Political Paroxysms.
Observer, Volume XX, Issue 1130, 25 August 1900, Page 10
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Political Paroxysms.
1 There is nothing in his (Mr Fisher's) speeches bnt a dangling after a bunch of carrotß that is going to be presented to Borne member of the House.' — Mr Pirani.
The Premier : Since I have been Premier I have been offered positions at higher salaries than I receive as the head of the Government, and had I consulted my family's interests I would have accepted them.
' There is -deep-seated dissatisfaction amongst a considerable number of members of the Ministerial party with the composition of the Ministry.' — Mr Eowlda.
Mr Laurenson: If I could get a progressive, up-to date man of ability who would do his beat to settle the people of the country on the land, and to promote the interests of the whole colony, I would be prepared to vote him £3000, and he would be cheap at the money.
' John Ballance would have been alive to-day if it had not been for the fact that he slaved and toiled day and night for the people of this colony.' — Mr Hornßby.
Hon. J. G. Ward : In the first instance, for instance, I will instance you an instance.
' It would ut!; be a bad idea to vote simply a lump sum for Ministers as a whole, and let them arrange among themselves the proportion in which it is to be divided ' — Mr Fowlds (Minister's screws).
Mr Allen : There is no department in the New Zealand service that works longer hoars with a greater responsibility and that is worse paid than the officers of the Kailway Department.
' There can hardly be a presentation of a silver-mounted pipe to a Liberal Member but a Minister mast be there to bless the ceremony. There can hardly be a christening of a Liberal baby bat a Minister mnst be there 10 act as godfather.' — Mr Atkinson.
Mr Herries : It is a trait of the Premier when he gets in a hole, or has done something which he ought not to have done, to try and pervert the sense of the Standing Orders.
' If I were leader of the Opposition, and believed what he says he believes about the present Government, I wouldn't rest until I had let the people know how the affairs of the country were being administered—l wouldn't rest until I had been through the country from the North Cape to the Bluff.' — Mr Laurenson.
Mr Monk : JSlew, let me tell members that democracy will not provide brains for her Parliament — that the tendency of democracy ia to provide mediocre men. Look at the last elections ! Were the beßt men returned to this House ? Were no men returned that ought to have been rejected ? I don't wish, in asking these questions, to cast any reflections' on honourable members who are here.
' A man is more free in opposition than he is when attached to a Ministry. Give me freedom.'—Mr Allen.
Mr Fißher : It has been said by some honourable member that the Police Commission had done good. That Commission coßt £5,000; it disorganised the Police Force of the Colony, cast unfair reflections upon a large portion of the population of New Zealand, and with what result ? No beneficial result whatever to the public, but there was personal gain to -Mr T. E. Taylor, who took out the substance of the report and sold it under the title ' The Sha Sow of Tammany ' at Is. a- piece. Where was Mr Taylor ? In the shades of oblivion I
'I'm not speaking for myself, though there was a time, only a short time ago, when I suggested that if the Government gave me one of the portfolios I wonld help them to formulate a policy which wonld be all right. But, as I am off to London shortly, I will not; be taking any.'— Mr E. M. Smith.
Mr Lang : The Premier says that Ministers of the present day compared favourably with those that have gone before ; and. to follow oat that argument, if those Ministers should leave the benche?, those that would follow would compare favourably with the gentlemen at present occnpying the Treasury benches.
' The Ministry is like the individuate— the better the pay the better the work,' — Mr E. M Smith.
Mr Pirani : Outside of his Ministerial work, the Premier is able to earn £5 a week in this colony both wet and dry. As a member of the Assets Board, to which he appointed himself, be gets a salary of £250 apart altogether from his Ministerial office.
'In the Ministerial Salaries Bill the senior member for Auckland has given ns a long disqnisition upon Napoleon Bonaparte and upon the Boers of South Africa. I hope the honourable member will not take my advice amiss, but I beg to assure him that the domicile of the " Boer " is not confined solely to South Africa.'— Mr Laurenson.
Mr Hornsby : The Opposition say, • Leave the details to the Under-Secretaries.' What is the history of the past with regard to that statement ? Why, air, there was one Minister for Public Works in this colony of whom, if we were to search into his transactions, we should find that he cost the colony something like £200,000 through not attending to his duties properly, and we might find also a Defence Minister who coat the colony a lot of money through leaving his things to Under-Secretaries to discharge.
' Gisborne is the most rising district in the whole of the colony.' — Hon. Mr Ormond.
' There was the Marine scandal : what was the outcome of that ? The co-conspirator of the member for Wellington City (Mr Hutcheson), Yon Schoen, where was he ? After being tried in the criminal Gonrta of this colony, he made his way to Sydney and tried to get an ' honeßt ' living there, after the manner in which he tried to get an honest ' living ' here. He took with him a testimonial for ' honescy ' and ' honour ' signed by ' John Hatcbinson, MH.K. for Wellington City,' He was hounded ont of Sydney, and now he was in Hongkong, educating Chinamen in the navigation of Chinese junks. I—Mr1 — Mr Fisher.
Mr Laurenson : I don't wish to be personal, but I don't think there is anything of an exhausted appearance about the Prime Minister or the Minister for Eailways ; and lam sure his bitterest enemies will not say the Native Minister has an attenuated appearance.
' I find that sometimes Ministers do not spend one month of the recess in Wellington in connection with public duties. Tet we are told that Ministers are so overworked that they are hurried to their graves, and it is necessary to save them from Buch a fate by increasing their salaries !' — Mr Pirani.
' No doubt the Premier's health has been damaged ; and I tell you, sir, if I had had to attend the dinners and sample all the liquors the honourable gentleman has been compelled to do in collecting political agents and meeting political gatherings, my health would be bad too. It wonld despatch a dozen Monks end on, and bnt that the honourable gentleman has a magnificent phyßique, he conld not have stood it.' — Mr Monk.
New Zealand athletes at the front In cricket, football, or the hunt ; He shines in any sport or game, His prowess has a world wide fame. Bat training has itn usual ills, Ab over heat that causes chills ; Then don't delay, but health secure By taking Woods' Great Peppermint Cnre
