Mr. Speaker ...

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 749, 23 August 1929, Page 1

Mr. Speaker ...

Session Queries and Asides

(The SUli'S Parliamentary Reporter}. PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Today. Parliament has settled down to the grim business of party reprisals now, and while Mr. Coates's amendment was being dealt with, and accepted by Sir Joseph Ward as a no-confidence one, the ordir.ary business of the House was at a standstill. There were no petitions and no papers, but members got down to the business of speaking for their parties and condemning or praising the Government as the case may be. Labour held the key to the situation, but Mr. H. E. Holland's declaration that his party, while opposed to the primage duty, saw no advantage in voting the Government out was not unexpected. Labour would not swallow the amendment’s denunciation of the super-tax on land and the amendment was defeated by 48 votes to 24. ... Sir Joseph's Long Speech Yesterday when Sir Joseph Ward rose to reply the galleries were crowded, and there was an expectant hush in the House as the veteran leader rose. He spoke to some purpose too, for with the extension of time his say ran to two hours and ten minutes. • » • Chuckling Chorus Despite the seriousness of the occasion there were some bright interludes. Opposition members laughed in chorus at some of Sir Joseph’s statements and the Prime Minister turned on them in a genial manner and observed that when common sense was being talked members of the Opposition all laughed together. They must have practised the laugh at their caucuses. It would certainly be interesting to see a Reform chuckling choir at practice. During his long speech the Prime Minister was often consulting his notes, so much so, that Mr. Speaker intervened once and requested him not to read the speech. “I have only abbreviated notes here, sir,” protested Sir Joseph Ward. ** * ■ was in the National Cabinet,” said Sir Joseph, “during the war to finance the country, and I financed it to some purpose—(hear, hear) —although I get little credit for it. Voices: Yes you do. Mr. F. Langstone (Waimarino): The

hon. gentleman let a lot of private people get away With phlnder. * » • Enough Rope In his speech on Wednesday Mr. E. J. Howard produced Hansards galore so that members could look at the division lists. Amid laughter, he said that the present Government members were equally to blame with Reform members for the condition of things in the country, for the present Government members who were in the House before had always voted In the same lobby with Reform. Reform had said that it was in the hands of Labour to put the Government out. “They challenge us," he said. “They'd like us to, but our friends of the other side haven’t had enough rope yet.” * * * Cinnabar Moth Replying to Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Waitomo), the Hon. G. W. Forbes, Minister of Agriculture, said the cinnabar moth had been liberated in certain infected wheat areas, and had given 'airly hopeful results. He would give an Indication as to further liberations as soon as it was known what supplies were available. New Bills The following Bills were introduced and read for the first time in the House this morning: The Counties Amendment Bill (the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle); the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amendment Bill (the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy); the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill (Mr. W. A. Veitch); the Apprentices’ Amendment Bill (Mr. W. A. Veitch); the Patents. Designs and Trade Marks Amendment Bill (the Hon. T. M. Wilford). The Hon. J. B. Donald, Minister of Posts and Telegraphs, was given leave to withdraw the Pacific Cable Sale Authorisation Bill. The South Island Trunk His personal support of the South Island Main Trunk railway, but no statement as to the Labour Party’s attitude, was given in the House by the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland, yesterday. Mr. Holland said that the whole question of railways in New Zealand needed to be investigated. All through the election campaign he had been approached by people who wanted to knew whether the Labour Party supported the completion of the line. His reply had been that personally he was in favour of the line, but the Labour Party had not discussed the question. If Labour | had been returned it undoubtedly would have entered into a carefully 1 considered, and comprehensive j scheme of railway construction, but it ! certainly would have lived up to its I election promise to make a complete i j investigation into the transport prob- , i lem.