WANTED HIS FELLOW MEMBER.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12710, 1 December 1909, Page 4

WANTED HIS FELLOW MEMBER.

The "New Zealand Times" of Satuiida.v states that one of the two Maori members of the Legislative Council caused much amusement at the expense of his colleague on Friday afternoon, and, though interruptcfl several times by the Speaker, persisted until lie had said his say. It was the Hon. Wi Fere who thus distinguished himself. "I would like to ask." lie said, through his interpreter, whether the Council lias granted the Hon. Mr 51 nhuta permission to enable him to absent himself session after session from Parliament. (Laughter.) I have been a member of this branch of the Legislature for close on four years, and during the whole of that time 1 have been postered bo attend to work that the Hon Mr Maliuta should have attended to. It seems that I have 'to act as mouthpiece and protector for all the Maori tribes of the island, north, south, east and west. (Laughter.) I want to draw attention to the fact that I am an old man now —(Cries of "No, no")— and that I am being asked to perform too much work in view of my health and physique. I cannot now flit about as I could when I was younger." Amid the laughter which greeted his statement the Hon. G. Jones rose to a point of order, urging that notice should have been given on a matter of the sort. The Speaker sa.id ho was waiting to see what complaint was to be made. Fie hoped to do so directly. "The Council must not misunderstand me," went on Wi Pere, "I am not in any way referring disparagingly to my colleague. I am protecting his interests. It is only because I feel certain that the Hon. Mr Ma, huta is ignorant of the dignity of the position he occupies." Here the Speaker pulled him up, remarking that he was going too failin reflecting on the conduct of a fellow member. "Well," persisted Wi Pere, '\iie comes here, draws his honorarium, and just takes the money away." "Oh, I say," said the Speaker, amid laughter. "But if I am absent myself for even one day I am docked £2 a day," went on Wi Pcre, who, after some further int&rrtiption, asked the Speaker if he could .not demand Mahuia's presence. "I want him present," he declared, "and I want to speak about him. (Laughter). You summoir him and I will speak within his- hearing. I am afraid of npbody, sir — (laughter) — relations, friends, or anybody else." (Hear, hear.) Th incident was closed by' the Speaker .stating that the absent one's prsence could be ensuird by demanding a call of the Council.