THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1247, 2 October 1911, Page 4

THE HOUSE.

VENTILATION PROBLEM. THE SPACE FOR VISITORS. Part of the report of last Friday's pn> OMilings in tflie Hoireo w:s held over, owjns to pressure on our space, aid nnofhor part could not apjraair in Saturday's i?sua booause tkf> Jl<ni£« sat until after tlw paper, went to pra-t. During tho afteration. The Standing Orders Committee reported that the present arrangements for tho iwue ft tickets for seals oa '(lie lloor of the' Hiiusa, or in the crnlleri.':-:. are unpa.tisfac!'">ry. They recommended: (1) Tliat all tickets issued up io data bo caitcelleil. (2) That in future a fcsed num.-

bet. of tickets for the floor for ladies and gentlemen respectively, and lor tho strangers', gallery corresponding wl th the number of scats availablo bo issued from day to day, to be in force for ono day only. (3) That tickets of a diilercnt colour ba issued foi each class of visitors. (i) That seats for ladies on tho iloor bo reserved for wives and daughters of members. Tho Committee added that these recommendations, if carried out, would minimise tho ovil in regard to ventuar tion and they further recommended that whenever tho llouso rises t'ho windows and doors should all bo thrown open and the ventilating fans kept going until tho r!X"wRIGHT (Wellington South) pointed out that while this report might suggest a remedy it did not make it clear what tho Government intended to do. in ■ rcard to strangers. Ho did not think that this House was prepared to convert itself into a kind of Star Chamber, but strangers might almost as well bo excluded altogether if only so many strangers were to bo admitted as could be given seats in the galleries. - Wellington members had been accused of, talking to tho galleries. (Heal', hear.) 'I hey woro no greater sinners in" this respect than Ministers and other members.', lhe' ■people had evory right to seo and_ know what was going on in Parliament. If they could see they would make a change. Ho hoped that , if this report wero 'adopted tho Government would raako.sonio provision for strangers. , " ~v Mr. J. CRAIGIE (Timaru) welcomed the report, and hoped it-would be carried into efi )dr.' G. ANDERSON' (Mataura): contended that,- in the distribution,of tickets, ptrangers from other parts of tho country than Wellington should bo given preference. • Some of them-came to Parliament only once in a lifetime,- but at present they were liable to be kept out by Wellington people, who could como at any time. - ■ Mr. W. T. JENNINGS (Taumarunui) said'he could see how the surplus.-of the , country . could bo considerably -increased, A small charge for admission to. tho galI lories would rai"& the revenue enormously. I Mr. ,W. FRASER (Wakatipu) ; thought that no member should be privileged to procure tickets oi two days running. Mr. C. A. C. HAItDY (Selwyn) stated that always, when he was prcsont,; lady visitors had behaved themselves in a most becoming manner. Caution should be rhown in this matter. Country members liked-to bring their wives to Parliament. ' - Mr. G. LAURENSON (Lyttelton) considered that a certain amount of inconvenience was inevitable in a makeshift, temporarv, low-roofed Chamber. To liim tho absence of talk by lady visitors had been Almost phenomenal. He thought thai, complaints that had been made- wero not -instilled. ... - • • , Mr. A. L. HERDMAN (Wellington North) pointed ont .that the report ap-. peared to have made no provision for the ooming and going of visitors-during tho afternoon and evening. It should suffice if the orderlies at the doors were instructed not to admit visitors for whom no seats were available. Mr. F. M. B. FISHER (Wellington Central) also recommended this course. There should bo an unlimited distribution of tickets, nud those who came first should get the seats. The Hon. R. M'Kenzie: Do you want ad your constituents? Mr. Fisher-. Tliey mostly como in tho hope of hearing the Minister for Public Works.' They say'it is quite as good as hearing a piece of linoleum being torn up! (Laughter.) Mr. M'Kenzie: It is a good deal moro melodious then your flute. Mrj G. W. RUSSELL (Avon), referring to tlio fact that Mr. Wright, member for Wellington South, had claimed the attention of Mr. Speaker, while, he Mr. _ Russell was speaking to the latter, said., he thought' the member for Wellington Sduth required a bluo pill or a black draught. Mr. Russell also had a tilt at.Mr. Jennings, who was qualifying, he -said,, to come in as a supporter of both sides. _• .-'Mr. . Jennings: "Just • like yo'u .in the past." ' ' . Mr; Fisher had a tilt at the matinee hat. Ho said ho had seen one in the gallery 4ft. 3in. in diameter. Mr. WRIGHT, replying to Mr. Russell's tannt, said he did not know that tho hon. member for Avon added to his other qualifications that of-, giving medical,ad-, vice. He'h'ad no doubt, however, that he lyeuld -inalve..a far,,J^tgj t ' dpotor,- than, ho wdS(l;:a.!'politician;rfor in by he-had a reputation for hot knowing exactly whero he Stood. For his nobbling in thofio'days lie had be-on - punished by his conistituents. However, if ho (Jlr. Wright) had to have tiho draugivt. proscribed for' him ho might say that he would much rather have it, than , tho draught the lion.' gentleman got when he had his eye, to tho keyhole. (Much laughter.) There was, however, one point on which he oonld not tako any advice from -tho hon. gentleman, and that was on the land question, because he (Mr. Russell) wa3 the biggest land s'haxk in the House. (More laughter.) . Eyentually it was. decided to refer the ( report back to the committee, members evidently thinking that the recommendation made was somewhat, impracticable.