PARLIAMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, 5 July 1916, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

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A3 members w ere leaving the chamber o at 5.30 more than ■ -one was heard to speak of "having a. night of it." • ; > When .the . House resumed'at 7.30 it was at oaace evident that the Liberal was still in ani angry mood, and:, that some at least were disposed l - to; adopt obstructive tactics. - V •Some speakers contented, themselves with entering indignant protests against - "trickery," which they declared was be- ' iiitg inctiuiged in, and! with a- display of 'righteous disdain -refiised- to treat Mir.; Wright's (amendment seriously. 'Other members, however, affected' -to tiake the aimmdment in. earnest,.: wad y filledl ini time -by enlarging l uipon the .' "Taihoa." policy of thei Ministry im,.re- - spect to the erection of the new. build- ■ I ing...'- .. : i Mr 'Witty again d,©clayed -that the". •, I'House was prevented from discussingI .the .cost of living. . ' V--1 A .DAY CPftOMJSED. The Prime Minister: I have promised to giye the 'Hb use a day. for discussing the'cost of living. ' -y ,y«-. Mr Witty: 33ah, when will we get it. * We anay never get it. I'mi making pM effort to speak to Mr Wright's amend-' ment. 'He declared a portion -of tha liew Parliamentary 'Buildings is being; ' built of miarble, a poi-tion of brick, and' , a (portion ,of So'.-ne ..members .at: ■ the National ••. Government are men .of t marble and' some oar© men who arei only, common clav, willing to. do asnj,{thing, for, self-aggrandisement. 1 [Dr. Thacker, who spoke of the inn. sanitation of the present,-Parliamentary' Buildings, said., he was taking up probably £6O or £7O of the country's • money in ■entering 1 nis protest againsjfa the slow - progress.of the nevy foiuldirrgsV ■ Mr ! - Vettch expressed indigViation,;. at - the "-pitiful 'Spectacle" of,-., the < (xoverii- ■ ment'. being, 'afraid to face oriticism.-.re.- , garding the cost of-.living. .This .he:de-.; J. clawed "is the bedrock of 1 party tritikery: The action of the member w<lu> had moved the amendment was only? worthy, of a- circus clown.. . , r | Ma* Payne: That's right. - Rub hiij nose;in sawdust. JUSTIFIED INDIGNATION. !Mr Poole said, j that the indli-gnation that had) been 1 expressed _ ■ was.,quite, justified. Every member desired? to raise his voice regarding exploitation that was) going on in certain directions;. .'He had no diesii-e to prolong the session;, ibptshe"thought the House should., be. treated., ; 'wifclx greater respect and given t.U& CQjif-, fidlenee. of the - r Mr Payne spoke on his usual. Joints of criticism! of the Government and the /"trickery" that was being resorted^to. Mr sidey,. in adding his protest, xq-t ■ferredl to the fact that Mr* Wright yesterday. a.n'd Mr Nosworthy., when. he .moTr ed his Ashburton School Amendment :Bili last week, had been called nponi before other; members. v •. ...

? The Speaker: I called: \ij>on •tiho member who first caught my, eye ojii-, : botb occasions. I cannot allow any i-eflectioni upon thechadi-; (Hear, hear), i>.lt .is a matter of indufterence 'to m© -wlio'ini ~S first call upon.. I looked, carefully .round and thiei first member Avho: caught my eye was called! upon. ' ' . * T3ie Amendment. >was: put and lost.. CHARGE OF BURKING- DISCUSSION. Tlie motion' to -go in'to 'Committee of •Supple -was, then: discussed'. • ■ i Mr Wilford, who si>oke with, considerable. .heat, isaid itihat he had' loLVally- supported, the National Government oni all important war proposals, audi this was? the retrain lie' got. He charged. the Government with; burking discwssionv. reyarding the (people's food 1 supplies, ...Tho (Prime 'Minister's promise to set .apart a day foi' dliscussdnig this question -was only a blind. ~ . . , ■ IRE/PLY BY PTtfME MINISTER. The Prims Minister, w'lio ■ followed Mi* Wilford, challenged: the .latter, or. any member to prove; that at any time* during ibhe session ihei >Tiad- preveaitod •» member moving an amendment. ■iriL' the cost of living. Mir Wfl-fovd.: I am speaking of thi9 occasion, - . Mr Masseyf: Ah ; you are now Chang-.

ing your grotm-i. 'Members had had ample •opportunities ct discussing the cost of living. There was the Financial debate, whicli afforded every- opportunity for discussing the question, but. no member took advantage of it. Then there •was also 'the first item of the Estimate stage, "when there was anotiher good °P" port-unit v for discussion, but it lasted only a "limited! time. No amendment -was then moved regarding the cost of HYtn-e. and- there was no discussion •worthy of the name when Mr Pearce moved Ms amendment. There was another good opportunity, but although lie {Mr tNlassey) moved the adjournment till the next day, the? debate was allowed to fizzle out. There was yet another opportunity on fhe_ Imprest Supply Ball, -when everything from Ban to Beersheba could bo discussed'. He ■bad. done it himself when he had been on the other side of the Hou.se. Mr Witty: There is no "other side" of ■the House now. Mr Ma ssev: It did not look like 't this afternoon, (Lalighter). There was no discussion on the Imprest Supply tBilL

Mr "Witty: What about the compact. We kept oyr /word'. M r Wilford: Gan you call it an opportunity when it was agreed that members should not speak?

"Mr Massev admitted there was a suggestion that members should not speak, but it was a fact that 110 discussion took .place, either on that Bill or 011 the Financial Statement the same evening. It was quite incorrect to -say that the Government had attempted to burk discussion. A Member: You wait til! next election. comes. Mr Massey: That is all right. If we went to the country now Ave would come back with an extra big majority. Mr Payne: You vfould go right out. Mr Massey: I know somebody else who is going right out. THE PROPOSED TRIP HOMEI Proceeding, Mr Massey referred to some remarks that had been made by Mr Witty- about the proposed trip Home of tie 'Minister for Finance and himfself. That member had suggested that it was desired to close the session early on that accountMr Watty: I do not regret saying it. ! Mr Massey: We could" have gone Home in the recess if we had felt inclined. Mr Witty: -JBut- you were afraid to. Jlr Massey~: -'What were we afraid' of' Mr Witty: You did not- knew -what '■would have -happened to the Government. •Mr. Massey: Nonsense. If both of us died i to-morrow the .business of the country would be conducted just as well. / Mr PayneHear, hear. » In reply to an- interjection regarding a suggested difficulty in appointing an Acting-Prime ilinister, Mr Massey said there were plenty- of members of the .National Government who would make good Acting-Ptiroe Ministers. Any idea that the _ ov? ramerjt was ! trying t-t push the ibusdness through quickly in order that >th e Minister for Finance and '■himself could go Bbme, was absurd:. They had previously felt that owing; to the difficulties about recruiting and other , difficulties, they should remain in t-fe Dominion. W hen the session, ended rfcbe matter would be decided by an arrangement with the Imperial Government, He did not care how lc-ng the sessions listed ; he was only anxious to pee the business, of the country properly conducted. After supper' the atmosphere became qxaieter, and the motion to igo into Conanittee of "Supply was carried. The Education Vote was ipassed unaltered, and the House rose at 2 a.m.