POLITICAL PALAVER

NZ Truth, Issue 743, 13 September 1919, Page 6

POLITICAL PALAVER

Paragraphs Pertaining to Parliamentarians

(By "X.M.P.")

The placing of the vacant portfolios has not been a pleasant Job for Mr. Massey, and those which at time of writing have been allocated, but merely emphasise the poverty of material at the service of the Prime Minister , and his chief henchman Sir James. I When a party is reduced to the necessity of appointing as a Minister such a nonentity and narrow-brained bigot as the member for Ashburton has been at pains to proclaim himself to be session after session, then Indeed it is m parlous case, and if it had any sense of honor left would first commit political harakiri. Indeed it is doing this last anyway, for when the intelligent electors of New Zealand see the type of men Mr. Massey is foisting ■utpon them as rulers (and at good trade . union wages, too), they will have to make UP their minds as to whether the future Ministry and Parliament will be a reflection "of," or a reflection "on" themselves. If they are to avoid the latter calamity, then Bluff Bill and his band of boodler backers must be given the ballot-box bump. • • • When the Prime Minister, as ihe loves to be called m preference to mere Premier,' moved the ratification of the Peace Treaty, the House and the galleries anticipated a somewhat lively, if not learned debate, Mr. Holland interrupted Mr. Massey to ask the time allowed to each speaker, and on being told that it was thirty minutes, lie intimated that he thought an hour ought to be allowed. Other members thought the half -hour ample, but Big Bill stated that if what a speaker had to say. was sufficiently interesting no doubt the House would grartt an extension of time. As Harry had a mass of documents on his desk, the whisper went round that he had probably prepared a special speech for the occasion. Never were hopes more utterly disappointed. The Premier was prosily prolix to extreme weariness. The Liberal leader, though considerably better, was "no great shakes," while the Labor members only showed how much they have yet to learn before they are able to deal effectively with any really big question and never has ; the parochialism of our politics and politicians been made more painfully plain. Mr. Massey seemed to forget the chief points of the Peace Treaty and see only the Isle of Nauru. To him that little part seemed more than the whole. "X.M.P." will suspend his judgment on the point raised until he has an opportunity of reading and analysing what Billy Hughes, across the Tasman, has to say on the matter. It was amusing also to see the !*man" m Mr. Massey conflicting with the Tory Premier, when dealing with the question of punishing the Kaiser. He frankly admitted that his ideas of elemental Justice could not be squared with what the lawyers claimed as a sovereign's prerogatives. • * « The speeches of the Labor members, looked forward to with such hope by the devotees of Demos m the galleries and with considerable apprehension by leaders and members on more than one side of the House, proved a disappointment to the first and a relief to the others. The speeches themselves were fairly good, Mr. Holland's particularly so as a speech, but they did riot grip at the vital parts of the treaty and help forward the very purpose all such debates should haye — the further and fuller enlightenment of the public. In this respect the debate was a failure, and the treaty might as well have been ratified on the voices. The Labor men maintained that the Kaiser could not be held as wholly guilty for the war as the root cause of all war was economic, and that so long as capitalism lasted, causes of war would not be wanting, an opinion that an everincreasing number of intelligent people are indorsing as their eyes are opened to the intrigues and other tricks of the international gang Of capitalists. Their speeches, however, reminded 'XMJ*. 1 ' of a statement made by. Earl Russell during a somewhat similar debate m the House of Lords. He told his fellow Lords that the value of the debate, if any, would be m the fact that it educated their lordships, rather than the public, especially the working-class portion of the public; then he added pleasantly: "Probably the workers know more about such problems than is known by your Lordships." Even so, the speeches of the Labor, men while they fail to teach the public anything new, may have considerably enlightened some of their fellow Parliamentarians as to the economic basis of war. • • * On Wednesday afternoon the debate and repartee showed that the members of the House were very much alive to the fact that they had but a very little time left to make a sufficiently good Impression on the public before standing the test of another election. Though it must be admitted that the " Defonners " were alert, the Liberals were evidently determined to let no point pass that could be made to tell m their favor. Sometimes their anxiety to score brought them a well-merited Roland for their Oliver. This was the case when Sir Joseph Ward with well-assimilated sincerity asked Mr. Massey if his assumption of the position of Minister of Railways was merely as a stop- gap, or did he intend to hold the portfolio permanently? Mr. Massey, smiling "like a beggar's pooch," said he had pleasure m i informing the Leader of the Opposition that he was no "stop-gap," and while he could not say he would hold the position permanently, he hoped the people would be wise enough to give him the opportunity "to hold it for the next six or seven years." • * * But the honors of the afternoon undoubtedly lay with the Labor Party. The opportunity came when Mr. MacDonald introduced his Board of Trade Bill. The ex-acting-President of the Board of Trade frankly admitted the limitations of the Board as it at present existed, and said that it was because of its limited powers that it was unable to do all it might have done. He drew from Mr. Massey a disclaimer as to his intention to cast reflections on the Board by the statements contained m the Premier's recent letter to that body, but Mr. Massey's after remarks revealed that disclaimer as an act of courtesy rather than a statement of veracity. . Mr. Massey thought Mr. Mac Donald's Bill a very good Bill, but scarcely sufficiently drastic. The Bill should be made more drastic so that profiteering could s be put down once for all. When askefa why he had not. done so before? he repeated that time-dishonored excuse of the procrastinater, "Better late than never." Mr. Massey will find before he is Aery much older that that aphorism stands [as self-condemnatory among men and women who are m earnest, and whose motto m such things is, "Better never late." * * * Then Mr. Parr had a chip m. He declared the Board of Trade had been a total failure, but he tried to say it m a way that wouldn't hurt any more than was absolutely unavoidable — just like the Board of Trade had carried out its duties. Mr. Parr seemed to feel strongly what he said, but he hesitated translating his feelings into fitting words . lest nis ' utterances might be nuch as helie his profession of Toryism. Then followed Jamie McCombs on the Labor side. He shov;ed that he-had

