THE OPENING CEREMONY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 December 1928, Page 5

THE OPENING CEREMONY.

ONE POINT OF AGREEMENT. SOME IMPRESSIONS. (By Telegraph —Special to The Star.) iWELLINiGTON, Dec. 4. To-day’s opening of Parliament by a commission lacked the dignified ceremonial to be seen whe-n the GovernorGeneral meets both Houses on Wednesday, but it, was over in an hour, during which time all the elected members save two -had taken'the oath of allegiance and had shown complete agreement over the re-appointment of Sir Charles Statham as Speaker. The dramatic effects in the background, to be developed in due course, occasionally outcropped. There seemed to be a special insistence, in submitting the name of Sir Charles Statham as Speaker, on the great value of having an absolutely impartial and firm occupant of the chair.

The newest political development, the initial appearance of the Country Party, was humourously mentioned by its sole representative, Mr If. M. Rushbrook, Bay of Islands, who ventured to follow the customary speeches of congratulations )to Sir Charles Statham from the acknowledgment by party leaders with a brief suggestion that it would not be regarded as presumptions to lift his voice as the sole representative of a party in adding his congratulations. This was greeted with both laughter and applause. To indicate the complete unanimity on the subject, -Sir Charles 'Statham’s election was proposed by Sir George Hunter from the Government benches, was seconded by Mr J. A. Mac'Pherson from the United Party ranks, supported by Mr P. Fraser from the Labour cross benches.

When the appointment was completed, and congratulations were in order, Sir Joseph Ward mischievously expressed his satisfaction that on one question at least the House 'was absolutely unanimous.

A BRITISH PRECEDENT. Sir Joseph Ward, in the course of liis congratulations to the 'Speaker, declared that if he had his way the holder of the high and honourable office should not be asked to contest an election in his constituency.

The Prime Minister: Hear, hear, follow- the British precedent.” Sir Joseph Ward: “I took that course on the present occasion, because

I wanted the Speaker to be 'back in the House, irrespective of his political opinion«. ’ ’

Sir Charles Statham, having been escorted to the ehair_ stood on -the steps while he made his acknowledgments to the House. He reminded members that their Speaker was the humble servant of the Government, and that any powers he possessed were vested in him by his brother members, and he continued: “May I claim a full measure of their sujiport during the coming three years, because I take it that this Parliament will run its full course.”

It was a prediction most members will endorse, troubled though the political atmosphere may appear to be at the moment. INTERLUDE WHEN TAKING- THE OATH. The smooth course of formality was disturbed by the member for Lyttelton, Mr J. McCombs, who desired to make an affirmation instead of. the oath. There were two others desiring to take the same course and the Clerk of the House requested them to wait until all other members had been sworn in. Mr McCombs, however, asserted hi s right to be called in his proper sequence and there was a battle of wills between the official and.member, the latter winning for he declined to tail in at the. end of t.he procession and did not take either the oath or the affirmation. He will thus have th. e stage to himself to-mor-row, when ho will make his affirmation to Mr Speaker. The only absentee from the opening proceedings was Mr W r . J. Jordan (Manakau), who is in England.