THE CLOSING HOURS

Southland Times, Issue 19770, 19 February 1923, Page 5

THE CLOSING HOURS

END OF THE SESSION PROTEST BY LABOUR PARTY (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Februaiy 17. In the afternoon when Mr Massey moved the adjournment of the House, Mr Holland, as Leader of the Labour Party, said he wished to enter a strong protest against the House adjourning. The House should continue to do the work it was paid to do by the electors. .It would be ridiculous in the extreme if the House was called together for no other purpose than to decide something which the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition already knew was going to be decided in a particular way by a number of gentlemen who w r ere elected to oppose the Government and voting with it on a no-confidence motion. It had cost some thousands to bring the members to Wellington and they should stay to do the work which should be done. He drew attention to the position in the Ruhr and the Near East as calculated to bring od war in which Great Britain and conae quently New Zealand might become in volved. There was also the precarious position in which the coal industry was placed. The whole industry stood in need of complete organisation and the House should stay to do it. Roads and railways also required their attention, but while the Government could apparently find plenty of money for destructive purposes, they could not find any for constructive purposes. The Prime Minister said that if war came again Britain would find the money to carry on, but New Zealand would be prevented from raising loans in London for ordinary development purposes. Parliament was convened for a special purpose and that purpose being now accomplished, the business of the session was ended. “I am in a stronger position now than I was twentyfour hours ago,” Mr Massey added.

Mr Howard: “Oh, we have heard all about the pre-arrangement.” Mr Massey: “And if the Labour Party wants a dissolution they can have it at once.”

Mr Fraser: “Let’s have it at once.” Mr Massey said that there had been votesplitting at the last election. He would not put up with the tactics which had been witnessed in the House and if necessary he was prepared to face another election at once. The people did not want another at present but if the position was forced on the Government it would be necessary to face the expense in order to put an end to any party activities inimical to the country's welfare and interfering with public business.

Mr Howard supported the protest against the adjournment while so much was waiting to be done to remedy unemployment and workers’ conditions and to relieve producers from the heavy burdens of taxation under which they were labouring. The country was in a state of unrest and if members did not endeavour to ease that condition they would not be doing their duty.

When the House resumed at 730 the Speaker announced that the Stamp Duties Amendment Bill had received the GovernorGeneral’s assent. He then called on the first Order of the Day but as there were no orders and no new business could be taken, proceedings reached a deadlock. Hie Prime Minister said that in the circumstances the only thing to be done was to move the adjournment. Mr Holland said that having made their protest the Labour Party would not take up any more time.

On a division being called for, the motion to adjourn was carried by forty-four to nineteen.

At 7.40 p.m. the Speaker announced that the House was formally adjourned “till this day week at 2.30 pjn.” As he turned to leave the chair, he remembered he had not ordered the doors which were “locked” for the division to be “unlocked” and his order that this be done evoked great merriment. The first session of the 21st Parliament was thus brought to a close. A WARM INTERCHANGE. THREAT OF DISSOLUTION. (Special to the Times.) WELLINGTON, February 17. A threat of dissolution was made by Mr Massey during a debate on the adjournment of the House. “It is malice aforethought,” said the Prime Minister, speaking of the Labour Party's obstruction. “It is is a wilful and deliberate waste of time and money belonging to the taxpayers of the country. If this is darned on the people will have something to say about it. I am in a very much stronger position than I was twenty-four hours ago. lam not going to be humbugged and any such tactics as the Socialist party are indulging in will give me another oportunity of asking for a dissolution.” Mr P. Fraser (Labour) shouted to the Prime Minister: Take it tomorrow. Mr Massey: We will go when the arrangements are made. A great many will go out that will not come back. I have my own opinion as to who they are. lam prepared to put up with a good deal of inconvenience and unpleasantness to save the necessity of going to the country. Mr Holland: We will go to-morrow.

Mr Massey: I have received many communications advising me to make another appeal to the electors. Many representative men have assured me that they are quite willing to go to all the trouble and expense to get a stable Government to manage the affairs of the country on sound lines.