WASTE OF TIME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16508, 7 October 1915, Page 4

WASTE OF TIME

PRIME MINISTER! REBUKES: MEMBERS. " ' PROFITLESS DISCUSSIONS. - THE COUNTRY PAYS. ' (Fbom Oub Own Cobbespondent.) WELLINGTON, October 6. The bulk of the afternoon sitting of the House of Representatives to-day was taken , ; up by a somewhat heated' debate—if it could be dignified by the namer-on a Protection of Members Bill, introduced by Mr Hornsby. ' •,/ ■ After an explanation of the Bill, which: < ■ i£ appeared was in some vague way to prevent the rights of members of .'Parli'a-. ment from being "whittled away" and to protect members against hostile criticism in the newspapers, Mr Hornsby pro- .< ceeded to make a bitter'personal attack'on the ■ editor of the Christchurch Press. . ( Some time ago the Prass editorially deprecated Mr Hornsby's action in stating, in , • the House of Representatives that there were rumours that some of the men .who returned: on the troopship Tahiti were ■ ••," suffering from"" military rheumatism,"and the gravamen of Mr Hornsby's charge was that ithat journal had riot given him a chance to < replv in its columns. Leaving this point, however, he made offensive suggestions regarding what he alleged > were the' ambitions of the editor of the Press, whom he characterised as'a " tuft hunter." '■' J '' . Dr Thacker spoke in the same strain, and several other members spoke at greater : or less length, on the Bill.; , ' The Prime Minister made a strong protest against all ■ this waste of time on a Bill which,as he pointed out, it-was. cer- > tain could not go any further than-.its first rea'ding, since there were no.; more . private' members? days duriiig "the session.; , The same waste of time, he Said, had been going on throughout the session, though the present session more than any in the past was. one which should' not; be prolonged any longer .'than was . absolutely-; necessary for the efficient transaction of' business. The time of Parliament be- , \ longed to the country,'and the.ratepayers ' : had td pay for the expense caused by its undue prolongation-; yet he ''' had been informed that it was the inten- > tion of .certain members to talk out all ' , the afternoon sittings.—(Cries.of dissent.) For the past fortnight the afternoon sitr V . tings had certainly been wasted. Some of the speeches they had heard that afternoon were not, he thought, conducive tothe dignity of Parliament or likely to in-' crease the respect in which the 5 people should hold it. :. Let useless discussions be waived at the present and the business of the session be concluded.