MR- PHIANI AND EXTREMISTS.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15238, 27 November 1919, Page 2

MR- PHIANI AND EXTREMISTS.

Regret was expressed by Mr. Pirani (Wellington Central) that attempts were being made to make use of the soldiers for political purposes. A voice: "Who by?" Mr. Pirani: "By the Labour Party, by the men who never lie^ied them and blackguarded them. B-y the men who voted against their getting a bonus." A storm of interjections followed with many indignant demands for particulars. Mr. Pirani said that on Gtn December last, Messrs. Holland and Fraser were the only two to vote against the Bill to give the soldiers a bonus. (Shouts of "It's a lie!" "You can't prove it!") Mr. Pirani: "It's in Hansard. 1 looked it up to-day." Some indignant men challenged tac r.kvvjiuot,. uiio said, "It's a lie! It was on an amendment." Mr. firam: "No; it was on the third reading." A challenger: "Will you give £20 U-. a, benevolent institution if you're wrong?" Mr. Pirani: "I'll tell you what I will do. I'll put £20 against yours." Mr. Pirani repeated his statement explicitly. c;ju (3th December, 1918, on the third reading of the Expeditionary Force Amendment Bill, which provided for a bonus for our soldiers, the only votes cast against the Bill were Holland and '<;;i>;v, fliore were two against the Bill and 54 for it. You're getting the truth now, and you don't like it." Someone said that- the Labour members voted against an amendment, but Mr. "Pirani repeated that they voted against the whole Bill. . A voice: "There were forty clauses in the Bill, and this was only one of them." Mr. Pirani: "This was the most mv

portant clause, and they voted against the whole lot.'* It was the only provision that Avas made for payment^of a bonits. '

The uproar gradually died down after several members of the audience hail stated their intention of proving Mr. Pi rani wrong.