OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20583, 5 December 1928, Page 10

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

KEEN PUBLIC INTEREST. * GALLERIES OF HOUSE CROWDED. THE FORMALITIES COMPLETED / I SIR CHARLES STATHAM REELECTED SPEAKER. (Pb* United Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, December 4. The opening of Parliament in June is generally associated with dull days, if not inclement weather, but in December the whole aspect ia changed. Blue skies and bright sunshine were the predominating feature# to-day when the first session of the twenty-third Parliament of •'New Zealand wag ushered in. *• In view of the surprising developments -at the recent general election, the event was fraught with moije than ordinary interest, and this was manifested by the large crowds which assembled in the vicinity 6f Parliament Buildings aa the opening hour approached. The newly-elected members were objects of special observation >nd criticism. Inside the House of there were crowded-gal-lories, on every hand, and as members look their seats the public was tensely ..engaged in sorting them out. Great changes were at once apparent, jmore- in the etate of the parties than in the pereonnel. Reform,, which once flowed over three-fourths of the Chamber, has now shrunk to one-third. The Opposition benches, no longer occupied by Labour, are filled by United Party members, who for/he (post part ar© new to the , scene, while Labour, increased in numbers, but thorn of official status/ fills up the cross benches under the ladies’ gallery. In this part of the House there site in conspicuous isolation Mr H. M. Rushwdrth, the sole representative .p£ the Country Party, Scarcely .t had members thus roughly grouped themselves than Black Rod entered and summoned them to proceed to th© Legislative Council to hear his Excellency the Governor-General’s commission read. . '

Tile proceedings were distinctly formal. Sir Walter Camcross, Sir! Francis Bell, Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, and Sir William Had-Jonea represented - hia Excellency, The first-named read hie Excellency's an---nouncemenfc that Parliament had been summoned for the transaction of business and bade members of the House repair to their own Chamber and elect a Speaker, These proceedings were watched by almost .empty galleries, the public apparently sensing that althougli . the occasion was • , : interesting nothing that, would happen in -connection with it would be.' 1 ' MEMBERS TAKE THE OATH.

On returning to the H6use of Representatives members encountered sc altogether. difEerent scene, for there was an .air of animation and expectation on every aide; . Members were first called to the table m groups of four where they took oath of allegiance m the presence of; the clerk. The great majority performed; this obligation in the Orthodox fashion,* hut Radicals suCh/aa Mr P. Fraser (WclliMton Central) and Mr E. J. Howard (Christchurch East) did sir by affirmation. ! In this connection there was trouble with Mr J, M'Combs (Lyttelton), who wished to affirm with. the group taking vthe oath, but this the clerk .would not • permit, atatihg that Mr M'Combs must affirm with the others at the end of the * ceremony. • ‘ is ribgood to me,”.remarked Mr 'M Combs. He, therefore / neither took the nor affirmed, and so he will not bo . able to participate in to-morrow’s business until ha' has done one or the other. . , ELECTION OP SPEAKER.

The formality of swearing in finished, ' sir George Hunter (Waipawa) rose in , Jus place on the Reform side, and in ~ nervous, tremulous tones, moved that Sir Gharles Statham be elected Speaker of the Housel, In doing so he said he had great pleasure in. proposing the motion. Ever since its inception the House had been fortunate in/being able to secure men of high and great repute to occupy the Speaker’s chair. He could remem- , her when in 1834 Sir Charles Clifford was elected the first Speaker, and Sir Claries Clifford had been followed; by Sir David Monro, Sir D. Bell, Sir William Pitzherbert, Sir -.George O’Rorke, Sir A. Guinness, Sir >,William Jukes Steward, and Sir PredeLang. All had maintained the high -’ tradition of the office, and in 1923 the * House was fortunate in being able Eb secure the services of Sir Charles Statham. All the members realised the value of those services, and how fortunate the House was in again having the opportunity of selecting' a man so highly qualified to fill the position. ) Mr, J. A. Macpherson (Oamaru) seconded the motion. He said he was certain that Sir George Hunter’s eulogy ■ of Sir Charles Statham was nothing more than that to which Sir Charles was entitled. As past Speakers had done. Sir .Charles Statham had maintained the dig- , nity of the position with every credit, and ■he (Mr Macpherson) felt satisfied that in ' Sir Charts would carry on anil - raise his office to an even higher standard ’than in years gone by, if that were pos- ; slble. He wished to compliment Sir Charles more particularly on his ahsistance to young members'in the past. Mr . Macpherson concluded by stating that he i felt sure all the members would do all i .‘they could to enable the Speaker to preserve the dignity of the House as he had 1 maintained it in the first six years of ‘ office.

