ON BOTH SIDES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3004, 11 October 1911, Page 26

ON BOTH SIDES.

MINISTERS AND THEIR VOTES. (Fuom Ous Own Cobbespondent.)

WELLINGTON, October 8. The unusual manner in which two members of the Ministry voted made notable one of the divisions in the House of Representatives early on Saturday morning, when the State coal. mines account was under consideration. ....

Mr J. Duncan (Wairau) moved a reduction of the vote as an indication that the importation- of coal into New Zealand should be discouraged. .[. . The Minister in charge of the account (the Hon. R. M'Kenzie) announced that he would support the amendment. " Do I understand the Minister to say that he will vote for the reduction of his own Estimates?" asked the Leader of the Opposition.

The Minister replied in the affirmative. "It is the first time in the history of New Zealand," was Mr Massey's comment. .....

On a division the amendment was negatived by 30 votes to 14<,. " Did you vote?" Mr Massey asked the Minister.

Mr M'Kenzie : Oh, yes. Mr Massey : In what way? The Minister : That is my business. Mr Massey (after looking at^hedivision list) : The Minister has not voted at all. — (Laughter.)

Sir Arthur Guinness,: He must have been locked out by mistake. Mr Massey added that neither the Minister of Public Works nor his Ministerial namesake liad had the courage to record his vote>

Mr M'Kenzie said he regarded such unreasonable outbursts from Mr Massey as a sign of weakness. He had made up his mind to have a division to put the Opposition in their, places, and his vote would be found recorded in Hansard. He had always been opposed to the importation of coal. ■'-'

The Hon. T. Mackenzie declared that so far as courage was concerned, the Mackenzies were in no degree inferior to the Masseys. . •«-

Mr Fisher : Is that a challenge with pistols?, -A

Mr Mackenzie : Any way you like to take it. He added that he a.nd his colleague had been actuated by motives which they had not seen fit- to submit to the Lead-er of the Opposition—though neither of the Ministers concerned chose to inform the House of the fact that he had paired for the division, and neither of them had gone into the lobby nor recorded his vote.