WASTING TIME.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 904, 25 August 1910, Page 7

WASTING TIME.

"MOST SICKLY ; ( OPPOSITION PROTESTS. HOW PARLIAMENT. DOES ITS .WORK. For some unexplained reason thewholo of yesterday afternoon was taken up in the Hou6e of Representatives in a discussion on a paper relating to a ' proposal to lift the reservation from a piece of State forest. Tho discussion ivas inaugurated-by. Mr. Ell, M.P. for Cliristclmrch East, .the senior Government Whip, who referred at length to the many advantages of soouio rosorves and of afforestation. He was followed by members on both sides<of tho House. It soon became apparent, however, that that was the only business which the Government 'proposed should be taken during the afternoon. From this point Opposition members , refrained from taking part in the discussion, despite a number of attempts to draw them into it.: By 5 o'clock the proceedings had become extremely, dull and uninteresting. .■. ~ , Mr.HinCj M.P. for, Stratford, at this stage rose and declared that it was the most sickly exhibition of wasted time that ho had ever known; The topic had been wood, and it was closely, . allied to tho heads of somo of'the members who had spoken on the subject, (Cries of "Oh!" and "Order 1") The Speaker: That is an uncalled-for remark. '..■■ Sir. Hine: Well,'l will withdraw. Continuing. his remarks, Sir.; Hine said he would content himself with describing tho debate as a sorry exhibition. ''Let us get down to business," ' added Mr. Hine, who expressed the bopo that the Government , would take the motion as a protest against the stonewall which was taking place. •' ' .. , The Speaker: The remark cannot J» permitted. ' Mr. Hine: Well, I withdraw it. The Hon. D. Buddo; Who wanted-to block off last night? .-'" Mr. Hine: Two Ministers have taken part in this debate, and for all the edifying matter they have placed before the House they might just as well .have, stayed at home. (Laughter.) The Hon. J. Carroll, who was Acting- ' Prime Minister, replied that he thought the very earliest opportunity should . be taken, to amend ;' the- Standing Orders so (is to prevent tho unnecessary taking up of time on private members' days. Under the Standing' Orders the opportunity was . afforded ' every member of discussing the subject, matter of any return or paper laid ' on the table from their point of view. On various occasions Government mem- ■ bers had-hnd to wait whilst the time of tho House/was taken up for hours by Opposition members. Taking the '' House all round, it was a case of sis of one and half' a dozen of tho other, apparently. .. . Mr. Massey said that he could not , agree that any. amendment, of the . Standing Orders was necessary. . Mr. Carroll was always very plausible,, but on this occasion he had tailed to convince the House. ,: He (Mr. Massey) could not' understand what was tho ob- v ject of the deliberate, waste of time, the deliberate • obstruction that' had taken place. • . . '■.•■- Mr. Carroll: That-is -a reflection on members. ■ ■ • : ■'.■■■■ . The Speaker: . I think it is Pa-rlia* ] mentary. ''■ : ' Mri Massoy said he""happened' to"be ; out of tie House (for a quarter of an hour, and met a gentleman who had • that afternoon listened to a debate in the House for the first time. , , Mr. Massey • was proceeding te give that.gentleman's free opinion, .of . tlie proceedings, when he was stepped'on a point of order raised '.by the Hon. G. Fowlds. "Well ; " said Mr; Massoy, "my opinion agrees with that of the gentleman to whom I ha-vo just referred, and it is that it.is worth a thousand a year to. . have te listen to the twaddle that has como. from the Government benches today. I wish to enter an emphatic protost against tho waste of time'that haa taken placo this afternoon." . Tho Hon. G. JTowlds said he wished to protest against the assumption of superiority on the part of one of the youngest: and one of tho oldest members of the House that the speeches that day had been, i*'inferior to those sometimes delivered from the opposite sido of the House. He 'had listened to speeches- • from Opposition members, and hadthought that three thousand a year would not bo sufficient compensation., Now the Opposition objected to speeches on ono'of-the most important subjects .-• ' because they had - .something else in their minds. Why, some of the mem-:-bers,of the Opposition had just got in •.-..- by accident, and would not bo again rotnrned. ■ ■' : Mr."Wright (Wellington South) ask-,---ed how Mr. Fowlds fiot there. ,■ Chorus of members: By accident.:' (Laughter.) '. -, . , ' . Mr. Wright: And, -.perhaps, at lioxt election ho will get. out —by accident, • (Laughter.) ■ . Continuing his remarks, Mr. Wrinhf; ; said lie was surprised that Mr. Fowlds should quarrel with tlio opinions of a young member of the House. It was / not stranse that they could not seo oye . to eye with him. As a matter of fact, somo of them. believed thoy were'. re- ..-' turned to look after the interests of the people. 'Of course, it,might bo an erroneous idea. Why, member, after \ membor on the Government side had addressed the- House as if it wero an organised attempt to waste time. It . was evidently all' arranged that the paper should bs laid on. the table, and tho time of tho afternoon taken up in that way. Mr, Wright added: "A county council would not parry on in this way, and road boards in the back- ■ blocks would bo asiiarned to waste time in such a manner."/ - Upon a division, i a proposal to adjourn was, liovrcver, defeated by a substantial margin, .the voting being on, party Hnes. ' "