HEATED POLITICIANS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2262, 23 September 1914, Page 4

HEATED POLITICIANS

The unpleasantness which occurred in tho House of Representatives yesterday as the result of a provocative speech by the member for Avon serves to show that members' nerves have been somewhat 'frayed by tho strain of the position since the war. The Attorney-General, Jike other i members 'of the Cabinet, has been working hard night and day to meet the emergencies of the situation, and was hardly in the mood to endure quietly the offensivo attacks of. the member for Avon, and retaliated in kind. He would have been better advised to havo treated Me. Russell's criticism as. unworthy of notice, but the provocation was great, and., one-, cannot always bo patient" under injustice. The member for Avon's resentment over the suggestion that he "would sooner sec tho Germans overrunning Europe than the present Government retain its place on the Treasury benches" was not without warrant, but it is worth noting that while he is very sensitive,to a reference of this nature applied to himself, he is very ready to ride roughshod ovor the feelings of others.. It is only four or five days ago that he himself referred to a member of the Cabinet (the. Hon. Mr. Fishek) as "a true German so far as, his tactics in warfare are concerned,"' and he added, "I give him pride of place, and I think he can absolutely take the cake as a follower of William the Wied in his method of warfare." A • few seconds later, referring to Mr. Nosworthy. (the member for Ashburton), Mr. Russell said, "I have written him off with absolute contempt, and I regret I have to speak of him in this House as an honourable gentleman." Two blacks do not; make a white in Parliament any more than they do out of it, but the member for • Avon's noisy, protests in the House of Representatives yesterday may well be read in conjunction with.his own unedifying excursions into the regions of abuse which will be found embalmed in the pages of Hansard. '