A NIGHT OF IT.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18480, 7 September 1925, Page 8

A NIGHT OF IT.

ENDURANCE TALKING.

PASSING ESTIMATES. SPEECHES TILL BREAKFAST TIME. I (S3TSCI.U, TO "TKB FKESS.") WELLINGTON, September 5. If. is becoming moro and more evident that no good purpOso can be served by prolonging tho present session of Parliament beyond tho end of the month. Though tho Government ia in no danger of defeat it has but a small working majority against tho combined National and Labour opposition, and under tho circumstances, when obstruction is resorted to, progress with tho work of Parliament is necessarily hainperod. Tho present session has boen remarkablo for the great waste of time that has resulted from Opposition tactics. There have been no fewer than six noconfidence motions. The discussions on those were responsible for a great waste of time, and a number of members, and especially old Opposition members, have displayed a loquacity that to an ordinary business man is almost beyond belief. Some of these old Parliamentary hands think it necessary to talk to the end of their allotted time, repeating themselves -over and over again, in order to fill pages and pages of Hansard, which no one reads. l'riday night's performance on the Estimates certainly did not redound to the credit of the National-Labour Opposition. The sitting was devoted to the passing of Departmental Estimates, and during the afternoon hours wero occupied discussing red deer, wild pigs, keaß, and other rural subjects. Up till lato in the evening, however, most of the discussion was reasonable, and thero was not a great deal to complain of except the long-windedness of certain hon. members. *

Red Bussun Army. Later the Defence Estimates were taken and immediately there was trouble, for to Labour members tho word defence is as a rod rag to a bull. It was soon evident that the Labour Party was ready to fight against defence.

Mr B. A. Wright, the Beform member for Wellington Suburbs, threw a bomb into the Labour trenches with the remark that it was a most extraordinary thing that. the one nation in the world which had the largest army was Soviet Bussia with an army of 800,000! And Sir James Parr added that it was ihe most severely disciplined army in the world! The Labour members were momentarily disconcerted, and the o&ly immediate reply to those observations was a query as to where the Soviet army was on the Estimates.

Mr Wright remarked that the British people were not aggressive, but they were not going to stand idly by and allow themselves to be crushed by a more powerful nation because they were in a defenceless position. "I Was surprised to hear the honourable member for Wellington Suburbs say that because Russia did something we were justified in doing it," said tho Labour leader (Mr H. E. Holland). "It is something new to hoar tho honourable gentleman advocating that we should follow Bussia's. example."

Mr Langstone, the Labour member for Waimarino, who has a wonderful flow of language, poured scorn upon the '('tin hats" and the alleged snobbery of the military, and generally 'condemned our system of military training.

Tempers Prayed. Labour amendments to rednoe tho Defence Estimates were easily defeated, Labour in this case getting no assistance from the official Opposition. By 3 o'clock the temper of some honourable members was not so good as it was earlier in tho sitting, when tho talk had been on wild pigs and keas. Only two classes of the Estimates had been passed, but Mr Forbes wanted to stop. There was an exchange of comment between the Prime Minister and the Leader o£ tho Opposition and Mr Holland.

Mr Coates Baid that fivo or six hours longer than was necessary had been Sent ia talking about tho Dofenee and arine Estimates. "We are just as good judges as the Prime Minister," heatedly declared Mr P. Fraser (Labour), "and whore the iives of workers arc concerned, we are probably better judges than the Ptimo Minister. If he had any sense of the,' responsibility of his position ho would not say that the Marino Departmeflt took too long."

"It's Electioneering. The Labour members had been discussing the loss of the Eipplc and the necessity for wifeless on coastal stoamers. A chorus of protest and charges of electioneering against tho labour members came from the Heform benches, and in the general hubbub the chairman cruld bo heard calling "Order, order!" "We were fighting for the lives Of the workers," called out Mr Fraser loudly. "It's an insult to the Government," angrily broke in Mr Nosworthy. "It's electioneering," declared the Prime Minister. Mr Fraser': Nothing of the kind. "Order!" called the Chairman. Mr Fraser: A statement of that kind shows irresponsibility on tho part of the head of the Government, nothing more or less. At any rate we have had a promise from the Ministor which we did net have before, that wireless safeguards are to be pushed as far as science can go. The Hon. J. G. Anderson: You had it twelve months ago. Mr Fraser: We had it and you went hnrk on it. You tore up the scrap of paper.

Seeking a Count Out. At 4.30 a.m. members were obviously tired and in an irritable mood. The Labour Department's Estimates wero taken, and there was a tliin Housp. After some further discussion several Labour members walked out, with a view to leaving the Government without a quorum, and thus bringing the proceedings tc a premature end. The ruse failed, for when attention was drawn to the state cf the House several members trooped into the Chamber The Chairman announced, "There'is a quorum," and business proceeded. A quarter of an hour, afterwards Messrs Forbers and Masters solo occupants of the Nationalisms' benches, and Mr Holland was the only one left on the Labour benches. Mr Masters momentarily conversed with Mr Holland and then called attention to tho state of the House. Onco more the Chairman counted heads,

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asking, members sit up in their seat® W W jHH hands. ■ iiSl Mr Fraser: Will snorest The Chairman aMOWJW* was a quorum, whetsag»» ggrffSg Minister added with Labour Party missed WW Tho Committee went 0» work, and two other SBp Estimates were dilpO»d Labour and Snate It was ten minntaf F«* members went their way. A great deal of taw ■SiJyMr deal of the country* m wasted in more 0* »•* Illheated debate. .• vy.'<