FISTS IN PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 857, 1 July 1910, Page 7

FISTS IN PARLIAMENT.

MINISTER AND MEMBER "MIX IT." AN EXCITING INTERLUDE. A haslily-aTranged contest, without gloves, in which the principals wero a. Minister of the Crown, and a leading member of the Labour party, took place in the lobby at the rear of the Legislative Assembly Chamber at Parliament House last night (says the "Sydney Telegraph" of June 23). The supporters of the combatants, however, stepped in, like the police at an ordinary glovo contest, and "stopped the fight" before any blood was spilt.

Tho incident occurred in the middlo of Mr. Beebv's speech. Tho Chief Secretary had interrupted the member for Blayney with a question to which no answer name except by way of accusation from Jlr. Griffith, who was sitting immediately opposite to Mr. Wood, on the end of tho front Opposition hunch, reiterating a charge, often made previously, and as ofteimienied, that Mr. Wood eome years ago had joined a Labour league in his electorate. "I was never a member of a Labour league," said Mr. Wood. "i)o you deay the pledge also?" asked another Opposition member. Mr. Wood did deny it. "I've seen your signature," said Mr. Griffith. "One of your own constituents told me. It was the Labour league at Bega." '

Mr. Wood'. I say it is a lie. I was never a member of a Labour league, and the hon. member is not man enough to eay it outside. Mr. Griffith: What is that?

Mr. Wood: I say you aro not man enough to say it outside. If you como out there I will discuss tho matter with you. ■ Mr. Griffith (riiing): Well, I do suy you were a member of a league. With (his he walked towards the lobby behind t;ie Speaker's chair, and tho Chief Secretary immediately rose and made his way towards tho same lobby past the Speaker's right hand. Mr. James, a leading Government supporter, seized Mr. Wood by the arm, and endeavoured, with tho assistance, of Mr. Ball, to detain him.

"Let mo go," said tho irate Minister, with his teeth clenched. "I've stood this for sixteen years, and I'm going to settle it now. Let me go." Ami lie shook himself free and vanished behind the Speaker.

In a few second.*; Mr. Hecby was left to talk to a row of empty benches, even the Premier having loft his seat and gone out, apparently with the intention of acting the part of peacemaker. The two principals in the matter, upon reaching the lobby, with the very briefest preliminary ceremony began hostilities. The Chief Secretary, lowering his head, and extending his left, rushed in, and landed with tho forearm on the member for Sturt's right shoulder. The latter, perhaps the more scientific of the pair, plied his opponent's ribs with a volley of short right and left swings, ,"wh:ch, owing to the short range, "lacked sting," as they say. Matters had reached this interesting jtagc, when streams of lion', members surged out of both doors of the Chamber, and, mingling with the torrent of pressmen who flew down the gallery stnirs, carried the gladiators completely off their feet. In tup excitement that prevailed, neither hon. pugilist could for a time be sorted out of the gabbling, gesticulating, Purging crowd. Mr. Griffith's distinctive white vest, surmounted by a countenance nearly as colourless presently appeared in one of the corridors, where tho member was absently listening to assurances from Labour members experiencedjn these things that in another two minutes ho would •have "beaten the Minister's socks off."

Mr. "Wood was not seen l'or some time, tout as tho Premier,, with a grave, vexed look, walked from the direction of the Ministerial rooms, it was concluded that ho had been having a "heart-to-heart talk" with his volatile lieutenant.

Meanwhile, Mr. Becby, inside tho Chamber, had endeavoured to maintain tho thread of his discourse. Presently Mr. Wood returned to his place, looking is unruffled and uncpncerned as if the proceedings of the previous five minutes ■were part of the ordinary routine of his Ministerial duties.

Mri Griffiths did not return for some minutes, and when he did it was to sink into his seat puffing and blowing as if ■wearied by some violent exertion. This may bavo been causcd by his struggles to free himself from the grasp of his friends. At all events, from appearances honours seemed to have been even in tho contest, ?i i^ r ' ® 00 ' c y< .as he leaned over from the back Opposition bench, and smilingly G shoulder and heaving bosom of his brother Labourite, must have remembered his verbal conflict with tho belligerent Chief Secretary of a couple of sessions ago, and wished lie ha'd come off half as well.

Jerome K. Jeromo used to tell a story of a litrlo Irish girl, who rushed from her house when she saw a crowd collecting, and asked if there was going to bo ? .? !■' „ cos ' B0 > father wants to ho in it. One of Mr. Wood's Cabinet colleagues was quite like tho bellicoso.Hibernian Just night—lie wanted to ho in it. Just when the crowd was thickest nnd the excitement greatest, he darted into the fray, exclaiming, "I don't know what its all about, but I know which side I am on."