BRIEF "STONEWALL"

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 85, 7 October 1920, Page 7

BRIEF "STONEWALL"

«N AN OTAGO V BILL

The desire of Balclutha to have a hospital there, and the opposition of Dunedin City to the project, has been the cause this session of much waste of Parliamentary time. Last cession an empowering Bill was introduced by Mr; A. S. Malcolm (Clutha) as a private measure. This session it has taken up by the Government. In its introduction stages the Bill this session occasioned the waste of several hours. Last evening it came first on the Order Paper for second reading. The Dunedin members, assisted by the Opposition and one or two others, initiated a strong opposition, which developed as time went on into a< "stonewall."

The speeches went on merrily until, at 2 o'clock, Mr. J. Horn, after a cheery attempt to carry on, moved that the Bill be read twelve months hence. Mr. Speaker thereupon intimated that members in their further speeches must confine themselves to matters connected with the postponement of the Bill. The opposition appeared to exhaust itself at 2.15 a.m., and, but for Mr. Sidey hopping up nimbly, the amendment would have gone to tho vote. Mr. Sidey askod the Prime Minister, who had made his first appearance in the House for some hours, if there was a. chauco of a. compromise on lilies suggested by Mr. W. D. Stewart—the setting up of a Royal Commission. "It is no use half-a-dozen members thinking they are going -to hold up the business of Parliament," replied Mr. Massey. "It's not always easy to find a way out," said Mr. Sidey, and he took up the burden again.

Mr. Speaker, however, began applying the "needless repetition" rules, and kjept; the member to "the question," and in a few minutes Mr. Sidey gave up. Other Dunedin members followed, and met a similar fate. Mr. Horn's amendment had 'given the Speaker his chance. The inevitable followed, and. Nt 2.45 o'clock the division bell brought sleepy members in to the Chamber to vote. The result of the vote was adverse to.the amendment by 37 votes to 9.

The Prime Minister said the Bill must pass tho- House. He did not want to engender any bitterness, and, if it would do any good, ho would agree after it hnd passed the House to allow it to stand for two or three weiks.

The Bill was then committed. Messrs. Statham and Sidey intim.itod that, hav.inij made their protest on behalf of Dunedin, they did not intend to tnko up the further time of tho House. ■■

The Bill was through Committee at 3.5 a.m., and was read a third time, and passed. The House then adjourned.

IThe cable flows in this isiue accredited to "The Times" lias appeared in that journal, but only whore expressly nta^J is such. n«w« tub edliorUl option of "The Hbki.'l