THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2217, 1 August 1914, Page 3

THE HOUSE

The" House' of: :: Representiatives met 6t 2.30 p.m.; ;,- "..■■.; \'; \ , "■]

Mr. T. H. DAVEY ;(Christehurch iEast) gave notice of the Ricoartonßus'h Trustees'Bill. ■■''■■■•. ""-•. ■'.' - :

' SIB,' JOSEPH WARD (Awarua) gave notice;to introduce the Southland Land Drainage Bill.' :'•■.•'' ' . : ■.. :

: Mr. A.E. GLOVER (Auckland Cen- ■ tral) ; gave'; notice', .'.to'- ask the ■ Prime ■Minister whether the Government would appoint an' inspector of the totalisator in the chief centres to proteot : the intereste of thepublici '■■■:■■■ • ~-' ,■ jy. ■ :^ FIRST ' ■';'' Drainage Board'Bili (Mr. iWilkinson); tho ; Onehiinga Cemetery Bjll ;(Mr. Malcolm for Mr. Speaker), the Dunedin District Drainage and Sewerage Acts Amendment Bill.(the Hon. J. Allen, the Tiiakitoto and Kaitangata Lakes.Bill (the Hon. J» Allen) were -.read a'first time.. ■ : . . - ■ . J COUNCIL REFORM. ",- -Mr. G: W. RUSSELL (Avon) intro'duced the Legislative Council Reform Bill, and took the opportunity of speaking on' it. .He said that the scheme which he was submitting for the reform of the ."Upper House was a rather more .eimple one than that proposed;by the present Government. Hβ proposed thai ■ all the ■'members. of .the present Council. should cease to hold office at the

end of the term.of the Lower House, in order to allow the elections of both Chambers to. be taken /simultaneously. It was further provided, .'however, that the Councillors. retiring under, the Bill Would continue • to ■ enj py the privileges ■ and to draw the honorarium for the re- " mainder of the'term of their appointment. .They would, however, be eligible for re-election, but in the event of their being elected they would be entitled to draw only one^honorarium. ' ibor of members: in ; the' Council would oe fixed at 40, and the Bill proposed that the electorates should be formed by grouping four of the electorates for the Lower Houso to make up,one for the .Upper House, and every one;of the large electorates would'•be entitled to return two; members. ;'. The \ election would be either by representation or by the single-transferable : vote, probably by the latter system, Ibecause he understood.that there were difficulties lVtbe-way" of applying proportional representation ,to the election ;, of two members. ,' ..;'..' '. ■ . : -The Bill was:read.a first/time. ■.■'.. ... OPPOSITION TACTICS. FROM PRIME: JfINISTER. The talking out of to have ait. important Parliamentary -Paper printed, andvthe Prime Minister's announcement. that' until : this and three other similar motions' had been dealt with by the House no more papers would be presented, ,was referred to by tho Leader of the Opposition. , SIR JOSEPH WAitO (Awar'ua). 6 aid that he had not been in his place when i the Prime Minister made Ms announcement, and he wished to refer to it. Hβ would suggesD to the Prime Minister '> that he had no right to' attach any blame to members of tho Opposition for • debating an important matter, especially ,as. the Prime . Minister had tabled a supplementary return, which raised some highly contentious matter. It .was no uncommon thing in the past for a debate to arise, on the- presentation of a paper, and to go on until 5.30 p.m. He could remember scores of cases in the last 15 years. '■;■■ The. Right: Hon. W. F. MASSEY (Prime Minister): "I am somewhat pleased to learn, that the rigat honourable gentleman finds ip necessary to endeavour to. explain away what took place.- I don't think lny other meaning ] can be taken from the statement of tho honourable ■ gentleman, has made. I wish to say that J. don't object to debate, and Ifl'don't object to criticism. iWe want both. When the object of the speaker is to debate or criticise, I have no objection thereto, but I do object to waste of time, and I do object to the tactics t'hat kvo been indulged in lately by the hoiourablc gentlomcn on tho other sido. What has happened' in tho last two days ? : Yesterday the report of the Lanl and Survey Department for the year, a most important Parliamentary pper, was talked out. Tho day before exactly the same thing happened with iegard to a Parliamentnr.y paper laid upon the table by tho Minister of Finance.' . . . Exactly the same tiling happened on the laying . on'the table of the report of the Gum lands Commisaon. . .-.■; Again the motion that tie report of the State Fire Insurance be. printed was talked ' OU.t.-.,'. -V ■ ..'.: ; ■'. ■ : . " ■;■' ■ ." ■ ■ meiibec:'A very, important lepOl-t..: . .•.■-; . -.'-.; ._'. - ; , ':.. : : . :31r. Massey: Of course it is import^

ant, but that doesn't justify talkine on the question until 5.30. Aud with what object? One .object may be to waste time, but I will not suggest that. Another reason was undoubtedly obvious. .The object was to prevent the Minister-who laid the report on the table from replying to the arguments and statements of members of the othor side. '-.•-. ,

Mr.'Russell: We can't prevent members from 6peaking on our side. . Mr.,,Massey: I don't ask the honourable gentleman to do this, but he should ■know as well as any member of the House when a man is speaking for some ulterior object in discussing a Parliamentary, paper. That is what has been going on, and I want to say this;, it cannot; be allowed to continue. Ministers have a right to reply, and if we cannot, get.it at 5.30 we must take another opportunity pf replying. ,'>■'. I? an amendment in the Standing Orders is necessary we must make that alteration. »•'..:■

Sir JosophAWard rose apparently with the intention of speaking further,' but Mr. Anderson raisjd objection, saying that he thought the House should get on with businesß. As the talk was all by indulgence of tho House it had to etop as soon as objection was raised.