SPEAKER WILLIS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1650, 17 January 1913, Page 6

SPEAKER WILLIS.

'•■''■.'' AN INTERVIEW.

POLITICS IN NEW SOUTH

•' JKAJLiS.'-'

SOME FORECASTS,

' The Hon. Henry villi's, Speaker .of the ■'. Legislative,,. Assembly/,'. ;invNow South ■; .Wales,' who; is at .present touring tho. DoWnion.Vmlvod in' Wellington/yesterday .north. ; Interviowecl' by a , DoiriNioiir reporter; he traversed interest-, ijiglysome. of.,the. recent stormy events

.'■■; South '.Wales- ;,Parliament ■ . V which' hilvoinado his'nauio familiar. So ,v -, far from/admitting, the. numerous charges ■,■'-.';'}. that have 'beehi;.l6y'e'licd. against his ad- -■■•''.■'-' • ministration, of tho office of Speaker, Mr. :; -'Willis maintains that ho i saved' the con- , '.;,:-, stitutional situation in New South Wales, v - and maintained tho -traditions, of tho'Bri- ■-■■', 'tish,House of Commons in-his Stato Par..:..V.;:ii«m'ent'in' a''time,of great difficulty. -.. ■ -A'Difficult;:Task.-;' '■"'■. '/■■he'-V'-The'v New South. ■Wales' - Parliament," :'•"■• Mr.' Willis' told his interviewer; "contains ■7 .-'.-. u majority of Labour representatives, who ''■ , . are 'essentially :Socialists, and a; majority '. i. of the Labour nienaro'no better benaved ;/'/'.." than, the .Opposition.. .There is, however, a'very'strong.'element.of common sense in'thb" lending .membors of the Government party, in andotit! of office. '.Several , iiY commoh-senso.me'ri'are'. out'of • tho' Gov-:'--v t .rnment-whose'inclusion would strengthen -'■''■ it greatly., Tho ,Goverriinont ; party, was • ; . better/behavecKat the beginning 1 of, my V' '-term of .office than latterly.: When I ■■■'■:'. /.tb6k?up/tho'b'mco:bf Speaker, I had a r- ■■&'■■: very- difficiilt task .to perform, and- tho - i'v -Government-.recognised 'that it - was do- '■' /pendent'upon ihy success in handling tho .■Parliament.' When the i"rag-tag" of tho '..■■• 'Go'verhmenlj.pnrty-saw'..that, the ,Parlia- .:• -■•".-.'''menti'.was "going -along, smoothly,-.'several ';'''■'..- /of them began to think that ship 'would be a very nice office for them ■ v -.''to"fill,"'and they began to intrigue with "";"'■.■!tho Opposition, with intent; to put me to ..', 'as ■'■ ~much , inconvenience \aS, .possible. '■'-:':'-These malcontents' .'oftho: .Government .'party gave a- great' deal of anxiety. to 'the ' '.' Government, and: trbiiblo to' .myself. I ,' was iinable.to leave .tHo' office of Speaker. ■-■-. nritil V 'l] had finished/ the work a had ;i -' v : fdken'in hand, the' objective being the ■'■'{/ redistribution df's'eats, before' an appeal '.- was made' to the country. Vino redistn- ...■ ,:.: : i>nti6n'was;only' : compl*etl>a'-(lay.i.or'two' v before 'prorogation. ; It-was found,that : , '"electorates'in'the cities', had ovor : grown' .'''- ■'■'■■ tho ordinary' diniensions/.whrch■ were.•pro- ' vidcil- by 'Act 'of Parliament,; and- when iv3;.-the ! re'distributi6ri.;ttfb.k:. pla'co''my' action K : ' ''ijvas justified.'inasmuch'as.seve.ral.elector; -' - ates' we're' ■ qui to' abolished; .'and five'' or 'six V/ : -' ,were/ so, .extended as ,to r/;.;quite'alter tho jarty representation;;iof ':'.' V", ...;_,„.; ; .■■-, ~ - . I: ■■■- ~n'hoiOpposition,".'Mr. ,Wilhs/, -replied ./ to;-another.. question,,"is led by armmber , :: ~ who,are anxious;to. como ! ■ -'~ into powcr'-agairi, and to use the Speaker- ■:■■ -Bhip-forithe'purpose; of .forcing a-dissolu-. -.'■ "■:. tion." :&-'the-'; interests ± of ' responsible, ■i■'■:■ ' gofernmerit^l' held"thsit M-jnmld -be most V - .'•":■ improper for- the Spealcer-:to -. bo used for ;: -: partyipurpb'ses, 'and :so; ; I camp'' to the; V":: 1 assistance of Parliament -bynccepting the r.i S Speakership and so effeetingia redistnbu-. i' ; •'■"'•''-.tlqn.'of 'seats'.'before,'ari:appeal;was made to t'v/.:.;the'. country." ■■■■, ;',;.