PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 June 1924, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

HOLDING THE BRIDGE. (By Telegraph—Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, June 28. The backwash of the industrial struggle outside stirred the House of Representatives into a talking effort which lasted until nearly 2 a.m. on the first business day of the session. During the long eourse of the varied discussion some opportunities came to test a new party position, and it came out exactly as in former sessions of this Parliament. Messrs Bell and Witty voted as usual with the Government, and Mr Isitt, who was absent, had a pair from the Liberals. When the first important division came on the lobbies were naturally watched with keen interest to see if the stream of ayes /and noes would disclose in action the' reported outburst of discontent in the Government ranks over the last Ministerial appointment, hut the Government’s forces were quite intact. Mr J. S. Dickson, Chief Government Whip, showed no lack of his old enternrise in bringing all available votes into the correct lobby. With this plain evidence of the Government’s ability to hold its narrow majority, Labour members revived their protests against such a method of Parliamentary Government. Their references to three unofficial Government supporters ranged from plain condemnation to humorous comment. The Labour leader (Mr Holland) called them “the eternal three.” He thought an important constitutional question was involved in their attitude, because it was doubtful if they should hold their Independent and Liberal positions while they so steadily voted with the Government. He went further, suggesting that as according to his own method of counting the Liberal Opposition had voted more often with the Government than against it, that party could not be entitled to hold the place of official Opposition.. Though it was nearly 2 a.m. the Prime Minister was alert enough to recall an apt quotation covering the unique position. He preferred to liken the three gentlemen who “held the fort” to Horatius and his two companions who held the bridge. “History is repeating itself,” he smilingly continued. “While the Labour leader was speaking I could, not help thinking of Horatius and his two comrades who kept the bridge against the foe. and I hope they will be able to hold the bridge until the end of this Parliament.”