Report From The Capital— How The Government Caucus Works

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 February 1949, Page 2

Report From The Capital— How The Government Caucus Works

(SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT)

.CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Although Parliament is not expected to resume until about the end of June, an unofficial ‘’Parliament -—and, in many respects a far more influential body met in Wellington last week. lucked away in a distant rootn of Parliament Buildings, about 40 members of the Parliamentary Labour Party held their first caucus meeting since the end of last session. *

In dress the 40 Parliamentarians ranged from the correct and austere naVy blue suit of the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, through the natty pin striped morning trousers of the Miriister of Finance, Mr Nash, to the easy informality of an open-necked white shift and grey slacks of Mr J. B. F. Cotterill, M.P. for Wanganui. In argument and debate, the caucus ranged from the extreme Fabian views of the Finlays, Ormond Wilsons, etc to the more sober views of some of the old-time back-benchers who staunchly support Mr Fraser. But in one thing, the forty members were as one. They do not divulge the secrets of this or any other caucus. The nearest any pressman has got to caucus is to hang around the nearby corridors waiting patiently for Mr Fraser to give his usual sketchy—and invariably safe —summary of the day’s proceedings. In fact, a faithful watchdog sits patiently on a chair near the dopr of the caucus room for the sole purpose of seeing that no one dawdles along the corridor within earshot or attempts to bludgeon his way in. Caucus Watchdog

The watchdog is Mr James Hayward, known to all and. sundry as “Jimmy.” A hale and hearty 63, jimmy is quite a figure around Parliament Buildings, where he has been a messenger for nearly 26 years. He has “looked after” caucus for the past ten years. “Jimmy” will discourse at great length to pressmen about Soccer in the Old Country, but there is not the slightest chance that any caucus secret will slip from his lips. I told “Jimmy” that he must be one of the best-informed men in the country—for you cannot help hearing snatches of conversation when you are sitting outside caucus door. “Jimmy replied: “I sit there, and just read a book. It’s safer that way for then you can’t possibly let anything slipThe inside of caucus room is very much the same as any other committee room around Parliament Buildings. Inside the door is an enclosed telephone booth, principally for use by Cabinet Ministers, whose secretaries may want to get in touch .with them. The room is furnished in a spartan manner. At its head is a plain black varnished table with five chairs around it. In the centre is that occupied by Mr Fraser who is “chairman” of the caucus. A few leather lounge chairs and one leather settee are scattered around the room, but most Of the Parliamentarians sit dh straight-backed chairs or benches. Few Decorations Around the walls is a business-like Collection of bound volumes of statutes, regulations, Hansard reports, Year Books and a few directories. The only decorations are a lew photographs on the wall. Directly behind Mr Fraser’s chair is a portrait in colour of the late Michael Joseph Savage, Labour’s first Prime Minister. In odd contrast only a few inches away is a calendar produced by a paper-making firm and featuring the well-known C. F. Goldie head of a tattoed Maori woman. Perhaps this is here to placate the four Maori members. At the other end of the room is a huge portrait of the late Harry Holland. There are also smaller portraits of the late J. McCombs, M.P. for Lyttelton from 1910 to 1933 and the late Elizabeth Reid McCombs, the first woman member of Parliament. Both were life-long supporters of the Labour movement, and their son, the Present Minister of Education, Mr T. H. McCombs, carries on the family tradition. The caucus met for two days, but very little was made public about the decisions made. Among the major matters discussed were defence and the possible for peacetime national service, the whole wage structure, with particular reference to the present clamour for higher wages, the industrial situation and the troubles of the Public Service Association. Only time will tell what was decided in Room 167Travel By Air National Airways Corporation have been pounding the ears of listeners to radio recently with a campaign m which the slogan has been “Book tonight; travel by air in the morning, or something like that. Apparently the days of overloaded passenger-lists must have passed and N.A.C. are now attempting to re-educate the public to air travel. Those who have travelled by air in Australia, however .remark upon the standard of comfort in some of the

main-line planes compared with those used in New Zealand. However, in time N.A.C. will, no doubt, improve the facilities thev offer travellers. It is inevitable that they will increase the capacity of the service as time goes on. One thing is certain that air travel, which between Australia and New Zealand has been the only link for a long time, will suffer as a result of the improved sea communications which are now being established. This factor is of world-wide importance. Everywhere more ships are coming back into the passenger-haul-age business. Perhaps this explains why a special committee of airline executives’ have been meeting in Brussels this month to discuss the possibilities of providing second-class air travel. One suggestion is that air hostesses be dispensed with on second-class planes, which would probably mean that passengers would carry their own provisions. It seems difficult to imagine any other difference unless they go back to the army-type travel —with seats along the sides of the plane and luggage heaped down jhe centre. Not so long ago, of course,’that sort of travel was gladly availed of by New Zealand civilians.