--:.; ."■'- v: •";.. V ,.±•■, f. ■/: '"Further, explaining, tho position-Jhat rv-VVobtained'.'whon/ho took'.:office,;Mr. Willis ['-'■''-■■'said -that a. constitutional; precedent for ='• v ' ; the'coursa'>th'at'ho twjk'was!laid, down by f'i;. : ' Qhcqn" Victoria' when: Mr; - Gladstone '.was. H"'i refUsed' a" dissolution on: the, occasion'; of: '~-.' the defeat of.his'second'Hpme.RuloiDill.-. i' : /'The margin of votes between tho,OpposiS tion, and thotGoVerrirnenti"; he continued, i?.'. -' "was hvc/ votes.' ; The Opposition thereforo '::' v was very strong numerically in the Houso : '--."of 90' members. •■ The -Opposition party, --r- li'oweveT,.is" neatly,all 'tail/'■-The.leader- ■ 'ship is divided ."-between one or two ex- ■ > "Ministers .-t who. are now, too ' old for, _ef- -"■ fective;work.. 'They are highly respected ::'.,'-and .mbst'.benevoleiit,;,but ; incapable ..of --'i'aW'goo'd'.work-for 'tho future.. The,,tail r': : of tho party is made'.iip.of larrikins, wjio' i ; into public,,'life as Labour men, and i'ii,--throw,over,thirLabour';- platform.' They. r.' havo'becomV. '"respectable' ditizens, havo ':■■'' taken'-'urito"themsel'ves-wives,Vand.'.noW; B.'/vpos'o as'tedersi.of;the'Opposition.;^:-.-•;;.., f:-'':-'.v'-;':?(fif ; .-;:\'fßehaviour and ; a Shock..Vi'v'.:■''■ / : --A : ''-'f'BefqrV jr'.'bccamb-!Speaker ; ," continued ! •'■;■' ."ftr, iWillis,' "a'member of ;the'., Opposition. i '■! :.'.' jybuld.'begin. his'speoch in,this >ay. .'I reno.notes,',or,preparation;,but- speak f' ; "-'■ ■ ■■'.W.'.irispiratioh^antl„in<ipiratioil,bids .;me !' . t -reply to 'the' last'speaker. on ; the Gdvernr'':!:liienfside of the. House, by calUngihim a '.."•: :'^iar.''' t This sort-of -.thing,' .said. Mr.. . ■•-/ '■ Willi&i "led""t" 'nsticuffs, 'and 'one. of - tho Lv-.'i' combatants would;be'Maid out' under the p.'-'. -.table -of tho ..House.: - This ( sort of: thing ['•''/■" : : .-was 'quite common'.' r I abolished conduct -:,;'of this kind, and when a member of tho "■'"-'■• House' ''misbehaved himself'l dealt with. )V-;' him>hcc<lrding' ta : the'rulesJof 'the.House 'V.':'-:of■• Commons, introduced;by . ; Mr..; Speaker,, [ ; , •:.'-,--Brand ; whe'n 'the'-'Parnellites adopted ob-. fry l "- fctTUctive tactics ih' ; ,theißntish"House , : '.--fJomWnV':vTheif{trodu , otion.;of.the«;Tules.' [;" " -m came as n' shock' tothe 'members ■of tho r— South' Wales: Opposition, .-who'were '- '■■ not' aware.'that■' these; ,-Sfandirig; Orders } W~ operated in the State of. New feeuth Wales. f'-'i : ; J/acted •on ,"tho rule that: where. Standing y> "■•■'■ Ofdersdo'notexisttc- cope with difficulthen the " Standing . Orders of the !'-•(-■■ -British House ,of.Cdmmons\;shall prevail. - E••',-■ Tho'-loss'-i-bv ;the- Government ot- Mr. r' ;: -remark,- (■':•■ made adifferohco of two votes in .a diyi-, r''■-■■-., sibn.' disposed ,of tho Government: p.'/'-'majority, arid: it was: ! now, .dependent ?'■■■■'■■■:■:..upon the casting vote of-tho Speaker in l'> ; all important divisions. "Thoconstitutions' '''■ '■' nl -position' in such .a contingency would '» ..''.bD for-the Sneaker to. vote-with the .Gov-. p crnment. The outcome ; of i the Blaynpy |. ,: by-elc'ctidn, in. which-Mr; '■'Beeby..--; was' I . standing for re-election, would not affect j-zUVtho 'position. . Any bonovdlcht ■ -.protniao, p." ! that-Mr. 'Ueeby might mako'to the. Gov-'-I-'.-.' eminent in tho' event,of< his .return- could 1/ .not be taken into consideration bv-Par-: i; ; '." liament. It % /would.be tile, duty of.Min- [.'', .-', istera to advise -J the/ Goyornbr v tho ■:. ; : Parliament could, .not/'pasi'useful legislaf ':■;■ tion,, nnd„if :the';.Gdvefridi*'(li'd not accept' L',■■': this, advice it, would bo :Uio duty of the | : ::;: : : Government:;to, ; resign v .„■' v y;-. >■ - '■'.'■,-.'.-. ■. .*•.

