POLITICAL PALAVER

NZ Truth, Issue 377, 14 September 1912, Page 4

POLITICAL PALAVER

Paragraphs Pertaining to Parliamentarians

"Darn" "Fisher states that it costs £i 4s id per page to print and publish "Hansard." x * * « Heading between the lines on Tuesday, it was evident that many members aro dissatisfied with the present honorarium of £300 per annum. * » • • The name of It. McCallum, M.P. for Wairau, has been placed on the Education Committee, vice "Tarn" Mackenzie, resigned his seat m the House on his appointment as High Commissioner. * . « . .« The functions of leader of the Opposition have this week been exercis-' ed by CJ. Witty (Riccarton), sitting half the width of the Chamber from tho vacant seat by custom allocated to the leader of the Opposition. ■ • •» The Minister of Labor (Hon. W.. F. Massey) has given the Chief Inspector of Factories 'instructions to report as to the efficiency of the existing law m securing facilities for the seating of women shop-assis-tants. • • • James Allen, on Thursday evening, gave what was generally' considered to be a clear and lucid explanation of the Land and Income Assessment Amendment Bill, although, from a gallery point of view, it was uninteresting. -■■■■■■.''■' < A. H. Hindmarsh .(Wellington South) is strongly opposed to members exhibiting that sense of proprietorship, which leads them to regard the library, the tennis courts, and the parliamentary precincts generally as a sort of club. • ■ • ■ ■ . • • ■ •■■ . :- The Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey) states that the new High Commissioner ("Turn" Mackenzie) has been instructed to go fully into the matter of 'purchasing more suitable buildings for the High Commissioner's Office m London, on his arrival 5n London/ and to report to the Government. »■ • - * • ' ■ ♦ Laurenson's exposition on logic/ on Thursday reminds one of the old story of an aged couple attending a lecture at which the lecturer kept on referring to metaphysics. The old woman finally asked her husband what was the meaning of metaphysics, to whiclj her husband gravely replied that metaphysics was "one man tryin' to tell andther what he don't know himself." ' ♦ ... ♦'. ' • The irritating Isitt individual, whose perpetual parrot-cry is "Can't hear !" got one where the chicken got tho axe during ; the week from Davie liuick (I'almerston), who told him to get his hair cut and clean his ears. Of course, it was unparliamentary, but Christchurch North's pseudo-clerical representative will. get it worse than that if he persists m puerilities. . - • • . . v • • The Upper House threw out the Government's Legislative Council Elections bill by twenty votes to thirteen on Wednesday last. , It remains to be seen now whether the Government will introduce the Bill m the House of Representatives. It is more likely that this will bo done than that tho Upper House will bo "swamped" at the present juncture. .• '■••■'■•. J. A. Hanan's objection to the present Government is that its members ure not all of one mind, some, for Instance, being m favor of a Civil Service Commission, while others are opposed to it. As a member of a disunited party, lnvercargill's anointed ! should set his own house In order, first, j for, surely, as an instance of a party divided against, itself, the Opposition stand. unique. • ; "■*' ".' "' ■ '■' * . ' ' • * It was. bound to come, and, therefore, if. has .occasioned 'no surprise. Tom Wilford "(Huit): has seceded from tho Opposition, aad become an "indedendent •Liberal. " One by one, the once invulnerablo and now leaderless party Is being deserted by its erstwhile strongest supporters, and soon the only ! men to rally round the tattered and j torn standard will be those of the Lau-renson-cum-EU-cum-Isltt variety. ♦ • • ' According to tho Minister of Justico (Hon. A. L. Herdman), the police authorities are making inquiries '■ into Uio question of tho betting that iis carried on with Tattorsall's and i other agencies, and will prosecuto |any person whom they Hnd olTending 1 against the gaming laws. According to G. M. Thomson (Dunedin North), "tho evil still exists, and leads to tho sen-ding out of considerable sums of money from the Dominion each year." Well, it would be easy enough to pass an Act legalising "Tatts." and so keep those sums m tho Dominion. • * • ♦ IT. .!. H. Okey (Tarnnaki), who has always championed tho causo of Joshua Jones, moved, oncl L). H. Guthrio (prona) seconded, a resolution on Wednesday lost that there bo laid before the Mouse a return showing_(l) All payments niaflo by the two late Governments on account of the purchusc of the Alokau-Mohaka-tjno Wlock, itnd (2) all payments made to any solicitors m connection with the scune block for the two vcars ended March :n.. JM2- Tho ilouso afireed to the resolution without a -single dissentient voice ! 'llierc I will be a Uoyal Commission on this | matter yet. • • • Tho Minister of Labor (Hon. W. P. Massey) stated on Wednesday that the "Government has done, nnd is still doing, cverythinir pos.slblo to br'mu; nhout a Rettlcment of the ( strikes at Waihl «««l Kt'ofUm. Xogo- ; tiation.s have bocn Ro'.njr «n between the p.irlleK to the ' «J'«P (U «? at lie<-fion j anil hiJiiself. Inn. »P «o «hi? present, i tluv have noL \na-n successful. • Two I fonclHai.ion CouittilsHioii'.-rx have also visHctl Wnthl ami reported „n th.« position there. . Tho Government is "net in* on their report, hut does not think It mlvimible m thu public intorest to make any further statement at the present juncture.

