PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 15539, 8 July 1914, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

A FOOLISH MEMBER SUSPENDED FOR ONE SITTING. Ifßcm Our PnainutßjiTAßT Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 9As was generally expected, Mr J. Payne, member for Grey Lynn, deliberately and absolutely refused to withdraw the words which led him into notoriety last Friday night—“and he sits there by bribery and corruption.” His reference in the House this afternoon and his early exit were probably less dramatic than he - himself probably would have liked. Ho was given ini: opportunity to make honorable reparation for his fault, but he preferred to stand to his contention that his words had ii.> persona! application to the Hon. Air Masse*- >n his -capacity as a private member of the House. The reluctant order to withdraw from the Chamber was obeyed, 10-.-f with a. nonchalance that alienated him fiom sympathy even from strangers- Doubtless he stood out with the thoughts of a martyr or of a victimised representative cf Labor, hut a few of the many persons' vho saw him go felt hi? mood. He had played a foolish part, and had to undergo Mispcnsion fur the remainder of the siltilic. NO SUPPORT FROM LIBERALS. N"!v>;vh several members of the Liberal displayed a solicitous interest in Mr I’arr.e k.,st Friday night, t lie re was no evidence o; sup-port on Monday. As a matter <:■ ( 1 ir„ Sir Joseph Ward, who had no vie. knowledge of the origin of the in,-/dent, and who offered his counsel to the member for Grey Lynn, telling bint that he would be preserving his rights and the dignit/' -T the House if he withdrew bis werda, ,:.ade ;t clem and definite that ho hirr :•> Leader <•>* the Oppo.-i----linn, did L support .my lion, member of the Horse in making a personal charge of the kind, unless it were a definite charge rrado in complete conformity with the procedure of Parliament, so the Liberals wisely avoided associating themselves with a deliberate defiance of the dignity of Parliament- and making Mr Payne s business a party issue. The member for Grey l.vm had one sympathiser —Mr P. C. Webb, member for Grey. WARNING TO ALL PARTIES. T he Hon. Mr Speaker, who possibly has treated with a too generous tolerance iurerriiptiou# ihis nature being gentlemanlyi, t-.ok advantage of the occasion to offer a gentle warning to all parties against overindulgence in interjections. His counsel was accepted tor a- time, with appreciable advantage. The Opposition members were particularly eager to restrain interjections, a:.d c-n sever il occasions when Ministers were tempted into questioning Mr Isitt i-vho.c ifuech was of the tantalising kind) iVre wore cues of ■‘Order - ' nom the i.-lwra! side. •• L'ONTINUOL'S MILITARY CAMPS.” Mr Scott, member for C'cntial Otago, m hO reference during ills speech in the r,--.erifii!---nee debate in the House Tester day afternoon to the inconvenience caused to farmers through the demands of Torri-t-ii ia! camps. He said that the latest (■■imp at Matarae was held at a time when irtiies were ploughing for winter wheat, and tea* in some cases several workers ( -■ n! forms hid to go to the military wimp. He thought that a permanent camp should bo established in each, island, so ♦hat conntrv workers could go into camp an- time. It would be a continuous camp redly, which he felt sure would do much to overcome the dissatisfaction that was now expressed among farmers. NEW NAMES FOR REFORMERS. Mr L. M. Isitt made fun of the Government's claim to he the real Liberals, and ridiculed their old age—sans eyes, sans ears, sans teeth, sans- everything. With his own eyes roving the Government < rescent of benches, and with hands outstretched like an evangelist in appeal, he nam/d 'members of the MinGteml party, and lingered with mock affection on " Ad-.-ria! Allen of Milton.” and his old friend “ the Pedantic Erudite Gee-sat." the member f- r Dunedin North. >Laughter.) REITER ROADS. Airemion was drawn by .Mr Scott to the need for laying down peimanent highways Tor motor traffic, uuGh um the traffic of the future-. It was likely that within a very Live years farnvi,-, in oully,pg districts would use Ihihcs only for farm work, and carryall produce by motor ionics. The tanner wanted to get his pV'/itnc to rn.ukcO as quickly as po/sTib-, rnd tec Government ghould rcc--guise the .ic‘‘t!= o; the early future for better roads. REFORMER AGAINST A LOCAL NAVY. Mr TV. H. i>. Bril (Wellington Suburbs) mhl he did u.-t agrre with the Government’s idea of L-cai training of men for the Navy, because they could m>t receive as effective hinnn tion as if they were shifted from ship to ship hi a big licet. Luckily, he was under n.» restraint in regard to iris ideas on the questi.it;. He had three objections to the Governmem’s proi)..sa!--ili That the next war was not likely t-> iv in the Pacific; :2) that i: it is. the ships we had would i, ( > absolutely iua.i’i.’quatc to deal with the situation dtear. iieai/ 3) be, au.-o of the inadequate training already refer red to. lie was with the Opposition on the points to which he had remrred, but still would vote with the Government. If they were going to increase pro tanto their grant to the British Navy. 1m would iavor a 0011:101131100 ,tf the contributory policy, but what hid hapene.l U-d him to relieve that lacy v.ould not got that increase. THE BACKBONE OF REFORM. The member for Christchurch North (Mr L. M. Isitt) declared during his speech !a.-t evening that the backbone of the Reform party was the old cry. Landowner and the Monopolies, and the Tory Press in New Zealand were so dory as not to have a good word for the magnificent work of Lloyd George in the Old Country, or nf Asquith and Churchill, and the Tory papers sneered at the Liberal legislation they introduced. These papers glorified Bonnv Law. Lord Hugh Cecil, and all other rank Tones in the Old Country. He was satisfied that even if the no-confidence motion wore not carried in the House, the people would carry it before they were six months older. (Loud applause.) INADEQUATE AfILITARY FORCE. ” Talk about fighting the Japs I’’ cried Air W. C. Webb, with scorn in his voire. ” Why, we have not got enough brains in th*s military force to find out more than 1 few boys who are refusing to serve.” On the question of no-confidence he showed that he was a political Ishmael, with his hand against every man. “ I have pleasure in voting for this no-confidence- motion at a inst the Government,” he. declared, to trie pleasure of the Opposition. Then, to the greater delight of the Government, he said that some day he would have as great pleasure in voting no-eoniidento in the Lilwrals. (Laughter.)