:.■■'.'.'-.. An"'Elec<ibri"'fmnii.ncntr'•" :"■ '"•.'" "A'general election," Mid Mr. Willis, -"is therefore imminent. Thciro is another factor to be conaidcred^ besides those T have : mentioned-7avsection- known,as tiio third party;;\Thi.<is % 'wedge' of. pbliti-' cians without Vari.V' fixed principles -.-who arc of tho following of, Mr. Micnwbor, and aro' waitiwr for. something to-tnrn •up., These, gentlemVn'hith'orto have,. Kept the Government. ih'powerJVWhenover l a pair was required, for ;nii absont Ministerialist it was supplied by- these, EO-.ca7lcd independents.-;lt is now-cj(uite uncertain; ■what attitude". tKin'-'c'dterui, of .members will take up." They may elect to be conveniently absent'if tho Government is in a minority, but it, is woll-known ' that membere incline, to hssert .their independence when they aro on tho eve of meeting'thcir constituents, and arc less likely to support a Government than;: in': the' ' early stages of a Parliament." ' '

':,■') '.':' A Political Challenge. ,' \ ; . 'If ho had not accepted tho offico, of i- , Speiker, Mr.. Willis declared,. thero would I 'have been a'general "election within eight i .'months from the preceding election. In judgment 'what he'had accomplished ! ,-' was a triumph of Liberalism ovor Wndef » ism. "I intend to appeal to the electors," ; he continued, "against thp disgraceful at- [ ; tack of tho Leader of tho Opposition (Mr. (:'. ,Wade) andkis discredited followers, upon ■ ■ 'thyself. In doing so I shall ask tho elec- ';■■''• tors to, reject all tho' Wadoites and "to i'■ ■" elect Kadical Liberals, men who will enact legislation for tho advancement of r ■'■ New South Wales. I havo already chal- '■:'■" lenged Mr. Wado to meet mo in my own • .' electorate, and I shall proclaim '.'' him as a political coward if ho does not accept tho challenge, seeing that ' he has maligned me; and has scnrrilous- [■':■'■ ly attacked. mo while. I .occupied.,'the !"• Speaker's chair,.-a?state .of things', un- '?'- '•' -'known in the Parliamentary history of ; Great Britain,, nnd a f state of things ? which I think tho people of New South Wales will show their contempt for when ■*;.'■ the .opportunity arrives. ■ I ' A Doomed Government. ('■ "The impending general election," Mr. f Willis predicted,."will lead to the com-

pleto defeat of tho labour Government, mid 1 that for.several reasons. The Government lias failed to enact legislation satisfactory to a majority of the electors, and, on tho other hand, during tho greater part of my term as Speaker, has pandered to tho Opposition for tho purpose of making terms with the mammon of unrighteousness. They can seo that their days nro numbered. The writing is in largo characters on tho wall. The AVndoites in Opposition will' bo defeated, inasmuch as they havo no policy. Their tactics are those 'of tho Socialists, and 'the'essential.planks of their platform are the 'rejected planks of tho intelligent members of tho Labour party. Under such circnmstanccs there, is a call for a third party, and a third party is coming out of the two existing parties. It will obtain a >victory at the polls, not when tho first ballot' is taken, but at the second ballot. ' I expect that tho third party will stand second-nt, the polls when tho first ballot results are declared, but it will win at'the second ballot because on that occasion it .will have tho assistance of tho defeated party against tho dominant party nt the first ballot. Tho' new party will stand for Radical Liberal principles, arid when it gets in if will continuo in office as long as Mr. Seddon's continuous Ministry in this Dominion." •Mr. Willis iS accompanied by his wife,, his-son, and two daughters. He is in New Zealand upon pleasure bent, and for experience. The party will leavo for tho south, to-morrow, ar.d will return to Wellington, to leave for Sydney on January 31. -