NECK OR NOTHING

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 137, 6 December 1918, Page 6

NECK OR NOTHING

PELL-MELL LEGISLATION THE LATEST "RECORD." Nearly every day see* sorao new feat, of speed in the House of Represenatives. Perhaps 'the record: was established' yesterday afternoon with the Expeditionary Forces Amendment Bill \ (containing the important bonus principle) which slipped into Committee a few minutes after it was introduced, before members of the House or the Press_gallery had had an opportunity to ■ read it. The Bill was a complete surprise packet, for it had n3l been mentioned in the Prime Minister's recent sum-' maries. The Returned' Soldiers' Association, which is naturally interested in any scheme of recognition of war service, knew nothing whatever about the Bill. Immediately after Sir James Allen had finished his speech (not clearly audible to The Post representative), Sir John Findlay asked for information on one section. When the Minister had replied, Mr. Speaker put the motion: for the second reading. Mr. Witty raised the question that he understood' that the Minister had merely answered a question. The Speaker said that he had announced "the Minister in reply" (the reply at the conclusion of a debate). Mr Witty and several other members e»fd that they had not heard' Mr. Speaker's word* (which' did not strike the ear of The Post's representative)../ Other members Mid' that they had heard the words. Mr. Witty did not press hit point further, and the House immediately went into Committee. ' . In Committee on the first section Mr. Witty (Riocarton) said it was absolutely unfair and undemocratic to-have such a Bill sprung on members, at, three or four minutes' notice. He could not see why' such haste should occur simply because Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward had to go away. Mr. Witty continued his complaint till he was pulled up by the Chairman with: "The honourable member most' confine himself to points that are in the Bill." Mr. Witty replied that lie had "not yet had an opportunity to learn the points of the Bill. Members were expected to put the Bill through Committee without knowledge of ite provisions. They had to take it, or leave it. A Bill should be in members' hands several days before it was brought into Committee. Mr. VeitcH (Wanganuij said that -the responsibility of rushing legislation ; through rested with the Government. He would not accept responsibility. He wished to remind the public that it was quite impossible for a private member .to understand the legislation that was being hurried through; the Government , itself might not understand it. "Parliamentary procedure," he added, "is get/ting into an absolute state of anarchy. We don't know what we are doing, and we don't know ■where we are. The Standing Orders should be amended to pi event a pill, from going into Committee until it had been in .members' hands three days." Members were becoming uneasy. Important problems -we.te being side-tracked. . Sir James Allen said that be was sorry, that he coold not agrse to the request for a postponement of the Committee process. The only new principle in the Bill was in regard to the payment of tbe bonus, and this subject had been" much discussed. The other principles of the Bill wgreiaj&e Bill of. la»t year ]inclnding tfie proposed' deprivation of civil rights). The Prime Minister said that the Government did not wish to rush Bills through. When he referred recently to the Bills that were to be submitted to the House the present Bill had not then gone before Cabinet. !