A PARLIAMENTARY FARCE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11945, 14 July 1904, Page 5

A PARLIAMENTARY FARCE.

. ♦ PREMIER AND PRINTING OFFICE. THE OVERSEER SUSPENDED. (SreCUL TO "THE PRESS-"} WELLINGTON, July 13This morning, when the formal' busincfa had been disposed of, the House was ready to take answers to questions. There was, however, no sign of tho Supplementary Order Paper containing M>ister»* answers. Tlie Leader of the Opposition drew attention to tho fact, and Mr Seddon followed, and began to's<torm at the. printing office. He «ud that the delays that went on, and the inacouracies that Kok place in that office revealed a condition of things that was not desirable. The sooner it was stopped the better. The answers to questions should be there at tho time appointed by the House. Tlie Leader of the Opposition said members did not know who was responsible for the delay, but Ministers were certainly responsible to the House. The inconvenience caused by these delays sh</uld be avoided, and he hoped the Ministerial head of the Department would see that it did not occur in future. Mr Seddon said that replies of Ministers were sent in kst night, and that should have been quite sufficient. Mr Massey urged that if replies were sent in in time the papers would reach the House in time. Mr Seddon (warmly): "Why doesn't the printing office go on at night and do its business?'' Mr Mfwey: "That is your business, not ours.'' The Speaker, in relation to a suggestion that the next business should be. taken, said ho could not lay down a ruling. It was for the House itsdf to suspend the Standing Orders if neocHsary. Mr Seddon suggested that an officer of the Home should ascertain what had become of the Order Papers. The Speaker: "I have sent a messenger." Hero the Speaker had a brief conversation with the Clerk of tho House, and at its conclusion ho informed the House tbot the pecretaries of the Ministers requested thai tho proofs of the answers should be sont to them. The request was complied with, and the proofs only came back that morning. Mr Carroll stated that he had asked for his proofs yesterday morning, but had not teen them at all. The Speaker informed the House that the proofs were went to Ministers' secretaries as requested, when received. By j that time, however, Ministers had all gone home, lite Clerk of the Houso had waited for tSe proofs till half-past two in ihe morning, but up to that time there was no sign of them, and he came to the conclusion that it was time for him to go home. Mr Seddon: "Ministers fend their answcis to him, and that should' be sufficient. As to the secretaries interfering, it hi not for them to interfere.- When the officer gets the answers it ia for him to see that they are printed as serrTf. out. It is not a question of secretaries or of Ministern." Mr T. 'Mackenzie: "All we want is some Parliamentary under-secretaries." (Laughter.) ■ Mr Massey: "I do not think Ministers Fhould shelter thernfelvea behind officers. That is a unsatisfactory state of affairs. (Hear, hear.) I fitill hope that this is the last occasion cm whloh such a state of matters will be allowed to occur." Mr R. McKenzie .said the Government was entirely responsible. Ministers had no right to shirk their duty, and endeavour to make it appear that. tl» officera of the House were responsible. Mr Seddon: "111 put the blame on the right shoulders, and I say it is tho Government printing office. If this is to continue it will be for the Government to make a chance, and the cHnnge I shall make will be in the printing office." Mr Herdman raid ihe Premier's explanation was unsatisfactory. The Premier lißd stormed at the officers of the House, snd he had stormed at the printing _>ffice, but tlie responsibility mu't rert upon the shoulders of Ministers themselves. It was Ministers who were responsible for the unfortunate condition of things that existed in the printing office. Ho naked that they should vroceed with the next businerct on the Order Paper, which happened to bo his motion "fiat a r/~pectful address be presented to liTa Excellency the Governor, praying that permission be granted to in-troduco-a Bill providing for tha better regulation of the Puiblic service and other purposes.". Mr Herdman's apropos sug•jrestion raided a hearty laugh at the exppr.se of the Premier. From what transpired afterwards, it was evident that Mr Seddon was fully determined that this motion should not come up for discu"»*ion. Mr Herdman, however, pointed out that the matter they ■H-ere now discunsing showed the necessity that existed for takimr X* motion. Mr Jennings complained that he had not received certain Parliamentary papers till well on in the recess. Mr Tanner: "I have never received some of them at all." Mr Jennings suggested that the whole matter should be referred to the Printing Debates Cominitteic. Mr Seddon said the suggestion was a good one. and he would ask leave to move accordingly. (Hon. members: "Oh, no.") Mr Aitken said tho fact of the matter was that Ministers had no method in doing their work. The Premier had confessed that he had no idea of what was going on. The delay was not the fault of the officers of the Houfe or of the printing office, but waa really the fault of Slinisters, who had no system and no method of doing their work. After the experience of last Wednesday, when the same thing occurred, they might havo been expected to see that it did not occur again. Mr Seddon: "It looks as if it were done on purpose." Mr Taylor said that was scarcely a right thing for the Premier to say. ' Mr Seddon: "It does look so." Mr Taylor: "When the same delay occurred last Wednesday I predicted that the question paper would not be ready on the following Wednesday. The Government don't want discussion on the answers. My prophesy has come true. All tho Government departments are in a chaotic state. We had another illustration of that the other day in connection with the Waitcti Inebriates' Home. Nobody knew what wus happening down at Waitsti. The same thing has occurred in connection with the printing office. The Ministry has allowed ! the printing office to become stuffed with ' incompetent men." Mr Seddon: "We have, only done what you and many men like you have urged us to do. namely, to keep on old fogies." Mr Tavl.ir: "I'm sure I don't want old fogies. I have been wanting a change of Ministers for romo time. (Great laughter.) I challensre the Premier to turn up~any application of mine asking him to keep on an old fogey, but it looks as if there must | be samebodv in that printing office who is not so pliant m the Premier would like him to be, and who did not respond to tho Premisr's touch." The Premier: "They were exhausted last night in printing off the' Financial Statement." Mr Mas?ey: "I don't wonder at it." (Laughter.) Mr Taylor: "No wonder, and in addition ho is handicapped with the cppliatuxs he is forced to work with. A head of a department cannot call his roul his own. ( There must be something wrong under such ■ conditions. We did not get tlie return , Bl till March nf this year, though we | should have had it with last year's Finan- : cial Statement. Ministers spend their time trekking up and down the country banquet- , ting instead of, like a merchant, attending j to the details of their work. The conac- '

