MR. SPEAKER RETIRING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19963, 4 June 1928, Page 8

MR. SPEAKER RETIRING.

The Speaker of the House of Commons can be described confidently as the leading Parliamentary figure of the British Empire. He is custodian of privileges and director of procedure in the chamber which serves as model for all the corresponding houses in the self-governing units of the Empire; and, despite the careful pronouncements about equality of status, framed at the last Imperial Conference, Dominion Par-, liaments would rightly be diffident about claiming that they were, in all things, equal with the great and historic institution at Westminster. Its Speaker exercises, in direct and practical fashion, the privilege of access to the Sovereign. The rights, privileges and immunities which he has to watch are the original creations of history and precedent, not offshoots transplanted to other lands. The holder of this great office, Mr. J. H. Whitley, has announced his retirement, which will become effective almost immediately. When he was elected to the position, in the first post-war Parliament, it was predicted that he would have few, if any, of those tense and electric situations, known in Parliament befor? 1914, to handle. This has not proved true, for angry passions sufficient to interrupt sittings and to call for disciplinary measures have not been by any means unknown. Their occurrence has never been attributed to want of personality or impartiality in the Speaker. Mr. Whitley has been universally acknowledged to have the qualities of mind and character fitting him for the high office he has held. Now he is vacating it he will retire with all honour, remembered for his inauguration of the Whitley Councils to promote peace in industry, as well as for his years of service in upholding the dignity of Parliament from the Speaker's Chair.