TRUE STORY

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXV, Issue 12306, 21 April 1937, Page 3

TRUE STORY

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS An American newspaper has just printed the following story, and an English paper adds the commentary. A couple who lately did some exploring in London were being shown through the Parliament buildings by a guide, and expressed surprise at the size of the hall where the House of Commons sits; it didn’t look, they remarked, as if it could possibly hold all the members. The guide said that it couldn’t — not by a hundred or so. “But they are never all here’at once,” he said, “so we find the accommodation adequate.” This didn’t quite satisfy our tourists. For heaven’s sake, they demanded, weren’t all the members present when the fate of the Empire might be hanging in the balance? "No,” the guide said thoughtfully; “they know there wouldn’t be any place to sit down even if they did come.” This tale is true. The House will not hold the faithful Commons. Worse still, the number of good seats is barely 200 for over 600 members. There is not room on the Treasury Bench for the members of the Government, who on great occasions are seen squashed together in a most unseemly manner. Yet reform is quite simple. The House has only to throw the voting lobbies into the Chamber and instal an electric-voting appliance. This would give every member a definite seat to himself and save much time in walking the division lobbies.