HOUSE MEETS TO-MORROW

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11437, 6 February 1923, Page 5

HOUSE MEETS TO-MORROW

HOW WILL MEMBERS VOTE ON NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION? SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OF SEATS When Parliament opens to-morrow the members of both Houses will assemble in the Legislative Council chamber. Tho members of the House of Representatives will be . formally requested to retire and elect a Speaker, and they will proceed to their own chamber to do so. This will he the principal business of the day. How long the House will he in finding an occupant of the chair remains to be seen, but the general impression is that Air C. E. Statham will he elected. A Speaker having been found, the legislators will assemble on Thursday to hear the “Speech from the Throne,” which in the present circumstances may go close to the record for brevity. It is expected that the Address-in-Reply will he moved by Mr Girling, the new member for Wairau. AFTER THE POLL. Tho positions of tho parties in the House of Representatives immediately after the general election in De eember appeared to be as follows: Reform 38 Liberal-Labour ZA Labour 17 Independent I THE NEW HOUSE. The memhers of the new House aro as follow: REFORM—(3B). K. S. WILLIAMS, Bay of Plenty. J. P. LUKE, Wellington North. DOWNIE STEWART. Dunedin West. J. S. DIXON, Parnell. J. G. COATES, Kaipara. HON. W. F. MASSEY. Franklin. G. R. SYKES. Masterton. A- D. McLEOD, Wairarapa. W. H. FIELD. Otaki. I. A. NASH, Palmerston North. R. A. WRIGHT, Wellington Suburbs. D. H. GUTHRIE. Oroua. SIR R. H. RHODES, Ellesmere. HON. W. NOSWORTHY. Ashburton. F. J. ROLLESTON, Timaru. W. GIRLING, Wairau. A. HARRIS, Waitemata. HON. C. J. PARR. Eden. V. H. POTTER, Roskill. R. F. BOLLARD, Raglan. T. W. RHODES, Thames. SIR W. H. HERRIES. Tauranga. J. A. YOUNG. Hamilton. F. F. HOCKLY. Rotorua. W. D. LYSNAR, Gisborne. 81R G. HUNTER. Waipawa. O. J. HAWKEN, Egmont. J. LINKLATER. Manawatu. W. S. GLENN. Bangitikel. R. P. HUDSON. Motueka. F. J. ROLLESTON. Tiraarn. T. G. BURNETT, Temuka. J. BITCHF.NFSR. Waitaki. J. McC. DICKSON. Chalmere. HON. G. J. ANDERSON, Mataura. TAUA HENARE. Alaori. SIR MAUI POMARB. Maori. J. H. W. URU. Maori.

LIBERAL —(24). T. K. BIDEY, Dunedin South. T. M. WII.F6KD.Hutt. W. A. VEITCH. NVanganui. Q. W. FORBES, Hurunui. L. 31. ISITT, Christchurch North. A. T. NGATA, Eastern Maori. O. McKAY. Hawke’* Bay E. A. RANSOM, Pahiatua. R. MASTERS. Stratford. A. J. MURDOCH, Mareden. H. POIiAND. Ohinemuri. F. LYE. Waikato. S. G. SMITH, Taranaki J. R. CORRIGAN, Patea. H. ATMORE, Nelson. HON. D. BUD DO. Kaiapol G. WITTY. Riccarton. J. A MACPHERSON, Oamaru. J. THOMSON, Wallace. J. ED lE. Clutha. J. HORN. Wakatipn. HON. J. A. HAN AN, Invercargill. P. A. de la PERELLE, Avarua. A. BELL, Bay of lelanda. LABOUR/—(17). P. FRASER, Wellington Central. E. J. HOWARD, Christchurch South. R. McKBEN. Wellington South. H. T. ARMSTRONG, Christchurch East A. L. MONTBITH, Wellington East. W. PARRY, Auckland Central. D. G. BULUVAN, Avon J. McCOMBS. Lyttelton. J. A. LEE, Auckland East. M. J. SAVAGE. Auckland West. F. N. BARTRAM. Grey Lynn. L. McILVRIDE, Napier. H. B. HOLLAND, Buller. W. J. JORDAN, Manukau. F. LANOSTONE, Waimarino. J. O’BRIEN, Westland. J. W. MUNRO. Dunedin North. INDEPENDENT—(I). C, B. STATHAiI, DuneXin Central. POSITION UNUSUALLY INTERESTING. At the time of the announcement of the polls the Government appeared to be in a small minority, but since then questions have arisen as to bow certain members will vote on a no-oon-fidence motion, and the opinion is held that three of those who had been included in the Liberal list will vote with the Reformers. This makes tho position unusually interesting, and it is obvious that considerable importance attaches to a few members. SELECTING SEATS. Hie marking of the seats in the House may give some indication of what will occur when the division bell calls on every member, to show his hand Chi the Liberal side of the House Air Wilford, of course, will occupy his former seat in the front row of the Opposition benches, with Mr Sidey on his left and Messrs Veitch and Ngata on his right. The remaining front seate have been allotted to Messrs Forbes, Masters, Hannn and the Hon. I>. Buddo. Laßt session Mr G. Witty was a front bencher, but this time his name does not appear in the row. In the second row on the Liberal benches are Messrs J. C. Thomson, Horn, Atmore, Macpherson, Isitt, and Edie. The back bench of the Liberal section will be occupied by Messrs de la Perelle. S. G. Smith, Poland, Murdoch. Lye, Corrigan,' McKay and Ransom. Among the things of interest which these markings of seats convey is the disappearance from the Liberal aids of the floor of Mr G. Witty and the absence from it of Messrs Statham and Bell. Mr Statham last session sat on the Liberal side in a seat in the back bench which this time binbeen ticketed for 'fr McKay. So far Mr Statham has not marked for himself a seat, though there are still two vacancies on the Liberal, side. MR WITTY CHANGES HIS PLACE Mr Witty’s new seat is on the cross benches on tho Reform side of the floor. For him has been ticketed the seat formerly occupied by -vlr Clutha Mackenzie, who is not a member of tho present Parliament, hut who supported Mr Massey when in the House. It has been said that Mr Witty had little option in changing his seat as his old place was marked for another, hut the fact remains that there are

still (two unoccupied seats in the Liberal block. MR BELL NEAR MR WITTY. Next to Mr Witty will he Mr A. Bell, who will share a seat with Mr Lysnar, who has vacated his seat immediately behind the Labour members and found a place nearer his party. LABOUR’S FRONT ROW. Laboui is occupying more space than formerly, and now requires practically the whole of the cross-benches to the left of the Speaker. Those occupying the front row of the Labour benches will be Messrs Holland, Fraser, Sullivan and McCombs. WILL REFORM HAVE A MAJORITY OF THREE? The allhtment of seats appears to ■give colour to the Tumour that Messrs Witty and Bell are likely to vote with the Government on a noconfidence motion, but it is noticeable that Mr Isitt retains his former seat among the Liberals. . Another point is that Mr Statham has no seat marked for him, and this, of course, is taken by some as evidence supporting the story that he will accept the Speakership The position appears to be this; if Messrs Witty and Bell give their votes to the Government when the test Si applied, and Mr Isitt also votes with the Reformers, Mr Massey and his followers will on that occasion number 41. .And if Mr Statham becomes Speaker, the Opposition will be reduced one more, which will make their combined strength 38. Thus Mr Massey would have a majority of three with which to carry on.