BLANK CARTRIDGE,

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 167, 16 July 1924, Page 8

BLANK CARTRIDGE,

/ISLES BELL'S LAMENT. i.-.VF , . TCffHO "W33JTS AN" EEECTIOIt* .3 . > THIS FOOLERY? ,/ "CSj-TeTegraph.—Special <o "Star."! £[ WELLINGTON, Tuesday. «m sof the youngest members of House, I have not been pleased with ! the way things have been going on dur- ' Inrr -the three sessions I have been here," I f>aid Mr. A. Bell. Independent member ■ for the Bay of Islands, in the House ' Jo-night, He said Mr. E. A. Ransom ! KPahiatna) had raised the tone of a | ilobate of which none was proud, and. he «H>ngratnla±ed Mr. Holland, to whose ! Speeches it was always a treat to listen, I one agreed or not with his facts i wnd figures. "But I have heard a lot of , -frlank cartridges fired in all directions," I jie continued. "I have heard the Leader ! Of the Opposition call on Mr. Massey to j I have heaTd the Premier say I Jie was prepared to go to the country at I ence, and I have also heard Mr. Holland | fcay he -was prepared to go to the country ) £& once." • Labour Members: Hear, hear. [ *"But I have yet to find one member 1 1 *v%o wants to see an election to-morrow." : ~~ Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central): I sJs.ro you speaking- for yourself? ,' Mr, Belli And for every member, so sar as I know. (Laughter.) I am distrusted and surprised that the official Opposition and the Government cannot, jsee fit to go together and form !t party, I believe they could, and which *rvould probably stand for the> next ten A Memfcerr "Would theyTiang-together-? Ma BelU There is no doubt whatever! ■Bat Che Opposition in tliis House is the party. ' Liberal Members Nonsense, ! Mr. Belli Whether yon style Liberals ' fthe official Opposition or not, the Opposi- ! 4km of the future wCQ he Labour, and I it is for the rnxiderate-arnking people | ef this House to realise that at once, I instead of going on with the present foolery. (LaughtecJ lam not referI ring to my own remarks, but to the remarks of B, number of past speakers. [(Laughter.) BeEgioit Dragged In. 1 ' •Again, religion has been dragged [ -Across the floor of the House. Ido not ' -care what a man's Teligion i 3, hut here ' >ye find Hie question raised whether a I man is a, holy Roman or a yellow belly." | -(Laughter.) In conclusion, Mr. Bell said '.he hoped the Government and the Liberals would realise that the time was aape, and over-ripe. A Labour Member* It is rotten. [{Laughter.) ■ Mr, Bell: "It is ripe for making a party representing moderate thought." In saying that he was not disparaging the Labour party, which belonged to a different school of thought, which it was their right and duty to put before the -people. '-'He hoped there would be no more ehfldiah bickering and cheap jibes •thrown from one side to the other side i)f the House during the remainder of the jeession. Saving- the Government. Mr. BelL as one of the Independent •anembers, roundly turned on Opposition critics who have said harsh things about his aid to the Government in keeping it in power. He produced records of his epeeehes to show he was absolutely -unpledged to any party. But he undertook, if the Government's defeat -was threatened by a Bolshevik combination, that he "would support the Government. He had no particular need to feel any personal friendship for the Prime Minister, because for fourteen years he had been kept out of Parliament by Mr. Massey owing- to his ideas being too radical for the Premier and his party. Another reason -was that the Government required the assistance "of one of the greatest statesmen the country has ever known, the Minister of Internal Affairs." He had got in, and had found the Government practically without a majority, and had to decide whether it "Was in the interests of New Zealand to turn out the. Government. What would have happened- iOhe Government had been defeated : and the present Opposi T tion placedin power? They would have been ruled by the Leader of the Labour party. Mr. T. M. Wilford: Never. (Liberal applause.) Mr. Bell: They would have to dance to the. music of the member for Buller. (Laughter.) .. A Labour. Member: It would be a «mart tune. ' Mr. Belli "Yes, very, smart, too." He went on to take strong exception to remarks made by the member for Hurunui regarding the appointment. of his predecessor in representation of.the Bay of Islands as a Legislative Councillor. The suggestion that he (Mr. Bell) had been responsible for getting Mr. Reed out of the way was damnable, and he denied;it. ■ He never had any conversation with the Premier about this subject, and he hadohly spoken to Mr. Beed two or three times since the election. . Mr. Howard:. But you tipped him the wink..' (Laughter.) Mr. Bell: It' did not matter a rap to mc whether he was appointed or not. Mr. McKeans He is oujb of the way. [(-Laughter.)