PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20602, 28 June 1930, Page 15

PARLIAMENT.

[THE OPENING DEBATE.

CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES.

PIQUANT SITUATION.

LABOUR PARTY ATTITUDE

IMPREST SUPPLY BILL.

[BT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.]

WELLINGTON. Friday.

The first clash of the session occurred in the House of Representatives this evening.

The afternoon's sitting was mainly demoted to tho paying of tributes to tho memories of ex-legislators who had died during the recess, and an early adjournment was made as a mark of respect. However, as soon as tho House mefc in the evening, it at onco plunged into a discussion on a subject of no national moment, but one which almost led to tho ringing of the division bells to determine a question accepted by the Government aa one of no-confidence. As a result of the decision made at the United Party caucus, Mr. W. A. Bodkin was nominated for the .Vacant post of Chairman of Committees. It has been an open secret in the lobbies that the selection of Mr. Bodkin was made only after a ballot had been taken among several candidates. Those who went to the ballot with Mr. Bodkin then included Mr. J. A. Macpherson, Mr. W. J. Broad, foot, and Mr. J. T. Hogan, the last-named being nominally an Independent. Mr. Bodkin was chosen and accordingly his name was officially recommended to the House through the party Whips. Reform Seasons. It was then that Mr. H. S. S. Ivyle, a Reform member, proposed Mr. J. A. Macpherson, tho United member for Oamaru, in view of his longer associations .with'the House, and the belief that his appointment would be more satisfactory generally for good or ill. The Labour Party soon made it clear that it intended to stand behind the Government, an action entirely in line with its past conduct. Thus it was evident that had a division been taken the official nominee would have been placed in office through Labour ranging itself beside the Government. The situation had unusual piquancy in -ihat both nominees were members of the Government Party and by his long-main-tained silence it was evident that Mr. Macpherson was pondering tho question seriously. An unusual situation was ended when Mr. Macpherson was . definitely assured that he would not embarrass his party by allowing his name to go to the .vote. Several speakers made play with talk of a general election being precipitated if- Mr. Bodkin were not elected. Reform members ridiculed such suggestions, claiming that Mr. Macpherson had been proposed purely because he was deemed to be more suited for the post. Urgency to Imprest Supply. With the chairmanship question disposed of, attention was turned to the first Imprest Supply Bill, to which urgency was accorded. As there was a prospect of a protracted sitting an adjournment for supper was taken at 9.30 and half an hour later the House reassembled to continue a debate which lends itself _to almost inexhaustible treatment on a wide variety of subjects. No one expects that Labour will vote the Government out of office this'session, but for all that Labour members were very plain spoken in their criticism of the Government, particularly in its handling of the unemployment problem. The debate was still in progress at a late hour. POSTAL DISMISSALS. THE AUCKLAND CASES. PLEAS FOR CONSIDERATION. . / [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL RETORTER.] WELLINGTON. Friday. Four petitions bearing on the recent dismissals from the Post and Telegraph Department at Auckland were presented in the House to-day. Three of tho petitioners, R. W. S. Smith, J. H. Edwards, and L. C. Rains, said they had been charged with misconduct in that {hey conveyed certain information about racing over an official telephone. They were dismissed from their employment in December, 1929, and their appeals were dismissed in the following February. Claiming that" there was no justification for their convictions, and that in any event the punishment was out of proportion to the alleged offences, tho petitioners prayed for such relief as might be deemed fit. The fourth petitioner, E. W. Anstis, said ho had been dismissed for conveying information relating to betting over an official telephone and he claimed that tho punishment was disproportionate to the offence proved against him. LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS. THE METHOD OF VOTING. POSITION IN AUCKLAND.

[BY TELEGRAM. —SPECIAL IIEI'OHTEU.] WELLINGTON. Friday. Whether tho better method of voting nt local body elections is by striking out the names of candidates not favoured by tlio voter or by placing a cross against tlio names of candidates tho elector dosires to support is a question which has been much argued. The cross system was for some time operative, but a change to the other method was subsequently made. . A bill designed to give local bodies the option of using either system was introduced in tho House of Representatives to-day by Mr. 11. G. R. Mason (Labour — .Auckland Suburbs). Quoting the case of the Auckland City Council in support of his proposals, Mr. Mason said at tho 1925 election when the cross system was used the informal votes totalled 274, but at tho following election under tho other system the informal votes were 3251. Thus the percentage had grown from 1.77 to 15.33. It woe exceedingly unsatisfactory that such a largo number of electors should bo disfranchised. At tho last election in Auckland informal votes totalled 2933, or 12.22 per cent., which showed that tho position had not greatly improved. Tho trouble in Auckland was that thero was. a largo number of candidates and many voters inadvertently voted for one more candidate than was permitted. / Tho position, Mr. Mason believed, was much tho same in the other large centres. • Tho bill was read a first time and will be further considered on July 9»