G. "W. Russell (Avon) has£|evelopea into the most caustic an«d cjlSjf^ng critic of the Massey Administration. > *•• * * A damning indictment against tho present system of political administration of the Public Service was delivered by "Darn" Fisher on Tuesday last. . «= •' "You do not expect the, chamois to make its appearance by the mule track."— T. M. Wilford (Hutt) on what he terms "eleventh-hour men." -when speaking on the Public Service Bill. ■•' * . * The second-reading debate on the Public Service Bill resolved itself into an unusually spirited discussion pro and con., and, at an early hour on Wednesday morning, it was carried by 36 votes to 25. | = - *■-•. •■ ■ •■ ■ ■ *:■ ■•,' Strangle what a number of members consider the Public Service Commission's Report an admirable one, and yet do not agree with its conclusions or with a Bill designed to carry those conclusions into effect. •.* « ■ " Wilford (Hutt) : "Some men collect postage stamps, some men collect autographs, I know of one man who used to collect conviction receipts for straying cattle i' I believe the hon.. member's (Herdman's) fad is Public Servica Commissions." ■■■■;.•. •\ . . ..•-..;•. Wilford differentiates between "merit" and "ability" as a test of fitness for promotion. Wherein lies the difference? : Surely, the difference between Tweedledum and Tweedlede! Tho member for Hutt is a bit of a sophist, but then he is a lawyer, which explains a lot. • .:>:■ • . • • • ,;.. G. M. Thomson (Dunedin North) made an eloquent appeal on Tuesday last m favor of the establishment of a national library, especially one wellequippod with . up-to-date scientific works. It would have to be located somewhere, and, queried the scientific member, where better than m tha main centre? •♦' / . ■ *■ ■ : ■ ' * ' •---■ '■ There is undoubtedly a good. deal of unrest and dissatisfaction m the PUbiic Service, and, .while, a Public Service Commission may not be a panacea for all existing evils, such a reform would undeniaibly minimise that unrest and dissatisfaction. Some men, of course, would not be satisfied even under tha regime of the Archangel Gabriel, • • .•■*■' ■'-■■■ Sir Joseph Ward made the most ,vtg,orous speech. he has made this session on Tuesday evening last m opposing the appointment of a Public Service Commission, basing his opposition mainly on the "Club" influence which the Right Hon. member for Awarua believed would be brought to bear on the Commissioners. : ; ' ♦■ * *■■■*..' . Herdman's speech when moving tha second reading ol his Public Service Bill embraced a lengthy and carefully prepared dissertation based on historical material dated from as far back as the reign of King John, on the practice of other countries where a similar system 1 obtains, and upon an. explanation of the salient features of his own Bill. It was historical, comparative and descriptive. . \ »- • • • . Hon. A. Ij. Herdman has fortified himself with opinions m favor of his Public Service Bill from the Federal Attorney -General of the : Commonwealth and of the State AttorneysGeneral of Now South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, m all of ('which places the public services are under commissions. Queensland and South Australia, where no such commissions exist, re-ported unfavorably, and Western Australia failed to report. • • •■■•■-". G. W. Russell (Avon), who, by the way, now occupies the seat formerly occupied by "Darn" Fisher, was tha tetter's chief interjecitor during" the Public Service Bill, second-reading debate. Russell, m a state of excitement, wanted to know if the Minister proposed to lay "the table on the House," meaning "the paper (from which he had been quoting) on the table of the House. The slip caused mucly mer--riment. • • • The Attorney-General (Hon. A- I* Herdman), referring to the winter of his discontent, when, m tho cold shades of Opposition, ho had failed to gain duo consideration for his Public Sen-ice Bill, stated, on Tuesday, when moving the second reading of this Bill, that ha was now enjoying the warmth of summer. '"It sounds like it outside," interjected an Opposition member, as the cold southerly wind pitilessly blew the dismal rain against the window panes. ••■ " " A discussion on the establishment of a national Institution for the housing of Interesting relics peculiar to "New Zealand gave rise to the inevitable question of town versus country. Country members are as jealous of the four centres as they could well be, and, if they hud their way. there would be no such things as public libraries, museums or urt galleries, and New Zealand would r,lnk into the ruck of scmlclvllisod and half-educated farming communities. • • • j Craigio (Timaru), ns Chairman of tho Public Petitions M to Z Committee, was very incensed ai a letter upncnrlng" In last M undo yV "Dominion." ! signed "by W. Rcvell Reynolds, rfcllcctIng upon its consideration of a petition relativo to the Cook Islands, nnd h» moved to have the Until paragraph doclared a breach ol privilege. , T. M. Wilford (Hutt) seconded >■s#> forma. Sevor.il membert*. Including the Prime Minister, while considering the remarks of the writer of tho letter unjustlflablo, deprecated tho waste of Umo m discussing lU an( l tne motion was withdrawn. • • • "N.Z. Times" hue. so the Prlm«- Minister assert s. "fallen In" n*ruin, the occasion being tho publication In that journal on Friday of lust wci-U of a U-tter headed "Political InfluemV and slgnod "l-\ilr Play.". statins that v lypist hart been "sucked" ami another one nj>polnh«<l I" her plnco on a )<ut.-r from Mr .Miiwry. The I'rimo MinfKti>r FrthJ JhiU ;\ i>'J>l^ I" ihc A«rlciiltural Department had hwn promote i 0 a JUpher position In tho I'uhlte Trust Omee. and. In nor pltwo-. a Huocssor h:ul been appointed from n 'number of applicants, bul not on any Utter fr.mi himself. The lettor. ho said. whs a tissue of misstaUMiientjj.