘ CUTS-

(from Our Resident Reporter/ WELLINGTON. Thu rsdav. When, in the course of one of his election addresses. Mr. j. Kerr, United Party candidate for the Hutt seat, said that Labour had arranged the motion referring to the restoration of the Civil Service salary "cuts,” he started a series of explanations and denials. Speaking at Korokoro Mr. Kerr referred to the salaries of the lower, grade men in the service and said that the United Party was the only party that would do the right thin*. When he said that the Labour motion had been prearranged, he was pressed for further details, but he would not say more than that the Hon. T. M. Wilford did not have anything to do with it. “I do not interpret Mr. Kerr’s statement as referring to a prearrangement between the United and Labour Parties,” said the Hon. G. W. Forbes today. “Any statement to the effect that there was such an arrangement would be without foundation. As s matter of fact, the first intimation 1 had of the terms of the motion was when it w-as handed to me by the Leader of the Labour Party. Mr. H. E. Holland, just prior to the meeting of the* House at which the motion was moved.” LABOUR’S ATTITUDE Mr. p. Fraser, secretary of the Parliamentary Labour Party has issued a statement giving an emphatic denial to the suggestion that the Labour and United Parties had made any arrangement "The facts of what transpired immediately prior to the notice of motion by Mr. Holland are that on three occasions representatives of the Labour Party met Cabinet Ministers or. the question of the wages of public service employees,” said Mr. Fraser. “On the first occasion Mr. Holland. Leader of the Labour Party. Mr. M. J. Savage, vice-chairman of the Labour Party, and ntvself, met the Hon. G. W. Forbes, acting-leader of the House of Representatives, and the Hon. T. M. Wilford, Minister of Justice On the second occasion Mr. Holland and Mr. Savage met Mr. Forbes, and on the third occasion Mr. Holland. Mr. Savage and myself met Mr. Forbes. PRESSING FOR DECISION “At the first meeting Mr. Holland plainly asked on behalf of the Labour Party that something effective and substantial should be done in the way of an increase in the wages of the lowerpaid public servants. Mr. Holland also made it perfectly clear that if the Government could not accede to this request the Labour Party, in conformity with its consistent and repeat edlv-declared attitude, would take action in the House of Representatives. At the second meeting Mr. Forbes intimated that no definite decision had yet been arrived at Mr. Holland pressed for an early decision. “At the third meeting Mr. Forbes definitely intimated that the Government could not see its way to do anything further in the matter at that time. Mr. Holland then informed Mr. Forbes that the Labour Party would have no alternative but to give notice of a motion.”