qucnoe is that the vatk is not done, und the country is beginning to find out what a dreadful state of confusion all the offices are in. The result ia that at the tnomait Paxßataent ia sitting doing ootl«t_g. Wo are practically the unemployed. fLaughter.) At this rtage ths opeaker stopped the dlfcussion, and suggested that the House should go on with it«i work. Mr Seddon asked that the matter bo referred to the Printing Debates Committee. Mr Taylor said that would only be shirking tlie question. Mr Seddon proceeded to chaff Mr Taylor about his present interest in electrical energy. Mr Taylor retorted that there was not much electrical eneriry about the Ministry just now. (Laughter.) Mr Massey objected to the Premiermoving in the direction indicated. (Hear, hear.) The Speaker here intimated that he had received word that the supplementary order papers with answers to questions would be up in half on hour. Tho Premier movrd that the House adjourn till 11.30 a.m. Mr Hardy (jocularly): "Let us get to the races." (Laughter.) The Premier com plained of the trouble he had in getting copies of his Financial Statement last night, and of t_» mistakes rondo in it by the printing office, regarding wliich ho waa to say he would refer to later on. Mr Seddon was proceeding to refer to Mr Taylor as "playful and skittish at all times," when Mr R. McKeazio interrupted, "Oh, let us get on with tlie busintiss.*' Mr Mfu*ey asked jf Mr Seddon s remarks about Mr Taylor could bo considered reasons for the adjournment. He expressed the opinion that the proposal to adjourn was tbe lesser of two evils. Referring the matter to tho Printing Debates Committi?e would only result in an evasion of the responsibility for whit bad occurred. Ho had no doubt if Ministers' replies were pent in in timo they would be printed in and there would be no difficulty. Whatever might have been said to the contrary, tho blame rested not with the officers of the House, snd not with tho printing office,, but with Ministers tlvemsclves. (Hear, hear.) He had called attention to tho nmtiter on Wednesday last, wlwsn tho time of the House- had been wasted, and ha would like to see this disgraceful exhibition brought to an end. While Mr Massey was speaking, the Premier (with thunder on his brow, and evidently bent on dealing with, the printing office by means of ihe telephone) rose from his seat and walked out of the Chamber. Returning in a few minutes he said, as he walked across the floor of the House, "I have been trying to get the printing office, but I am told it. is Arbor Day and a holiday, and that they are away." This* Announcement was received by tho House with peals of laughter, and was tho climax to a most ridiculouij situation. It was now twenty-five minuter.! past ereven, and tho Speaker put the question, "That the House do now adjourn till half-past eleven." Members trooped ikito the lobbies, and it took a good five minutes to complete the division, and tho hands of the clock had gone beyond lialf-past eleven when the Speaker announced that the ayes were 34, and the noes 34. "I have to give a casting vote," added Mr Speaker, "and as it is now lialf-past eleven I declaro the motion for the adjournment lost." The leader of tho Opposition then argued that tlie proper procedure for tlie Houso was to go on with Mr Herdman's motion regarding a Civil Service Board, but a,t thirty-three minutes past eleven the printed answers to questions arrived. As no one rose t» move the adjournment, tho Speaker said he would now have to take Mr Herdman's motion. The Premier, with evident concern, turned round and awked one of his supporters to move tlie adjournment. Mr E. M. Smith then protested against the answer given to one of his questions. Tbe Speaker called for tho necessary six supporters to enable- the discussion to proceed, and the number was forth<!oming from the Government benches. s!Tie Opposition members, who have usunlly iwmething to say on Ministers' answers to questions, were of opinion that the hour si'id a half available till lunch time could be more profitably spent, in discussing the question of a Civil Service Board, a discussion which Hie Government was evidently exceedingly anxious to avoid. From this on till one p.m. members (nK*stly Government supporters) occupied the time in complaining of the answers? given by Mira'sters to their questions. Thers poemed to be a great deal of dissati?fa<rtion., but ifc was mostly talk to constituents, for everyone knew that even the strongest objectors would tamely submit, to the whip if the Premier decided it was neosfwary that the Ministry should have their vote as the result of the trouble. Tlie Premier informs mo that he ha/5 suspended Mr Gamble, tho overseer in the Governmenti Printiing Department.