BRUSH IN THE HOUSE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19989, 4 November 1927, Page 7

BRUSH IN THE HOUSE

OPPOSITION PROTEST Labour Bills Committee and Arbitration Amendment AFTERNOON SITTINGS. (Per Pre** Association.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 3. Tn the House of Representatives this afternoon Sir John Luke (Wellington North) moved that leave be given to the Labour Bills Committee, which is c.onisidering the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, to meet during the sitting of the House. To this Labour members strenuously objected, on the ground that they had business which required their attendance in the Chamber, that there wore no witnesses from outside Wellington waiting to be heard, and further that Sir John Luke, as chairman of the Committee, had given no reason why the Committee should meet. Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) and W. S. Glenn (Rangitikci) urged that the Committee should be allowed to meet in order to get on with the business, and so close the session down. Mr I). Jones (Ellesmere) declared that the members of the Labour Party were delaying proceedings simply to prevent the Bill at present being considered by the Labour Bills Committee being brought before the House. The same thing had hapnened on a score of previous occasions this session, and but for this continuous blockade the session might have ended weeks ago. The Government ought now to settle down to its programme, and if they had to sit 16 hours a day they should put their business through. This line of argument did not placate the Opposition, who continued their objection until just on 5.30 p.m. Just a few minutes before the adjournment Mr F. Waite (Chitha) moved as an amendment to the motion before the House, that the Labour Bills Committee have leave to sit every afternoon until the hearing of evidence on tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill be completed. After a lengthy debate, in which the Government was criticised when the Prime Minister moved that Standing Orders be suspended to pass the resolution, Labour members complaining of tho short notice given. Finally Sir John Luke’s amendment was agreed to on the voices.