INTEMPERATE SPEECH.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1905, 13 November 1913, Page 6

INTEMPERATE SPEECH.

The discussion which took place in the House of Representatives yesterday shows that- such utterances as those indulged in by Me. E. Thegear attacking tho special constables, who have come from the country to uphold law and order, are not going to bo allowed to pass Unchallenged. Mi\. (key and Me. Pearoe drew attention to the matter in the form of questions,_ and thcy_ aro thoroughly justified in the action they have taken. Mr. Nosworthy was very outspoken in his condemnation of the "statement about the farmers' of this country" by a man "who has been a Civil Servant, who is drafts ing a Civil Service pension, who has been honoured by His Majesty with the Imperial Service Order": and Mr. Wilkinson declared emphatically that ho would Hot remain silent and allow soffio of the- best mea in New Zealand to be spoken of as ''outcasts.' Thfi-so pro-tests will meet with strong support everywhere. A greater souse of responsibility should be insisted on on tho part of public speakers, especially in times of excitement. So much laxity in this matter has been permitted in tho past that the evil of reckless speech has bccomc intolerable; and it is to bo hoped that the. stand taken in Parliament yesterday will do something to emphasise this fact,' Tho insolent offonsiveacss of the remarks of Messrs. Webb and Payne on various occasions of late in tic House of Representatives passes for the most part unheeded by members, because they know the value to be placed oil the utterances' of this irresponsible class of political, blowhards; but there are people who, not knowing them, must, wonder what sort of place 'Parliament has become that such utterances are tolerated. _ Labour is singularly unfortunate in tho claes of member it succeeds in returning to Parliament. With one exception their only possible claim to attention is their reckless intemperance of sncech, unci already that novelty has worn off, with H-mee, Hnfc for tho imwt part, merely arouss rcse.fitmcntu ' .