THE ESTIMATES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 10095, 7 September 1925, Page 5

THE ESTIMATES

AN ALL NIGHT SITTING

OBSTRUCTIVE TACTICS DELAY PROCEEDINGS. \ '' •' K ’ (SPECIAL TO TIMES.) GTOS 3 Bept>. o. It is becoming more and more, evident. that no good purpose can _ be served by prolonging the present session of Parliament beyond the, end of the month. Though the Government is-in no danger of defeat, it has but a small working majority against the' combined National and Labor Opposition and, under- the circumstances, when obstruction is resorted to, progress with the work of Parliament is necessarily hampered. The present session has been remarkable for the great waste of time that has resulted from Opposition tactics. There have been no fewer than six no confidence motions. Tlie discussions on these were responsible for a great waste of time, but,' apart from all this, members, and especially old Opposition members, have a splayed a loquacity that, to an ordinary business man, is almost beyond belief. Some of .these old Parlia mentary hands think it necessary to talk to the end of their allotted time, repeating themselves over and over again in order to fill pages and pages of Hansard, which no one reads Friday night’s performance'.on the Estimates certainly did not redound to the credit of the National and Labor Opposition. The sitting was devoted to the passing of Departmental estimates and, during the afternoon, hours were occupied discussing red deer, wild pigs, keas and other rural subjects. Up till late in the evening, however, most of the discussion was reasonable and there was not a great deal to complain of except the long windodness of certain members. Later the Defence estimates were taken, and, immediately, there was trouble For to Labor members, the word “Defence” seems just about as irritating as a red rag to a bull. It was. soon evident that the Labor party wms ready to fight against the Defence Note.

Mr R. A. Wright, the Reform member for Welington Suburbs, threw a bomb into the Labor benches with the remark that it was a most extraordinary thing that the one nation in the world which had the largest array was Soviet Russia, with an army of 5 '00,000, and Sir James Parr added that it was the most severely disciplined army in the world. The Labor members were momentarily discncerted and the only immediate reply to these observations was a query as to whether the Soviet Army was on the estimates.

Mr Wright remarked that the British people were not aggressove, but they were not going to stand idly by and allow themselves to be crushed by a more powerful nation because they were in a defenceless position. “I was surprised to hear the Member for Wellington Suburbs say that because Russia did something we were justified in doing it,’’ said the Labor leader (Air H. E. Holland), “it is something new to hear the gentleman advocating that we should follow Russia’s example. Air Langstone (the Labor member for Waimarino) who has a wonderful flow' of language, poured scorn upon the “tin hats” and the alleged snobbery of the military and generallycondemned our system of military training, with the result that Air Potter. one of the Auckland members, swooped down on him liko a gannet on a fish. Mr Potter, as he always does when the opportunity offers, warned the Labor members w th scornful words. “I am a better man than you are,” declared Air Langstone. “Probably he is a better man”, replied Air "Potter.. “But probably he lias not done so much for his country as I have and I put my countryfirst.” Air Langstone: “I have done mote.” Mr Potter: “Probably ho has done more for t-hc downfall of the British Empire than I have.” Air Langstone retorted that some men were better at spending before a bar. _ _

Mr Potter: “Yes. and T can paybo stand in front of it, too.” Mr Holland: “It is a different kind of bar that you stand in front of, Mr Potter, and there are some men who were behind bars, because they they would not fight for their country. Labor amendments to reduce tbe Defence Estimates were easily defeated, Labor, in this case, getting no assistance from, the official Opposition. By 3 o’clock'the temper of some members was not so good as it was earlier in the sitting, when wild pigs were being 'talked about. Only two classes of the Estimates had been passed, but Mr Forbes wanted to stop. f There was an exchange of comment between the Prime Minister and tbe Leader of the Opposition and Mr Holland.

Mr Coates said that five or six hours longer than was necessary had been spent in talking abaut the Defence and Marine estimates. “We are just as good judges as the Prime Minister”, heatedly declared •Mr P. Fraser (Labor) “and where the life of the workers is concerned we are probably better judges than the Prime Minister.' If he had any sense of the responsibility of his position, he would not say that the Marine Department took too long.” —(the Labor members had been discussing the loss of the Ripple and the necessity for wireless on coastal steamers.) A chorus of protest and charges of electioneering against the Labor members came from the Reform benches and, in the general disorder, the Chairman could he heard calling “Order! Order!”“We were fighting for the lives ol the workers” called out Mr Fraser loudly. “it’s an insult to the Government anvrilv broke in Mr. Noswortliy■ “It’s electioneering”, declared the Prime Minister. • , . Mr Fraser: “Nothing of the kind' .“Order!” called the Chairman. Mr Fraser: “A statement of that kind shows irresponsibility on the part of the head of the Government — nothing more or less. At any'rate vie have had a promise from the Minister, which we did not have before that. Wireless safeguards are to„ Ik: pushed as far as science can go.” The flotiX G. J. Anderson: “Aon had it twelve months ago”. Mr Fraser: We lmd it and you , wont back on it. You tore up the scrap of paper.” At 4.30 a.m., members were obviously tired and irritable. The Labor Department’s estimates were taken and then several Labor .members walked out, with a, view to leaving the Government without a quorum and thus bringing the te a premature end. The ruse failed, for. when attention was drawn to the state of tlie House, several members ti’ooned into the Chamber and the Chairman announced “There is a quorum” and business proceeded. A quarter of an hour afterwards Messrs Forties and were the sole occupants of the Nationalist benches and Mr Holland was the onlv* one left on the Labor benches; Mr. Masters momentarily conversed with Mr Holland; and ,then called attention to the ‘.state of the House. Once more tlio Chairman counted the heads, asking members wlu> were present to sit up in their seats or. hold up their hands.

TtjSn t iritied at F dot of Next Column.)

Mr Fraser: 1 “Will you count the snores* r i The chairman announced that leio was a quorum, whereupon the Minister added, with a liwig"* “the Labor party-' had missed time* I The Leader of the Opposition, who had been speaking, said that 1 ■ glad to see that even at that horn (4.45 am.) there was a stitont number present to form a 9 • The Committo went on wi work and two other classes < Estimaes were, disposed ot, A "7. , Labor and State Fire It was ten' minutes; ‘ fore members went thdp •> homeward way. A great deal . . and a good deal of the country s •money had been pasted in m less useless and heated debate.