STRONG LANGUAGE IN THE HOUSE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12398, 20 December 1909, Page 5

STRONG LANGUAGE IN THE HOUSE.

i ''11UMOURS~AND LIES." PREMIER'S PLAIN SPEAKING. WANGANUI RIVER SERVICE. (From Our Special Correspondent.) ~,..... WELLINGTON, December 18. Something approaching; a scene took place iii- thefHou.se this, forenoon shortly, before the luncheon adjournment, the subject of discord being the annual vote of £2,000 for the Wanganui River improvement.and.that of £700 as a subsidy towards the Wanganui River service. ...... Mr Pearce (Patea) said there M-as dissatisfaction ou the part of settlors in tho district with regard to tlie steamer service. He did not wish to see the Government take over the present service, but in the ' interests of the district something would have to be done. Mr Massey said it was evident from numbers of letters which he had received that the settlers were dissatisfied with the service. Mr Hogan (Wanganui) declared tir.it the settlers were charged different prices ior the same services. Uirtil the district was better roaded the settlers would continue at the mercy of the company. The company should be requested to draw tip a proper scale of charges to fixed points along the banks. Bushmen, farm labourers, and roadmeu should receive more favourable consideration than tourists, and should be treated as settlers. .Mr T. E. Taylor: Who owns the service? " Mr Hogan: You are driving at Ministerial ownership. I know what the lion, gentleman is suggesting. Mr Taylor: I was only asking a Question. . Mr Hogan went on to say that the question of ownership had frequently been raised. More than once it had been hinted that Ministers had an ;>iterest in the company, and the Pri'p.? ' Minister once, two years ago, had denied that he or: any of his >'Minsters were interested in it in any way. He urged, that the Prime Minister \slvuH give the Houso an assurame tl-jifc ye ' would get a scale of charts draw a up before paying over the subsidies. Unless this were done he would vote to reduce the vote, or strike it out altogether. . \ The Prima Minister said he <=a\v j.nor to tho la?u election a state nenc in one of ths country papers, anj there had been an allusion to it by a gentleman who was now a tim ; t l;or of rhe House to the effect'thac l.:».!y. Ward was a shareholder in'the company. He. ! said: It is a dastardly lie. ff,r~ •a« a'■ matter of Jact, none of us .jtv.i or ,ur. have owned shares in h. Anyone is an abominable, crawling, conteiiiptiLvio creature to say such a thing, either in- ; side or outside the House, fir |a:iv capital. More than that, th^y am i ■".< ] contemptible to live. A sirmhr sinle- I ment was made with referpr^e to Mrs : Seddon which was also a «.-n\v:jr Hv lie. | Mr ETerries asked v>i.?fch.u- si eh a word could be used in the House. The Chairman o| Commixes '.Mr Wiliord) ruled that the word ' Tve " o-::;d bo used with reference to .1 'ylatamcnt. i Mr Massey said that the word was ■ used with reference to a mori.im. | Sir Joseph Ward: I never said jo. j Several Members: Of ■ ••nrsfe you th'i. _ ' I