Mr Peter Fraser (Wellington Central) said ha wished to endorse the remarks .on behalf of the Labour Party. He had . sat. under Sir Charles Statham for six j years, and he was sure no better selection was possible. , He was confident ' that it was the unanimous opinion of all old members that Sir Charles carried the complete confidence of the whole House. Sir Charles Statham, from the floor of . the House, thanked the speakers for their remarks. He said he rcnliscd fully the responsibility of the position, and snb- • mitted himself to the will of the House. Sir Charles Statham was unanimously elected, there being no other nomination; and on being escorted to the Chair he 'again returned acknowledgment to the , House, After the Speaker had taken the Chair . the Prime Minister *Mr J. G. Coates) . offered Sir Charles Statham his congratulations. In doing so he said be felt tfiat lie ,was only echoing the sentiments of O',or.r member of the House. As-they ‘listened to ilie names mentioned by Sir Ccorgc Hunter all members must hare

realised the standard that had been set by 1 the Speakers in this country, and he considered that %3ir Charles Statham had added lustre to the high office. He had shown fair play and a non-partisan spirit towards every member of the House. His complete mastery and knowledge ol the forms ofthe House, of’the rulings of past Speakers, and of the Standing Orders led to the unanimity of the decision which the House had just reached—namely, that It considered Sir Charles Statham the u man who fitted the office. He had established there by his own personality and ability. It meant a lot to Parliament, and more to the country as a whole to .have In the Speaker’s chair a man who could guide the House amicably and justly in order that the people of New Zealand might look up to their Parliament, and mere particularly to those who conducted its procedure. Ho felt it his duty to offer Sir Charles Statham the congratuations of the people ■ of the people of New Zealand.—(Applause.) Sir Joseph Ward (Leader of the Opposition) added his appreciation. ‘He thought he was right in saying that the House could be absolutely unanimous on this one question—the fitness of Sir Charles Statham for the position. He was proud to be under a Speaker who ruled with such fairness, firmness, and dignity. , This Parliament had been memorable in history for the manner in which its business had been done, and one of the most important things it had to do was the election of a Speaker. He, for one, would be favourable towards no contest at any election for the scat occupied by the Speaker, Since 1887_he had sat under every Speaker in New Zealand, and he had > seen the Speakers in, other countries. He was proud of New Zealand’s Speakers and of the standard they had estab-' Hshed. He congratulated Sir Charles Statham on his calmness in moments of disturbance, on his firmness and determination, and on his recognition of the rights of every member of the House. Sir Joseph Ward also referred to the hospitality of the Speaker and ids lady, which, he said, took the edge off the ascerbities of Parliament.— {Applause,> Mr H. E, Holland (Leader of the Labour Party) joined with the Prime Minister and the .Leader of the Opposition in Congratulating Sir Charles . Statham on his election for the third time to the Speaker’s chair. This unanimous , selection, he considered, would bo unique in this Parliament. It would probably be the only unanimous decision to which the House would come. (Laughter.) : The House had been immeasurably richer in its debating standard by reason of. the manner in which Sir Charles Statham had applied the Standing Orders. , The Labour Party,’ and/in fact, all the membets of the House, joined in 'congratulating Sir Charles Statham.—(Applause.) Mr H. M. Rushworth (Bay cf Islands), the Country Party member, said it would be presumptuous for him to speak as a new member, but as the sole representative of the new party, he offered his congratulations.