i a thorough grasp of Ms subject, had . absolute confidence m his ability to : handle it as it ought to be handled, ■ I and if he did not give an absolutely I • fair field (men who feel very strongly • i seldom do), he at least showed favor .i to none. He whipped Mr. Massey till • that gentleman physically "whimpered, i moving uneasily m his seat- He turn- ; ed on Sir Joseph Ward and the lash l metaphorically lifted the flesh every ■ lick. On Mr. Mac Donald he had no i mercy, and even to that gentleman's ' well-known good intentions he had not : a kindly word, indeed he denied their " very existence. He admitted the Board • had little or no power, but it had all > the power Mr. Massey or Sir Joseph : Ward intended it to have. • • « i Lyttelton's elect was followed by ' Wanganui Veitch, "W.A's" manner of dealing with a question, his style • of address and the very language he ' uses is as different from that of Mr. i McCombs as it is possible to find m ' any other member of the House, but : though lacking m the forcefulness and analytical skill of the former, Mr. Veitoh has qualities quite his own that ' must not be overlooked. And those i qualities were strongly In evidence on i Wednesday last. He seemed to be chastising the Board of Trade much as a loving parent would a naughty child — more m sorrow than m anger. He wasted no words m rhetorical abuse, but laid bare weakness after weakness In the administration, all of which he sheeted home to Mr. Massey. Mr. Massey was obviously much perturbed. When Veitch quoted what Big Bill had said when the Cost of Living Committee gave its report, the Premier interjected that he had meant something different. Without a ruffle, and as calmly as if he was saying "grace" before a "dram," the member for Wanganui replied, "I am not dealing with what Mr. Massey meant, Mr. Speaker. I admit it is very difficult at times to tell exactly what he does mean. I am dealing with what he said." He then went on to show that the "doi nothing, no-publicity" policy of the Board of Trade led to perfectly innocent traders being branded ?as profitl eers, while the really guilty persons went on their evil way rejoicing and ' unsuspected. '_ • • • i It may have been an inverted com- : pliment to Mr. Sidey's strenuous efforts on behalf of daylight saving that the : members sat all Wednesday night and thus saved the daylight for personal leisure on Thursday afternoon, but the average man, will have another name foT it than economy. Coal is admit-' tedly scarce, yet rather than sit during i the day when God's daylight could be used free, gratis and for nothing, the Government evidently prefers to work In the night, which is much more ; costly. Ah, well, an Old Book "X.M.P." was once familiar with says: "Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil," or something to that effect. . • • © Space will not permit of anything like a full or even fair description of the all-night debate. Suffice it to say that Jamie McCombs was at his best 1 and was ably supported by John Payne, his fellow Labor members and several Radicals and Masseyites who kept wide-awake m a double sense of the term. As the termination of the debate approached the anxiety of Ministers became very great as they looked round the empty benches. . Scouts were 1 sent out to bring m as many Government supporters as possible. Among the number brought m was Mr. Statham, who, much to the consternation of his old leader, promptly intimated his intention to support Mr. 1 McCombs. In aJI, four Masseyites supported the amendment, while five so-called Liberals supported the Government. One of these, Mr. Ell, while stating that he was against the clause, said he would, support it to "help the Government." As Ell is said to b© out • to oppose Mr. McCombs for Lyttelton at next election, It may be he Is expecting something m the form of a quid pro quo to help Mr. Ell. Oh, Ell! • • • Having watched Mr. Statham throughout the whole of this Parliament, "X.M.P." was not surprised to find that gentleman standing by Mr. McCombs. Indeed the member for Dunedin Central never has been mentally m harmony with his Masseyite colleagues, and his statements and actions since the opening of the session give point to the rumor which associated his name with that of Dr. Newman as two of the • Government supporters that were likely to secede. Whatever Mr. Statham has returned to Wellington as, moderate Liberal, Radical or out-and-oiA Labor, is not yet apparent. One thing, however, is plain. He is no longer, if he ever really was, a Masseyite. As for Dr. Newman, well "X.M.P." would put him down at present as, politically, a very unhappy man.