PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 15540, 9 July 1914, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

[From Oras Fabuaheotakx BefobotiuJ

WELLINGTON, July 9. A QUEER COMPANY. ' "The Opposition is a. bundle"* f unholy alliances," declared Mr G. M. Thomson in the House yesterday afternoon, and immediately raised a clambering chorus of ironical protestation. He went on to justify his verdict. The Opposition consisted", he said, of at least five parties. First of all were the quasi-Liberals, the Democrats who had introduced to_ the Dominion the principle of hereditary titles. Then, there, were the Labor party and the Social Democrats. Then the fourth party of one. Mr Wilford, who crowed alone from his own tree-top but did not make much impression on his colleagues. (Laughter.) There was a fifth party of one, Mr T,. M. Isitfc, who thongnfc he was the Leader of the Temperance party, hut who was the most mfamperate man in the House in his lanfmaa;e, and whq daily was in collaboration with the representatives in the House of the publican and the sinner. (Laughter.)

THE PENALTIES Of UEFOUM In lamenting an alleged lack of economy fn the Government administration. Mr J. C. Thomson (Wallace) declared that not only had the price of tobacco gone up since the Reform Government took office, but a man had row to pay 9d for a haircut ' (Laughter.) LATIN AND SCOTCH.

The House was surprised agreeably yesterdav afternoon when Mr G. M. Thomson descended from the inaccessible heights of science and indulged in the gentle art of fooling. He recalled first of all the fa-tt that his friend, the Po"st-master-General (Hon R. Hcaton Rhodes), had squirmed when he heard the previous night "the hon. member for Christohureh North ('Mr Isitt) and other Oppositionists try to quote French. No wonder' Mr Thomson advised members on the other fide of the Hon-e to learn how to pronounce a language before they attempted to quote it. He was almost tempted to pive them a little Latin, but they would not understand it. Mr Russell (indignantly) : . What University degree did von rr"t ? Hon. Mr Alien : Let me h:<v» it.

Mr Tfjcmsuu : It is a, very old quotation from Horace : "Duhe est desipere in l«o," which a compatriot of mine has translated '"Real tine daffm !" Opposition Members : Whit ? Mr* Thomson : Real fine daffi'i ! LIBERAL WITCHES.

" I propose :o indulge in :i little foolir.z myself." re marked Mr (";. M. Thomson in the Ho::se yesterday, and forthwith donned is" to speak) the cap and hells. I want to re:,.;t a scene as played in the parliamentary «-<>mic opera-house, which bears a close resemblance to a certain scene in ' Macbeth." It is its follows :- First Witch ( Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) : Here's the blood of a bat. Chorus (Opposition) : Put. in that, put in that. Second "Witch 'th-> member for Avon, Mr 0. W. Russet: Here's a lizard's brain.

Chorus : Pat in a grain. Third Witch (the member for Christehurch North. Mr Isitt) : Herd's juice o" toad, here's oil o' adder, which will make the charm crow madder. Chorus : Put in all these, nut in all

these; 'twill raise a stench. Hecate (hon. member for Huti, Mr T. M. Wilford up a tree) : Hold, here's three ounces of a red-haired wench. Chorus : Round about, round about ! Ail ill come in; all food keep out. "What good." asked Mr Thomson. " could. Tsre expect from such a hell broth as that?" (Laughter.) Opposition Members : Oh, oh. oh. Mr Thomson. Mr Russell : When did you have your head read last? (Cries of protest'and laughter.) INGRATITUDE OF LABOR.

The member for Dunedin North also had a slap at Labor. He advised Labor leaders to pay less attention to generalities and theories and to apply themselves inore- closely to definite problems. For marry years, he went on to say. he had been a teacher in the Technical School, Dunedin, where they put through thousands of pnpils, most of whom belonged to the working class. The teachers gave their services gratis, and the school "was dependent on voluntary contributions. He :lid not say it in depreciation, but it was 3t least significant that in some se l- en years the Trades and Labor Council had made the magnificent contribution of five shillings '