LABOUR'S TRIUMPH.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 282, 28 November 1929, Page 23

LABOUR'S TRIUMPH.

FEDERAL PARLIAMENT OPENS CEREMONY SIMPLIFIED. SOUVENIR HUNTERS BUSY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, November The opening of the twelfth Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia was shorn of all the pomp and ceremony usually associated with it in former years. Instead of the ceremonial carriage, postillions and outriders attending the Governor-General in his journey from Government House, a squadron of Lancers was his only escort, and he made the journey in a closed-in car. The new Scullin Labour Government took their seats on the Treasury benches for the first time. Workmen at the Federal Capital took the day off, and were on the steps of the building to cheer the Labour members as they arrived. The scene in the House of Representatives was evidence of the shattering defeat of the Bruce-Page Administration. Labour's representatives crowded the Treasury benches, while there were only a few of the familiar faces of the last Government. Mr. Makin took the place of the former Speaker, Sir Littleton Groom, and when Mr. Scullin, the new Prime Minister, rose in his place to take the oath of office from the Chief Justice, Sir Adrian Ivnox, vociferous cheering broke out from the benches and the galleries. The new Speaker's voice was heard in an official capacity for the first time Avhen he shouted vainly: '"Order!"

The new leader of the Nationalist party, Mr. E. Latham, formerly Attor-ney-General in the Bruce-Page Government, was also cheered by his supporters. There was a significant silence from the Opposition benches when Messrs. Hughes, Marks and Stewart took the oath of office. They were among the five members of the House whose votes defeated the Bruce-Page Government on the Arbitration Amendment Bill, the defeat of which precipitated the last elections. Pre-sessional meetings "-of the Nationalist party have been marked by the resignation from the party of Mr. G. A. Maxwell and Senators Massy Greene and Duncan. Several other members of the party are also known to be dissatisfied with the management of the party, and further resignations are expected. This, the twelfth Parliament, is remarkable for the fact of the units of which the Opposition is composed. In the House of Representatives there is the official National party, numbering 14 members, the Country party of 11, the four expelled members of the National party, Messrs. Hughes, Marks, Maxwell and Mann, and Mr. P. G. Stewart, the leader and entire membership of the Independent Country party. An interesting position exists in the Senate, where the Nationalist party has the overwhelming majority of nearly 2."> members. Owing to there being no double dissolution when the House of Representatives went to the country the Nationalist majority is still existent in the Senate, and it is providing much con-

jecture as to the attitude it -will adopt to the Labour party's measures when they come before it. Souvenir hunters were active on the opening day of the' new Parliament, and after hundreds of guests of members had been entertained at afternoon tea there was a noticeable shortage of teaspoons. The spoons are a particularly inviting piece of silver, being richly emblazoned with the coat-of-arms of the Commonwealth, and have always been watched carefully by the Parliament House refreshment rooms staff. The crowd on the opening day was too large, however, to be "watched carefully, and the result was a loss of more than 200 spoons.