OVER THE SPEAKER'S CHAIR

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 122, 8 February 1923, Page 7

OVER THE SPEAKER'S CHAIR

A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF PARLIAMENT

ELECTING A SPEAKER

(By

“Monos.”)

Parliament was opened yesterday by a Commission consisting of members of the Legislative Council. -A little after 2.30 p.m. the Usher of the Black Rod appeared in the House with a summons to members to attend in the Council Chamber, where the Commission from His Excellency was read- Tho members of the House of Representatives then returned to their own chamber to take the oath and elect a Speaker. Every one of the eighty members elected in December last was in his place—a thing almost without precedent in the history of the New Zealand Legislature. There had been some doubt whether Sir William Herries and Mr. Uru, two Government supporters, would be well enough to attend, but both were there. Sir William Herries looked rather wan, and kept himself well wrapped in art overcoat. The business of administering the oath occupied about half an hour. Six members—Messrs. Bartram, Fraser, Howard, Lee, McCombs, and Young—made affirmations. The Labour Party staged a surprise when the time arrived to submit nominations for the Speakership. It had been widely anticipated that Mr. Statham would be the Government nominee, and would be elected unopposed. On the other hand, there were some who thought that there might be a Liberal nominee for the office, and that a contest would result. Those who foresaw what actually happened must bavo been few indeedAfter Mr. J. McC. Dickson (Chalmers) had proposed, and Sir George Hunter (Waipawa) seconded, the nomination of Mr. Stetham, the Leader of. the Labour Party (Mr. Holland) nominated Mr. McCombs. Mr. Holland declared that the Government was attempting to evade the verdict of the polls bv summoning to its assistance a member who had been returned to oppose it. He was anxious that his party’s nomination should be treated as a want-of-confidence motion. Mr. Wilford. speaking for the Liberals, said that his followers had no intention of accepting the dictum of Labour on the question whether a motion should or should not be treated as one of no confidence. He declared for MrStatham as the more suitable of the two nominees for the office. In the course of subsequent debate it came out that Mr. Wilford had offered to favour Sir John Luke (if the latter became a candidate) so as to deprive the Government of a vote. Mr. Massey deplored, the fact that there had been something approaching a wrangle. He vigorously denied that the country' had displayed lack of confidence in his Administration, and he laughed at a suggestion from Mr. Wilford that Mr. Statham was nominated. because no Government member fit for the office could be found. Mr. Statham thanked his proposers, and delivered a brief speech, in the course of which he acknowledged that his political experiences had been “somewhat varied-” Be was emph 8 ' tic, however, in declaring that he had. been returned to the House free from partv ties of any kind. When the division bells rang, Mr. Statham was elected by 61 voifes to 17. He and tho Labour nominee abstained from voting. Mr. H. Poland (Ohinemuri) was the only member outside the Labour Party who voted with

The Prime Minister indicated that the Address-in-Reply debate would probably commence on Monday evening and that members would be called upon to sit in the mornings next week. He thanked Mr ; Wilford for an offer to provide Sir William er . r - ie j with a “pair” if the House divided on a Liberal no-confidence motion. No Chairman of Committees is to ba appointed this session. The Prime Minister announced the fact while replying to a question by Mr. Wilfo/i about the business of the session. Dio Speaker’s salary is £9OO- It is stated that Dlr. Statham will follow the custom observed in the House ot Commons and wear a wig. Sir Frederick Lang did not do so. To-day the Governor-General will deliver his Speech, which is expected to contain an interesting reference to the improvement of the country’s finances.