A KNOTTY PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1370, 22 February 1912, Page 4

A KNOTTY PROBLEM

STRANGERS IN PARLIAMENT,

The knotty problem of regulating tho admittance of strangers was again discussed in (ho House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. Mr. Speaker stated t»at, in accordance with the general defiiro of members, lie had conferred with • io Prime Minister mid Loader of the upposilion in ri'gurd to tho conditions upon wluch tickets for tho galleries snould be issued. They hnd unanimoim- >' agreed to recommend that only meinHors wives should have tho right "to seats on he floor of the House, and that no lelalions-cousme, sistcrs |nmt , „,. iriends-should Imvo tickets for these feats. J. he tickets for tho ordinary galleries, on h,:s left, for ladies and gentlemen, it was proposed, should be drawn tor every morning. Successful drawers would receive a ticket for ona lady and one gentleman. Those unsuccessful in tno next drawing, and so on until the list the next drawing, and so until the list ot members hnd be-on exhausted. Tickets would be cssucd to distinguished visitors, as at present, by the Speaker. Mr. Mijndcr said that if tickets were, only available for the day upon which they wero drawn they would be valueless, because members would never know whether they were going to have tickets available or not. Mr. Speaker remarked that the drawing might hs carried ont on the night previous. Mr. Malcolm urged that a better plan, would Im to jssufi tickets to members in alphabetical order. Sir Joseph Ward: Where would I come, in, then? Mr. Malcolm said that if his plan were adopted members would know beforehand who would receive tickets. Mr. Buchanan supported the member for Clutha, and contended that drawing for ticket? would lw inconvenient, and that it would be better to allot them to members in alphabetical order. Mr. Coates desired to bo informed as to where tho bachelors came in. His lion, friend on his right (Mr. Atmore) and himself seemed to be disenfranchised. Mr. Witty: Get married nnd get over the difficulty. , , , Mβ-. Coates went loa to remark that he thought a member who had no wife should be permitted to bring his sister to the House. ' Mr. Fisher repeated a previous suggestion that the best plan would be to abolish tickets. Tho seats aroimd tho floor should he thrown open to the first arrivals f they were not occupied by members' wives at 7.30 p.m. A member: Thrown open to Wellington people? Mr. Fislur said that since the House was in Wellington a majority of visitors wouH naturally be Wellington people. If the House were situated at Ohakune, most of the visitors wouU be Ohakuno people. The Prime Minister remarked that ho saw no objection to n member who had no wife bringing his sister. Overcrowding by strangers at present made the condition of the House intolerable and unbearable.. Tt. was absolutely impossible that tho present system should continue. .Eventually it was agreed that tho system in vogue, so far aa the galleries are cencernsd, should bo allowed to continue during the present session. It was further agreed that Mr. Speaker should fix the number if chairs to be occupied by strangers on the floor of the House, anil that when these chairs had been filled, he should give strict orders that no more visitors shouH l:e admitted. Before leaving tho subject, Mr. Speakor repented a reminder which he had given ta lady visitors on the previous day. Members, he said, had reported to him that, a great deal of conversation and comment v. cut on behind thoir backs while they vera speaking;. This was a breach of the Standing Orders, and unless ladies obeyed the rule steps would be taken to prevent them entering the House again.