IN LIGHTER VEIN

Southland Times, Issue 21649, 10 March 1932, Page 7

IN LIGHTER VEIN

BRIGHT SPOT IN DREARY DEBATE. THE MEMBER FOR MATAURA. (From Our Parliamentary' Reporter.) Wellington, March 9. The dying stages of the Address-in-Reply debate were brightened in the House of Representatives this evening by a brush between the members for Lyttelton and Mataura, and other members of the House and the spectators in the galleries had an enjoyable interval while Mr McDougall cheerfully replied to the remarks of the member for Lyttelton. During the course of his speech Mr J. McCombs said that the mover and seconder of the Address-in-Reply had received the courtesy of an extension of time for their speeches, but the second speaker for the Opposition had not received such courtesy. The member for Mataura had set . himself up as the sole arbiter of the courtesies of the House. Mr McCombs therefore apologized for any refusal of extensions that might be given in future to members, including the Prime Minister. t Mr McCombs indicated that the Labour Party was offended by Mr McDougall’s attitude. "We all remember his first speech in the House,” he said. “He is not the sole judge of good speeches. His first speech was unpublishable and had to be censored before it could be published in Hansard. That has never happened to any other member of the House in my time.” Immediately after the supper adjournment, Mr McDougall rose to reply to Mr McCombs’ remarks and succeeded in causing a great deal of hilarity by doing so in humorous vein.

The hon. member for Lyttelton had told the House that Mr McDougall’s first speech was unprintable, but if that were so how had it. got through the House? “Let me tell you about the first speech the hon. member for Lyttelton marie in my district,” he said. "I happened to be chairman for him and it was the tact and physical force of the chairman that saved his life. (Laughter.) The hon. gentleman's speech was such that guessers from the racecourse couldn’t stand it. They listened for 30 minutes and then rushed him. I could see that not only the life of the member for Lyttelton was in danger but mine tft well. What would the people of Lyttelton have done if he had gone under? If I hadn’t grabbed a crowbar he would have been in his box.” (Laughter.) Mr R. Semple: How many did you kill? Mr McDougall went on to refer to Mr McCombs’ assertion that the Government had not got their legislation ready and said the Minister of Labour had his Bill waiting. “The hon. gentleman from Lyttelton wouldn’t Jet him go on,” he said. “Ho had to get rid of his gas or he would have bust.”

Later, Mr McDougall said that the Op>— position members were all blaming the Prime Minister for the troubles of the country, but the Prime Minister wasn’t any more to blame than anyone else. “He wiil have to be like all the other Prime Ministers,” he said. “He will have to pass out before he’s any good. (Laughter.) Labour members were talking about what a fine man the late Mr Massey was, but what had happened to him when he visited Christchurch? They wouldn’t allow him to speak, but got all the turkey gobblers in Christchurch to stop him. If the Leader of the Opposition comes to the south we treat him like a gentleman,” he said.

Mr D. G. Sullivan: What did you just tell us about the member for Lyttelton when he went, south ? “It was his abominable speech that caused that,” Mr McDougall replied amid roars of laughter, and Mr McCombs showed that he appreciated the situation by movings for an extension of time when the warning bell sounded. Several members cried “No” when the pleasure of the House was taken and Mr McDougall’s voice was heard with them.