FRAYED NERVES

Evening Star, Issue 20314, 24 October 1929, Page 15

FRAYED NERVES

UNSEEMLY SCENE IN HOUSE MR HOLLAND'S REBUKE TWO ALL-NIGHT SITTINGS LEAVE MEMBERS JADED CFISOJt Ouk Paeuamentirt Reportsu.) WELLINGTON, October 24. Jaded members with their nerves frayed as the result of • two exhausting all-night sittings on the Land and Income Tax Amendment Rill gave vent to their feeling in the House of Representatives just after 6 o’clock this morning by participating in one ‘ of the most unbecoming scenes enacted in a New Zealand Parliament in recent years. An acrimonious discussion arose on Mr Harris’s motion to report progress, the Leader of the Labour Party (Mr Holland) rising to protest against what was being done by the Opposition to obstruct the progress of the Bill. Mr Holland said only sixteen members of the Reform Party were taking part in the divisions, and it seemed, therefore, that the other members of the party were disgusted with what was being done, and that explained their absence. The sixteen members of the Reform Party present in the House were not doing the business of the country, but were blocking it. Mr Wjute; That is not fair. Mr Holland: I want to protest that what is being done is furnishing an excellent reason for the general public bolding this House in contempt. The dignity of the House is being sacrificed. and this was especially so in the night wo have just gone through. I have never seen it so sacrificed in the eleven years I have been _ in the House. I make the suggestion that the three parties should make an arrangement by which the business would be put through within a reasonable period of time. Mr Jones; Who would meet you after that insult? Mr Coates (to Mr Holland: Childish —little man. (Uproar.) Mr Holland; The Leader of the Opposition need not become offensive. He created one of the spectacles in this House when he forgot all about the dignity ’of the position he holds, and simply turned the whole of the proceedings of Parliament into a farce. Mr Jones: Absolutely unfair. Mr Holland: “ It is not unfair.” He added that what had been said by Mr Coates was his idea of how the business of Parliament should be conducted. Dir Lysnar: But you wore sleeping in your seat all night. Mr Holland said he did not go out of his place in the House. He sat in his seat longer than any other member of the House. His protest, however, was being made from the public viewpoint, because he - was more concerned about the conduct of the proceedings of the House than he was about party advantage or anything else. (Loud Reform laughter). ‘‘ I know anybody can laugh inanely and insanely at the same time,” retorted Mr Holland, “ but I venture to say that the general public of New Zealand will endorse the attitude I am taking up. The Deputy-Leader of the House (Mr Forbes) said he thought the rebuke administered to the Reform Party by Mr Holland was well merited. In all the time he had been in Parliament he had never seen a Leader of the Opposition lower the dignity of Parliament so much as Mr Coates bad done. There had been a good deal of buffoonery and lowering of the reputation of Parliament. Air Coates: What are you referring to? I'ho Minister did not reply directly to this question, but said that a majority of the House was in favour of the taxation legislation going through. Mr Jones: You aro trying to bludgeon it through. Tho Minister: “The Opposition arc trying to bring the parliamentary institution to a standstill. The business is going through if we stay here till Christmas.” The time of the House had been wasted, and the Chairman of Committees flouted and bluffed. The business bad not been conducted with dignity. The Reform members had no sense of their responsibility as members of Parliament, Reiterating his statement that the rebuke administered by tho Labour Leader was well merited, he was interrupted by a Reform member, who shouted that Mr Holland would beat Mr Forbes for his job yet. Mr Coates said that- neither the Leader of the Labour Party nor the Minister of Lands had adhered closely to tho motion to report progress, but Mr Forbes had given utterance to what was the most puny expression Tho Chairman: You are reflecting on tho Chair. Mr Coates said the Opposition had not stooped to anything that could be called undignified. It had abided by the _ procedure and complied with the Chairman’s rulings. It was foolish of Mr Forbes to complain because he was tired and sleepy. Mr Coates had not seen any better conducted debate. The only man who had thrown sand in the wheels was Mr Holland, but when Mr Holland got heated he was careless of what lie said, and attempted to throw ridicule on others. .“ He will get over that,” proceeded Mr Coates, who added that it was not worth while to try to compare Mr Holland’s leadership of the Opposition machine with the way the Reform Party was conducting the business. The Opposition was actuated by the highest sense of duty to the community. (Government laughter.) Mr Langstone; The squatocracy robbing from the working people; you have done that. Mr Coates: Wo are the working people. Mr Langstone: Von tried more than any other man to rob the people of New Zealand. Mr Coates inquired of the Chairman of Committees whether this remark 01 Mr Larigstone’s was in order Mr Samuel also raised a point of order as to whether Mr Langstone was in order in saying what he did. “ I suggest,” said Mr Samuel, “ that we are getting down to gutter politics of the worst type when language of that kind is allowed.” / The Chairman: -The remark was in keeping with a remark made across tho floor of the House by tho Leader of tho Opposition to the member concerned. An angry scene was then witnessed, Mr Samuel heatedly declaring: “1 think it is time we walked out; come on.” and suiting the action to the word ho left the ' Chamber, but returner! later. Mr Lysnar: ‘‘We had better call the Speaker in ; came back, Samuel.” The Chairman (to Mr Lysnar) : The honourable member will be responsible for having the Speaker brought in "i he does not obey the chair. Some further discussion ensued as to tho propriety of Air Langstone’s re-

mark, and tho Chairman said that Mr Langstone was not in order in making it, nor was the Leader of the Opposition in making his reply. Reform voices; What was the reply? The Chairman said that members woro not in a position to question him. However, ho would appeal to. members to be careful of their choice of lan guage in the future. The choice of words had been loose up to the present, and hud bordered on tho stage of being unparliamentary. When interjecting across the floor of tho House, continued the Chairman, members should exercise care, so that anger should not be provoked. Mr Coates disagreed with tho request from tho Chair to confine his remarks strictly to the amendment to report progress. Ho complained that the Chairman had curtailed his remarks He had not robbed a man in his life, and the workers of New Zealand had a great deal for which to thank him. Mr Langstone: Your legislation tltonical laughter.) Following this, members lost themselves in an involved maze of discussion on the question of calling in Mr Speaker to determine whether tho Chairman was within his rights in ruling out of order on tho ground of irrelevancy. Tho upshot of it all was that Mr Sneaker was not called, the motion being defeated by 33 votes to 21.