A LINGUISTIC STONEWALL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 2 August 1913, Page 5

A LINGUISTIC STONEWALL.

(Special'to Star). WELLINGTON, August 2

The Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill to-night produce da number of amusing yet timerwasting methods, the most ingenious being devised by Mr Ngata. He got up at midnight to address the committee of the House j in Maori tongue. He was pideeeding i quite smoothly when Mr Seddon smilingly asked the Chairman (Mr Malcolm) if the member for the Eastern Maori district was in order. It was quite beyond the Chairman's comprehension to decide whether Mr Ngata was dealing with the Bill or discussing the weather and crops. • Realising this promptly, Mr Malcolm ruled that as the member was a fluent English speaker, he must address the Houso in En_lish. Attention was called by Mr Wilford to the precedent set by Mr R. McKenzie,. who, when in the chair, was faced with, a similar difficulty. The wise member for. M'otueka decided that Maori could be used, and if any member did not understand it (then that was their misfortune. A challenge to Mr Malcolm's ruling, in the form ot a motion to -take the Speaker's opinion, was negatived on division by 32 votes to 22. The committee proceedings .were then resumed with a few sentences in Maori from Mr Ngata, who was interrupted by MiMalcolm peremptorily requesting that hon. member to resume his seat. Mr Russell contended that there was nothing to prevent a member using French, but the linguistic experiments were not further pursued. The Bill got through at 2 a.m. .