N.S.W. PARLIAMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 29 January 1927, Page 8

N.S.W. PARLIAMENT.

L TENSE DAY FOR POLITICIANS. PEN PICTURE EHOM THE GALLERY. The following pen picture of a tense ti 4 .y in the New Sou'll Wales Parliament will interest readers, if only because it portrays what the Sydney Morning Herald terms ‘ emotional overtures” in an assembly in which the average man would expect to find only dignity and decorum. Though the complex and unspectacunr debate on lands rather inhibited Parliaments orchestral display, lav was net without its emotional overtones Mr Dunn looked like aconvert to some Hinduistic cult of fata,,ism when he faced the Chamber, for the horrors of Wednesday had left him “tolicUv. placidly disinterested. But" Mr McClelland, sitting on the "dee of a front, bench, positively sparkled enthusiasm. His gigantic frame vibrated with strong feeling, he breathed gasps, and generally looked rather 'ike Sara Bernhardt at the climax or a grand effort. This was all the more remarkable, since Mr McClelland has reminded one. often, as he sat magma-c-entlv undisturbed on a far seat, or tbe prophet Bazhakuloff, the inspired bid not dynamic patriarch of the latt e White. Cows A NOBEE BUDDHA. One ha* been inclined to think of lxiin as a noble 1 Buddha oovcirGu up hj missionaries for decency’s sake, for nothing more remote from reality could one very well imagine. Certainly, on one notab’e day he moved with a wholly unoriental alacrity —when a careless spectator in the ladies’ gallery, absorbed in the gladiatori-als l of Mr Hill —dropped fairly on Mr McClelland s chest a heavy parcel. The reaction wiij explosive. Even Mr Greig, a saturnine and conscientious young man at the most riotously amusing moments, saw the joke of that, and the incident has been long remembered as a perfect one of its kind. But here, this morning, Mr McClelland was almost frantically attentive. In fact, lie was jealously guarding a little child of his invention —an amendment to the Lands Amendment RLJ which everyone- seemed anxious to annihilate. The amendment, lie said, j would prevent the exploitation of improvement leaees. But the opposition thought that it would do many other things beside, and on this thesis argued away the morning and half the afternoon. Mr McClelland had to listen. Towards lunch time the strain became terrific. Mr Bruxner and Mr Wearne. more or less contemptuI o.us'y sceptical, put a great burden upon him : made him feel, made him think, and in extreme moments almost drove him to the unthinkable expediency of acting. At times the air about bini vibrated, almost visibly, with the jagged lightning of emotion. Directed by some beam system straight upon Mr Wearne it would have left only a charred and gesticulating skeleton. Even in that condition, however, one feels that Mr Wearne would have ininsisted upon talking about Lands Acts and things which happened when he was Minister. The morning was very dull, really, but once or twice the few intelligences absorbed in the bill dug. out a complication which seemed entrancing to the lawyers, who like an argument for its own sake. 'Then, when the meaning tan before Mr McClelland’s discernment like a ping-pong ball in a. gale, one almost wept with sympathy. But h. looked rather proud, too —delighted that his own little amendment .should have caused so mighty a splash. He must have experienced all the emotions chat overwhelmed Napoleon’s mother on notable and bloodthirsty occasions.

NEARLY A RIOT. One of these tangles enmeshed Mr McGirr. who had spoken at large on tha amendment earlier in the May. He leant over the back of a bench and tried to interrupt. Mr Wearne, but Caesar might just as reasonably have attempted to attract the attention of a gladiator profoundly engaged in extracting his head from' a lion’s mouth. Mr Wearne was tactfully withdrawing a. statement without admitting the dishonour of a mistake. Nervously Mr McGirr bounced up and down on bis bench, 'ike a female “fourth former” at her first football match, and in his excitement drew his cigarettes from his pocket. He opened his match! box and commenced to strike the match. The seirgennt-at-arm-s watched him with- expectant curiosity. Mr Hill’s lips fel,. apart in a grimace of scandalised indignation. and Mr Fitzpatrick waited with a cunning leer for a denouement that would give him the opportunity for g demonstration of outraged- punctiliousness. Just as Mr McGirr. in hi.? absorption, was about to light the cigarette and n'.unge- the House into a magnificent confusion, someone entered and. speaking to him, broke the spell. Mr Dunn meanwhile was explaining tremendously a minute and obscure point. “You see,” he said, “I wouldn’t like to be inconsistent.” “Oh, no,” M r Fitzpatrick agreed, “‘not inconsistent. Don’t be inconsistent. That would be dread After all said! and revealed during the morning, the remark did not have a charming sardonic flavour. The Country Party was interested, and crushed Mr Fitzpatrick‘on to the end of Iris bench, so that it might be at the storm centre. He looked resentful. but they were five to one. 'Mr Bruxner listened' carefully; but soon Mr Drummond tired of tjie exfiaustingly dull discussion, and spent the ha.’iliour to luncheon manufacturing trumpets out of a business paper. He blew diminutive blasts on them, until Mr Greig frowned at his impertinence. Then be began to construct boats and hats, and Mir Hj 11 and Mr Fitzpatrick tost all interest in the debate, and followed him with fascinated eyes. In the afternoon Mr Loughliin, who had not visited the House since Christmas, supported the amendment in a speech, to which everyone listened. He bad beard the morning’s debate, and observed the zest’ess abandoned pose of Mr Dunn, saying, no doubt, that lnjt tor the grace of he avert and Mr Lang there went himself. For this was bis bill. }Jc supported the amendment to it so vigorously that someone asked him why he had not included the principle in the first draft. That he thoughtan unworthy question. When he had finished, and Mr Bavin had commented a little on his speech, Mr Cann, look in <2 more like King Coltthan, ever, moved the gag. He had so o-bviousy premeditated this 'for a long time, that no one raised an insistent protest. They had expected it much earlier, in fact.

Immediately Mr Dunn left-tha chair, and the Lands Bill was beyond discussion, the atmosphere grew cheerful. Tinweight of al' those millions of acres and die dieadfu! misolvable problems- they involved had dept- seed everyone, most partieuarly Mr Fitzoatirck. who found that, wearied by discussion of rental values, unimproved leaseholds and home

maintenance areas the House would tak e no interest in his not overwhelmingly tunny observations. Mr Cann appeared with' the Dentists Amendment Bill, and he was able immediately to attract attention and make Mr Doe laugh. Suddenly Mr McClelland opened his eyes. ‘lmproved leasehold. ... ScandaloUS . . monopolists . . scandalous.” and he stretched his considerable frame into a new and more comfortable position. IN THE COUNCIL. Tiie sitting of the Legislative Council for the most part was devoted to the consideration of Factories and Shops (Amendment) Bil. Mr Farrar took exception to a clause which provided that a .secretary of a union in the furniture industry should hjave the powers of an inspector in relation to a Chinese furniture factory. However, Mr Willis met the objections by agreeing to add the words to the clause “subject to the approval 0 f the Industrial Commissioner.” The measure was taken through the committee stages. The Drugs Bill was also passed through the committee stage, and the House adjourned at 9.50 o'clock until Tuesday next.