“OUTCASTS FROM THE COUNTRY.”

Te Puke Times, Volume II, Issue II, 18 November 1913, Page 3

“OUTCASTS FROM THE COUNTRY.”

REFERENCE TO THE FARMERS BY MR TREGJAR, J.P„ 1.5.0. In a recent speech at Wellington, Mr Edward Tregear, formerly of the Labour Department, was reported us having referred to the farmers who had gone to Wellington and Auckland to act as special constables as '' outcast scum from the country." Mr Tregear subsequently denied that he uttered these words, claiming that the words he used were, "outcasts from the country.' § . The matter was brought up in the House of Representatives last week, when, in reply to_ a question by Mr Okey, the Prime Minister . stated : "Mr Tregear denies the accuracy of the report of his speech as it appeared in the newspapers, but the Government is still in communication with him on the subject." Mr Pearce also gave noticc of a question concerning Mr Tregear. He suggested that Mr Tregear's name should J)e removed from the roll of the Justices of the Peace, on account of his scurrilous references to the farmers now in Wellington to preserve law and order. Mr Webb tried to excuse Mr Tregear by quoting the latter's correction of the Press report, but the quotation was greeted with ironical laughter, and an honourable member declared that it was "an afterthought." Mr Webbfalso claimed that Mr Tregear was an altogether admirable gentleman, one of those who bad pioneered this country. This was denied in several quarters, and Mr Nosworthy, addressing Mr Webb, declared, "He's a fair specimen of the lot of you." Mr Okey said he had not asked the question until two days after the report appeared. He had purposely delayed the question. "And look at his correction," he said. "It is just a way of getting out of it. I believe Mr Tregear made those statements as they appear in the notice, and as they appeared in two or three papers. I maintain that when we have a reflection brought uponpeo-

pie coming' from the country to protect their trade in Wellington, we in this house have a right to protect these men. I am going to take up that position,'- • ■ ■ Mr W. Nosworthy was equally emphatic. "I, like the member for Taranaki," he said, " believe the statement reported as made by Mr Treager was the actual statement he made, and that the contradiction was not made until after the question had been asked iin the House. I think it is a very disgraceful thing that a man who has been a Civil Servant, who is drawing a Civil Service pension, who has been honored by His Majesty with the Imperial Service Order, should make such a statement about the farmers of this country, and

I, as a farmer, am not going to sit down, not even for the member tor Grey, when I hear these statements made about the men who have come into the cities to keep order.'' A man who would make such remarks, he added, was no better than " a political skunk." Mr C. A. Wilkinson said that he took great exception to the statements made by Mr Tregear, | even according to his friends' version. Many of the men to whom Mr Tregear Had referred as outcasts were some of the best men in New Zealand. An honorable member of the House had been guilty of calling the men bushrangers. Mr Webb: It is true. Mr Wilkinson : It is not true. .He declared that the hon. member ought to be ashamed of himself for having said it, and he would be called to account for it if he was not careful. He, the speaker, would not remain silent and hear statements of the sort made by Mr Tregear and Mr Webb about men who were his friends.