LABOUR ALLEGATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 July 1941, Page 4

LABOUR ALLEGATION

PAYMENT TO OPPOSITION LEADER. MR. HOLLAND'S EMPHATIC DENIAL.' (By Telegraph-Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “I give that an emphatic denial; the statement is absolutely incorrect,” said the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland, when Mr O’Brien (Govt., Westland) said that Mr Holland received £1650 a year in addition to his Parliamentary salary. “According to my information,” continued Mr O'Brien, “the honourable gentleman is getting £lOOO a year and £650 travelling expenses, in addition to his Parliamentary salary.” Mr Harker (Opposition, Waipawa): “Have you the pluck to say that outside the House?” Mr Holland: “I can only give it an emphatic denial; there is not a tittle of truth in it.” Mr O’Brien: “I can only accept the honourable gentleman's word, but if what I say is not true, a number of other people are not speaking the: truth.” “Keep out of the gutter,” said Mr Holland, when Mr O’Brien continued. Mr O'Brien: “The honourable gentleman knows what it is to be in the gutter, I suppose.” “Will the honourable gentleman assure me that no member of his party gets two guineas a day?” he continued. Mr Holland: “Yes.” Mr O’Brien said he was pleased to have the assurance, and hoped it was true. Mr Holland: “Just another nosedive.” Mr Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga): “Not only do we not get two guineas a day, but we don't get travelling expenses.” ■