FIGHT IN PARLIAMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 265, 7 November 1919, Page 9

FIGHT IN PARLIAMENT.

NEW SOUTH WALES SCENE.

LABOUR MEMBERS ANGRY.

The Parliament of New South Wales, always notorious more or less for. a certain element of disorderliness, has again had recourse to fisticuffs. A vcty complete and satisfactory description of a "scene" has decorated the chief pages of all the newspapers, writes a Sydney correspondent under date of 21st September.

There is at present a very bitter feeling in this Parliament—due mostly to the unflattering reputation which the existing Government has acquired—and a debate on the Estimates last week was long drawn out and acrimonious. The Acting-Leader of the House, Mr. D. R. Hall, about daybreak, began to use the closure to force through the Estimates, and the Labour men became excited, and then sullen. They threatened Mr. Hall with personal violence, but Mr. Hall went serenely on. Then, as the parties were passing each other on the floor after a division, the Labour whip, Mr. Lang, suddenly struck out at Mr. Hal!, The Government whip, Mr. Hoskins, jumped in to the assistance of Mr. Hall, who is a small, pale man, and grabbed Mr. Lang by the collar. He tripped Mr. Lang, got him on the floor, and seemed to wish to sit on him.

Mr. Stuart Robinson, an excitable, erratic person of extreme views, dashed out from the Labour side and attacked Mr. Hoskins. Mr. Lang cot freo, and resumed his attentions to Mr. Hall, By this time Mr. .Tames, the Minister of Education, and another member were in the fray, but their whole effort was reouired to separate the altruistic Mr. Hoskins and the infurinted Mr. Robineon. Mr. Hall, diminutive but active, had to depend upon himself against his heavily-built assailant. So he adopted a =ort of football tackle. He put his head into Mr. Lang's stomach, grabbed him round the knees and over they both vfent together. Then n general rush of members from both sides out an end to the melee.

Apolojries and rejrrpts wrc expressed, and decorum was restored.