M.P.'s Twit Minister On Business Ability

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1079, 17 September 1930, Page 8

M.P.'s Twit Minister On Business Ability

MARINE ESTIMATES MR. DONALD UNDER FIRE THE SUX’S Parliamentary Reporter PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Tues. Members of the House have he waiting a long time to twit the Mister of Marine, the Hon. J. B Donald' about his recent letter to the Canie bury Chamber of Commerce concern ing the need for more business men in Parliament, and they seized gleeful v on the opportunity this evening when the estimates of the Marine Denarment were under discussion withom the annual report having been release beforehand. Members protested against this “unbusinesslike” method of doing business, which is foreign to the usual practice of the House and there were some bright sallies at M r Donald’s expense. When the discussion on the estim ates was begun, Mr. P. Fraser (Labou--—Wellington Central) rose and Fro ‘. tested. Was this, he asked, a specimen of the business ability which the Min ister had told the chambers of commerce that the House lacked? Was it a sample of that outstanding, won derful, unparalleled business abilitv of the Minister? Members always expected the annual report of the depar ! ment to be in front of them before they voted money for that department. Mr. Fraser certainly wanted to enter his protest against the unprecedented course taken concerning the estimates of the Marine Department Mr. E. J. Howard (Labour—Christchurch South) said that if this were the business way of doing things he hoped there would be no more business men in the House. "It is one of the most slovenly things I have known in the 11 years I have been in this House,” he said. “The Minister says business men get things done. All 1 can say is, save ns from business men if this is how thev do things.” Mr. Howard went on to refer to the sum of £l5O voted for the Ross Sea Dependency and the sum of £4O expended last year on the same object. He had looked up the map and found the Ross Sea Dependency, bnt he could not see anything that £l5O could be spent on there. Mr. J. Bitchener (Reform— Waitaki): That’s for a policeman. (Laugh ter.) ■ Mr. Howard said that if he had had the report he would have known what the amount was for. He had looked in vain for any sign of business ability from the Minister. The Chairman of Committees, Mr. W. A. Bodkin: Order! » Mr. Howard: Order what, sir? (The benches laughed.) "NOT A SOUL THERE” Mr. Howard continued that there was not a soul in the Ross Sea Dependency. What was the vote for? The Rev. Clyde Carr (Labour— Timaru): For a chamber of commerce. The House was once more amused. Mr. Howard said there was :io one who could get the £l5O except the whales. In his reply Mr. Donald sail tlni last year £4O had been spent on the representative of the New Zealand Government who had gone to the dependency in one of the whalers. Mr. Howard: For £4O? Mr. Donald: Of course he got wages. Mr. W. Lee Martin (Labour—Raglan) : Did he send a report in when he got back? Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Labour— Christchurch East): Yes, for icecream. (Laughter.) When the Minister had finished his reply, Mr. Fraser rose again and said he did not catch the Minister’s explanation about the annual report. If the Minister had not made one he certainly owed one to the House and he suggested the Minister should take a first lesson in the business methods of the House, which had been agreed on as the best and wisest in taking the estimates.

Mr. Donald made no reply and his estimates were passed at 9.25 p.m.