— (Laughter and applause.) Sir Charles ■ Statham, replying, expressed .appreciation of the remarks of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the Labour Party, “and, I underhand, the Leader of the Country Party,”—(Laughter.) After these speeches he felt bound to point out that the Speaker was, after all, only the humble instrument of the House. He would not have been able to carry put life duties faithfully without the loyal support of members, for which he thanked them. He took it : that this Parliament would run its full three years, and he trusted that members would, m spite of the keenness that present circumstances might bring about, observe the dignity of the House as the two previous Parliaments had done. He had been pleased to hear Mr MacPherson’s reference to his assistance to the younger members of the House, and he pointed out tljat it was one ’tradition: of the Speakership which he wished to uphold, namely, to help’every member of the House, with the single exception that he could not take part in any party moves or party politics. He thanked the House for the great honour, it had conferred on him. THE HOUSE ADJOURNS. _The adjournment of the House till 2.30 to-mprrow Was then moved by the Prime Minister, - J LABOUR PARTY CAUCUS. announcement of decision WITHHELD, (Pbr United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, December 4. The caucus of the Labour Party sat all l- i - ye f‘ tGr and a S ai n to-day. The political position was discussed at considerable’length, and it is understood that a decision was reached as to the attitude to be adopted ,by the party in the House. What this attitude will be was not revealed, but it was stated that Mr Holland would make the party’s position clear when he spoke in the Address-in-Replv •debate. 1 J ' The caucus unanimously re-elected Mr H. L, Holland leader the parliamentary party several speakers paying tribute to Mr Holland’s services to the party. Other officers of the party were elected as follows:—Deputy leader, Mr. M. J. ravage (Auckland West); secretary, Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central); assistant secretary, Mr W. E. Barnard (Napier): whips Messrs E. J. Howard (Christchurch bouth) and D. G. Sullivan (Avon), THE INDEPENDENTS. JOINING UP WITH WARD PARTY. (Special fo Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, December 4. Apparently all the Independents intend joining up with the Ward Party. At the last caucus those present included Messrs W. J. Poison, C. A. Wilkinson H, Atmore, and J. T. Hogan, who were elected as independents, while three absentees— Messrs P. A. de la Perrelle, R, W. -awke, and H. M. Ruahw,rth, the lastnamed the sole Country Party member were accounted for. ‘ ’ TO-DAY’S PROCEEDINGS. The proceedings in -Parliament to-day are likely to be of the * usual formal nature. Parliament will be ceremoniously opened by his Excellency the GovernorGeneral, and there will be the usual pageantry and booming of cannon. On Thursday the stage will be set for the real battle, when the Addiess-in-Reply will be moved by Mr A. E. Ansel], the new member for Chabners, and seconded by Mr R. W. Hall, the member for Hauraki. Then Sir Joseph Ward will have the opportunity for moving his no-con-fidence motion. This, it is expected, will bo carried with the assistance of Labour, and the present Government will go out of office. COUNJRY PARTY MEMBER. DISTINGUISHED WAR SERVICE. (Special io Daily Times.) \\ ELLINGTON, December 4. Conspicuous among those who came up to the clerk’s table to take the oath was Mr Harold Montague Rushworth, the member for the Bay of Islands and tile sole representative of the Country Party in this Parliament. He limped heavily across the Chamber floor, for the simple ■ reason that one leg had been shattered in the war. He is a man of 48. Educated at Rugby and Jesus College, Oxford he joined the Durham Light Infantry when 20 years of age to go to the South Afri- ' can war, but the war ended before he was drafted. He then sent in his papers ! was transferred to the reserve of officers and became a civil engineer, in which