VIGOROUS CRITICISM.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3527, 14 July 1920, Page 3

VIGOROUS CRITICISM.

S()LDl}_f-R M.P. ON EXTREMISTS.

‘CLAP-TR A P ORATORY.”

} A \-’igo)'Ous C’..;'iioi;ni of e>;ti-(mm Labour. as repr«i_-sented in Parliunient, xvas made by Mr V. I-i_ Potter (1103. kill) in the course of a speech in the Address-in-Reply debate. I M!‘ Potter said the extreme Labour leaders talked a lot about education. but: not one of them had ~adyocate(j sending the Children of miners to the School of Mines; and, as a member of an education board, he knew“ that e.xt.renle Labour had taken Very little ixiterest in ~-the schools at which theirt children were educated. These men were out for their own personal on<l.s;: and ambitions. Their spppcims were }eonli_)osed oi’ tlis- “clap-tra,p=’ that We ‘got at every public~house corner. VVw ldid. not the extremist leaders set an exaulpl'e‘fo Labour. They had yer 10 learn what: work was; this cheap orntory was not work——tliough it was worth £8 a. week or nlore.'Educatj(m of the workers would meal: })ol]'tic;l] suicide for such leaders, because only Hie. illiterate would listen to their utttzerzinces. As to what. had been said about interference in the labour t'l.‘onbles in Fiji. Mr Potter (leclared that if New Zealand had not acted as she did a ma;~_-sacre of whites, includ. ing women and children, wouid have taken place; and .V'9-1‘ the extremists dared to say ’rha.t, prec-.a\lt:jonS Shoum not have been taken. It was right; to send out a force tp keep law and ordel‘-—Which he knew was the last, thing the extremists wanted in ' this” Dominion. He would like legislation‘ brought duwn to prevent any disloyall person, or person who had been imprisoned for disloyal ufterances, taking a seat in the House. It was a British inst.itut.ion, and should bekepf British. it was an insult to the loyalty or‘ any man to ‘be asked to sit! with anyone who, in a. time of crisis/.1 proved himself a"(lisloyalist. He pre. ferred a. Hun who was out openly for! one’s blood rather than a thief who would murder one in the dark_ E After further reinarks, Mr Potter said he was sorry that his maiden speech in the House should have been couched in such strong language, but he was czonvinced that the class he ret'err_ed to did not understand anything but plain language. They were! out for cheap advertisement, and they‘; ‘were going; to get it from him. He would advertise them on the floor of the House, and not at the DllbliCjhouse corner; and, long as heiwas tin New Zealantl. he was going to take Hhaf Stand.