THE SPEAKERSHIP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15788, 12 June 1913, Page 6

THE SPEAKERSHIP.

It wis perhaps- inevitable that the question of the successorship to the Speaker should be raked for consideration even while tribute is being paid to the qualities ■which enabled Sir Arthur Guinness adequately and efficiently to preside over the proceedings of tho House of Representatives. The fact that only a fortnight hence the General\Assembly will meet for the despatch of business may possibly in itself servo as a sufficient excuse for what in other circumstances might be regarded as the unseemly haste with which the matter of the future occupancy of the Speaker's

ohair is berng discussed. There does not seem, however, to be any reason why the House.should look beyond the one man who may aJmost be said to have a prescriptive right of appointment to the office which unfortunately has just become vacant. The Chairman of Committees, who is the Deputy-Speaker, stands in the natural order of succession to the Speakership. Moreover, precedent supports the view that the appointment "should be conferred upon the officer of the House upon whom, in the case of the Speaker's illness, the duties of Speaker would devolve and upon whom, we take it, in an emergency such as the present, the duties of tho Speaker at the opening of Parliament must devolve. Sir Arthur Guinness himself was promoted to tho office of Speaker after he had occupied the position o£Chairman of Committees for a number of years. Before him, Sir Maurice O'RSrke similarly acted as Chairman of Committees beforo lie was appointed Speaker. In the House of Commons itself, where the service Of an apprenticeship,-so to speak, to the duties of the chair 'has not always or even generally been regarded as necessary on the part of any member aspiring to the office of Speaker, the plan of promotion from the position of Chairman oi Committees to the more honourable position of Speaker was. followed with the happiest results on the occasion of the most recent election. While precedent, therefore, supports the view that Mr F. W. Lang should become the successor of Sir.Arthur Guinness, his personal fitness for the office may also bo urged as a reason why ho should be appointed. There are mcmbens of the House, namely, ' Mr Millar and Mr Wilford, who have had longer experience in the position of Chairman of Committees than Mr Lang has had, but, even if either of them should be a candidate for' the Speakership—and that is not likely—this is not a circumstance which could reasonably be said to oust Mr Lang's claims in the event of his seeki,ng the appointment, Mr Lang has, as a matter of fact, held the position of Chairman of Committees for one session only, but his performance of tho duties of the office gave entire satisfaction and, as he is very popular on both sides of the House,St may be confidently asserted that the observance of precedent in tho election of tho Speaker' a fortnight hence will ba generally agreeable to tho members.