WEEK IN PARLIAMENT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2029, 16 August 1920, Page 10

WEEK IN PARLIAMENT.

QUIET SUT STEADY WORK. DEBATES BRIGHTENING UP. IFrom 0»r Own P«rli»ment«ry Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 10. \ quiet, easy week has been Parliament's latest lot. Business was not rushed through, but still there was no stone-walling. As a matter or fact, last week was quite the average as politics go nowadays. One day for private members, one day for a verv airy debate upon taxation, one dav for minor Government Bills and one dav for Estimates—that was how affairs' worked out. And, after all those hon. members who had leave of absence on account of "illness," "urgent public business and so on—most of the illness seemed to be of a nature that required the sufferers to visit Christchurch—-did not miss much. When the members of New Zealand's twentieth Parliament first assembled at the beginning of this Session it was impossible for any observer to overcome a regret that certain celebrities of last Parliament were missing, for when one has spent hours watching a dull House there comes a desperate longing for something that will break the monotony, and give some colour to the proceedings The last House included two Uicklanders, Albert Glover and John Payne, who could not by any stretch of the imagination be called legislators, but who were both real humorists, although Albert's humour was frequently of the variety. Neither of those hon. members lias a counterpart in the present Parliament. To a certain extent, Mr E J Howard fills the position, but be is too much of a party man to be a complete success. However, the passing weeks have revealed that the House of Representatives is not going to be the unbearably dull place that some feared. Thanks' to the presence of the Official Labour Party, hardly a debate passe, without some fun. Labour attacks in the last Parliament were on several occasions replied to bv Messrs T. A. H. Field (then MP. fur Nelson) end R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs)—this Session they are almost invariably answered, the task being shared by Messrs D. Jones (Kaiapoi). L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North). V. H. Potter (Roskill) and R. A. Wright.

Getting Beneath the Skin. Seldom docs Mr Jones speak with- J out some reference to the Labour Partv, and he has put in some hard hitting. Mr H. E. Holland and his associates attempt to laugh it off. but | it has been quite obvious that more than once the hon. member for haiapoi has got beneath the skin. He j deals verv directly with the whole position, and advises Labour to try preaching the gospel of hard work for longer tban 44 hours per week, if it would make progress. Mr Holland does not accept the advice, but neither has he given any ans\ver„to . the criticism that the Labour Party . is unjust and "all at sea" in its attacks upon the farmer. Mr Holland is verv fond of saying that his party has* everv sympathy with the work "TTig farmer, as opposed to the "farmer who farms the farmer," but it has never been definitely established just where the line between the working farmer and the other type comes. The weak spot of the whole position was pointed out by Mr J. R. Hamilton (Awarua), who suggested that, if the Labour policy were given effect to, it would soon be a crime to save money in this country. Without any further explanation, the Labour view seems to be that so long as the farmer is slaving for his living, and building up his property, he is worthy of consideration; but so soon as he rounds the corner and is enabled to take things a little easier, after all the years of toil, he is a capitalist, a parasite, and an ?nemy to society all round. Party Warfare Dead. "Where is the great Liberal Party?" has been asked several times in the House of late—and il is a very pertinent question. Of course, the General Election left the party no longer great, but since the Session commenced there have been indic:*,tians that, as a party, the Liberals are weaker even than the election left them. That is to say, there is no very defined party spirit abroad. To a lesser extent, the same applies to J the Government side of the House, which is perhaps just as well, since there is little to be gained by-party wrangling at such a tinic as this. Indeed, there are days liow when one would be pardoned f<jr thinking that there were only two parties in the present Parliament—Labour and the others. Now and however, the Liberals contrive to muster up a little organised opposition—presumably to allay any'suspicion that they are politically dead. But

anyone can see that, in the vast majority of cases, Government and Opposition are as one, and rightly so when it is a question of building up a war-shaken nation. Shorn of all its bitterness, the old party spirit made a brief reappearance on Thursday evening. In committee on the Masseurs Registration Bill, Mr C. E. Statham, the Independent member for Dunedin Central, moved a minor amendment. The Opposition rushed to his help in great style! For two hours hon. 'members on the Liberal and Labour sides struggled to convince the Minister that some such improvement was necessary. Mr R. McCallum (Wairau) spoke three times, and when Mr F. N. Bartram (Grey Lynn) suggested that nothing was to be gained bv saving the same thing over and over again. Mr McCallum absolutely "snapped" at the bait. "Who s doing that?" he demanded, and the whole House roared with laughter, for the cap titled beautiffllly. The explanation was, of course, that Mr Statham recently broke with the Reform Party, and certain Liberals, saw a chance to angle for him. As i it happened, that matter did not go to a vote, the Minister compromising. But next night there was another instance something along the same lines. Mr G. Mitchell (Wellington South), another Independent, had moved an amendment to the telephone estimates. This was supported bv Labour speakers, and opposed bv several Liberals. Labour insisted on a division, and practic-l ally everv member of the official Opposition who had not spoken voted against the Government. Those could not have, been ardent supporters of the amendment, or they would have spoken, or at least taken the trouble to call "Aye!" when the vote was out to the voices. The real fact of the matter is that, beyond the outbursts of Labour, there is verv little party in the New Zealand House of Representatives to-day. Time-Saving Tactics. If ever a progressive university college establishes' a school of politics, there will have to be a Chair of Tactics. It is" little short of wonderful what the House of Representatives will agree to if only it be properly handled. There was an instance last week. Two and a-half hours of Thursday evening had been spent in nutting the Masseurs Registration Bill through committee, and the next Order of the Day was the committal of the Statutes Repeal and Expiring Laws Amendment and Continuance Bill, a measure far and away more important than that which had just been disposed of. Here it mav be well to explain that when a Bill is bem« considered in committee, general discussion is permitted on the first clause, which is the short title. After that is passed, the debate must be restricted to the particular clause before the Committee. Even the Prime Minister himself was prepared for a three hours' discussion on the fust clause of this Bill, but he intimated at the outset that he did not propose to so bevond the one clause that niffht. Thereupon the Committee passed the first clause without one word of debate! Again, last thing on Friday pitfht. Mr A. S. Malcolm (Chairman of Committees) handled the Committee well. Taking advantage of General talking and a conversation which the Prime Minister and the ActingrLeadcr of the Opposition were carrying on across the floor of the Chamber, he slipped through the Native Affairs Estimates without half the Committee realising what was happening. For that matter, there may quite possibly be complaints next Friday when lion, members find that this class was passed. In various other such wavs it is possible to save hours (if valuable time'by jumping in when favourable opportunity offers.