THE SESSIONAL OVERTURE.

Waipa Post, Volume XVII, Issue 963, 3 July 1920, Page 4

THE SESSIONAL OVERTURE.

AN excellent standard was set by the mover and the seconder of the Ad-dress-in-Reply in the House on Wednesday (says the Dominion). The demeanour of the House, well filled for the occasion, was in keeping with the quality of the speeches. If as good a standard is maintained the debate will provide a worthy introduction to what Mr Hockly justly called the first session of the most important Parlia-ment-this country has ever seen. Both Mr Hockly and his seconder, Mr David Jones, well deserved the quiet-ly-attentive hearing they were given by their fellow members. The member for Rotorua, it is true, indulged in no oratorical flights, but his speech was eminently workmanlike in tone and matter. His keynote throughout was an appeal for unity and sound enterprise in grappling with problems which cannot be neglected without vitally endangering national prosperity. Of necessity Mr Hockly travelled over a great deal of familiar ground, but there was telling force in his blunt intimation that unless the people of this country turn from extravagance to thrift they must expect to strike disaster, and in his further observation that the root remedy for what is at fault in existing conditions is that we should “ every one of us get to work and no nonsense about it.” These simple home truths are a refreshing change from the empty .phrase-mongering that ‘ is only too common in Parliamentary debates, and are infinitely better calculated to open the door on effective working achievement.