HOT WORDS IN DEBATE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 14 November 1913, Page 5

HOT WORDS IN DEBATE.

Mr Pearce alleged that the member for Waimarino used a foul expression towards the sergeant of the mounted police. Mr Hindmarsh: You ought to be ashamed to call yourself a man; you know he denied it. Sir Joseph Ward: You ought to have told him you would make this statement. Mr Hindmarsh: He is a disgrace to the House. Government members: Shut up! The Premier and Mr Speaker endeavored to quell rising tempers, the latter remarking that the behaviour of the previous two minutes had been very disorderly. The member for Waimarino came into the House at the moment, and Mr Pearce, in response to a challenge from members, repeated his allegation, adding that it was known to all the constables on the wharf, and no wonder they objected to members of Parliament being on the wharf. Mr Escott said he had the names of a number of troopers, who were prepared to swear what the member for Waimarino had said. " PERFECTLY GENTLEMANLY." Mr 11. F. Bollard declared that the special constables referred to by the members for Otaki and Avon were not at all insulting, but were perfectly gentlemanly in their behaviour. He denied also that any of the constables was under the influence of liquor. As for himself, he was at the time endeavoring to get on to the wharf himself; he also was ordered off the wharf.

Mr Russell: Then why did you not come off like I did ?

Mr Bollard: Because I did not want to. —(Laughter.) Mr Russell: Then you are not a lawabiding citizen. (Renewal laughter.) Mr Okey also exclaimed against the accusation of drunkenness, contending that he observed the man, and was satisfied he was quite sober. Mr Coates expressed his disagreement with the views announced l:y the member for Patea about the -ayiiigs of a brother member cutiide 1 lieHouse. "I think it is regrettable that what is said outside the Em;se ij-ould be brought up here. Tdo not think any good lesult can oonre of such a course," said the member.

A number oi members on the Government side of the House nur-ied to explain how they themselves ha 1 also been victims of the excess of zeal by the specials, but Mr "NVobb varied the recital by saying that lie had difficulty in getting on to the wharf, but a great deal in getting off it again.—(General laughter.) As a matter of fact one of the specials told him he ought to go into the sea.—(Government laughter.) "He said: 'There goes the scab member,' and several of them took me by .the arm, but I escaped," smilingly announced Mr Webb, while roars of laughter echoed round the Chamber.

AN EMPHATIC DENIAL. The member for Waimarino emphatically denied the statements made by Messrs Escott and Pearce, and expressed the opinion that it would have been playing the game more nearly to a brother member if they had first asked him what he had to say, and at the least told him what they proposed doing.—(Opposition members : Hear, hear; and scornful laughter from Messrs Pearce, Okey, and other Ministerialists.) Mr Smith, amid a fire of confusing' interjections from the Taranaki side of the House, proceeded to relate what had happened on tho afternoon of Wednesday last week, when the riot was on. He was standing near a vacant plot when the cry arose: "Lookout! Here they comeP' and he was entering a gate* when a special constable came up and stood over him with his baton raised to strike. He (Mr Smith) said: "Put down that baton. You are here to .keep peace/ but the way you are gbinrr pii is calculated to break it. Surely you x can discriminate" between-fespee-1 table citizens and those who are mak-1

ing trouble." The man replied insultingly, and still threatened him whereupon he exclaimed: "You are given your brains to use; why not use them instead of threatening me with that baton m such a dastardly wav?" Another special } who knew him, then came up and assured him that he, at all events, was not going to use his baton in a provocative manner "1 replied," said the member, "I know you are not, but I am not going to be bullied by a dastard like that.—The man then hustled me .out of the gate and closed it. I did not use the words mentioned by the member for Patea and I can fortunately prove it," added the membe<- for Waimarino, amid Opposition cries of "Hear, hear," and a roar of sceptical laughter from the Government's Taranaki supporters. Mr Pearca asserted that when he was at the mounted constables' camp next evening the constables knew of what had happened. Mr Escott accepted * the explanation given by Mr Smith, adding that he had never made the assertion; he simply asked for an enquiry. j

"NEVER. MORE HUMILIATED." t Th\ ad?!" ,of the Opposition (Sir Joseph \\ ard) declared that in 26 years of 1 aiiiamentary experience he^ had never felt more humiliated than during that afternoon. The House had come to a most discreditable condition ot things when members thought it part ot their duty to come to Parliament with tales about their brother members. A member made an ugly imputation against a brother member, and when the latter rose to put on record his version he was laughed at and jeered at by his accuser among othirs w as that the way to maintain the dignity of Parliament in a tree British possession? "People outside will imagine Well, I won't say what they will imagine," concluded £, Leader °f the Opposition. The Hon. James Allen remarked that Colonel Heard's particular reason in getting a statement made was his anxiety to keep the military clear of the dispute. Mr Hindmarsh: The men have been wearing their putties and military greatcoats.

The discussion ended with the tabling of Colonel Heard's Jstts-.-