HOUSE OF COMMONS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4543, 2 March 1942, Page 8

HOUSE OF COMMONS

SOME FAVOURITE MEMBERS JACK JONES PASSES LONDON, January 12. Jack Jones has died, at the age of 67, and he will be greatly missed, for everyone liked him. He entered the House of Commons in 1918 as the Labour member for a poor East End constituency, and he retired through ill-health last year. He was at once the wittiest and the most obstreperous member of that august assembly, and on five occasions he was ordered to leave the House for his obstuctionist actions, or else for speaking his mind too freely. He used to describe himself as “the most chucked-out M.P.” As a boy, he knew the workhouse from the inside, and later, when he insisted on speaking at a banned meeting, he got to know what gaol was like also—for a month. In addition, he had been page boy, draper’s assistant and porter at the docks. He lived among his constituents, and declined all honours or preferment, saying that he did not want to rise from the ranks, but wanted to rise with them. FRIEND OF LADY ASTOR Jack delighted to have a crack at Lady Astor, the Conservative M.P., and never missed an opportunity of ridiculing her advocacy of temperance. He liked a glass of beer, and once in the House of Commons he told Lady Astor that he was a better man drunk than she was sober. Lady Astor immediately retorted, “Yes, but you’ve never seen yourself drunk” —at which the House roared with laughter. Actually though these two were continually sparring to the delight of the House, they were good friends, and called each other by their Christian names. Jack liked Nancy, and when his little daughter was desperately ill he asked her to go down to his home in the East End. She went, and stayed there all the afternoon, and she was glad to do this service for her doughty opponent, whom Mr Lloyd George insisted was by far the wittiest member of the House of Commons. Jack Jones was a splendid fighter, scrupulously honest, never vulgar, and in his unusual manner he served his day and generation well. “JIMMY” MAXTON The House of Commons is strangely tolerant towards its extremists. Take, for instance, Mr James Maxton, one of the most “left” of the Socialists. He is altogether a man of the people, who will have no compromise with capitalism. In the early days of his Parliamentary career he would not even dine with men of other parties, though he was always prepared to be friendly with them. His sincerity is compelling, and if there is one thing the British House of Commons admires, it is sheer sincerity. Jimmy Maxton—and everybody calls him “Jimmy”—is one of the most popular men in the House, and when, the other, day, the House interrupted its ordinary business to offer the Speaker congratulations upon his golden wedding he made a speech which delighted everyone by its sincerity, its humour and its affection. UNIQUE GOLDEN WEDDING Never before has a Speaker celebrated his golden wedding during his tenure of office, and Mr Speaker E. A. Fitzroy has so gained the admiration of his Parliamentary children that they decided to make an occasion of it. First Mr Churchill, without seeking the Speaker’s eye, as members must do, rose, and, admitting that he was committing an irregularity, paid handsome tribute to the occupant of the Chair in those felicitous terms of which he is a master. Other speakers followed with glowing tributes, but it was the charming effort of Jimmy Maxton which tickled and touched the House. In his short and unorthodox speech Maxton achieved a Parliamentary triumph. Later Mr Lloyd George, the “father” of the House, made a presentation to Captain and Mrs Fitzroy. He mentioned that Mrs Fitzroy had a mother alive at the age of 95, and as the Speaker was a great grandfather, between them they represented five generations. So, even in war time, we maintain our social courtesies. Indeed, we emphasise them.