CENSURE MOTION HELD UP ON POINT OF ORDER IN HOUSE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18947, 18 December 1929, Page 1

CENSURE MOTION HELD UP ON POINT OF ORDER IN HOUSE.

ELECTRICAL ATMOSPHERE AND STORMY DEBATE.

(United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Co pyrigh t.) SYDNEY, December 17.

The Premier, Mr T. R. Bavin, met Cabinet again to-day and discussed yesterday's events. Later he made a statement in the Legislative Assembly on the subject, and also explained the Government’s reason for refusing to be represented at the compulsory coal conference which opened at Sydney today.

Mr Bavin, in the course of his statement, said that it would be abrogation of the function of government if they allowed their policy to be deflected by threats of violence. The Government were convinced that a vast majority of the citizens had no sympathy with the methods of violence and revolution practised on the previous day. The whole responsibility for the death of Norman Brown, and the injuries to the gallant policemen rested with the men who had encouraged and incited the miners to violence. But for the action of the police, the lives of the volunteer workers would have been endangered. Mr Bavin denied that the Government had acted in a provocative manner. He felt bound to say that the position was made more difficult by the irresponsible statements of members of the Federal Government.

The atmosphere of Parliament was electrical when Mr J. T. Lang, leader of the Opposition, finally moved:— “This House deplores the loss of life at Rothbury, yesterday, and censures the Government for permitting the use of the State police in furthering the efforts of the mine-owners in their attitude of open defiance of the law.”

The following debate was. stormy. The motion had not been debated far when a member, on a point of or-

der, declared that the motion could not be discussed pending the Coroner's inquiry into Brown’s death. The matter was sub judice. The point was upheld.