LOBBY GOSSIP.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2187, 27 June 1914, Page 5

LOBBY GOSSIP.

AND POINTS FROM DEBATES. LOCAL ELECTORAL LAW. Two Bills relating to local elections tvero given notico of in tlio House of Representatives yesterday by tho Hon. F. M. B. Fisher. One of them, the Local Elections (Proportional Representation) Bill gives municipalities the. option of substituting the system of proportional representation, if they so desire, for tho methods of election now in rogue. A law pn similar lines was passed in tho Imperial Parliament some time ago, and a number of municipalities have taken advantage of its provision? nnd adopted p'roportional representation. Last year a deputation from the Now Zeaiancl Proportional Representation League waited upon the Prime Minister and asked him to give proportional representation a.trial in municipal elections. Mr. Massey at, the time seemed to think the idea a good one/ and said that.it had not previously ocourretl to him.- The other new measure mentioned is tho Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill. This, it is understood, proposes machinery . amendments of-minor importance. "SILLY AND STUPID/' FREE SPEECH AND ABSURDITY. Brief reference to the'- stonewall of last year, on tho'Sccorid>Ballot repeal proposal of the Government' in the Legislative Amendment Bill was made- in the House yesterday. Sir Joseph Ward asked) the Prime Minister, whether, seeing that the Standing Orders do not recogni'so that '"closure", be applied, to members, ho will give an assurance to the House that, hi-order to prevent the. right of • free speech being '• taken from the people's representatives, an amendment to .the Standing Orders will be made defining. tho powers of the Speaker and Chairman of Committees so as to prevent any ■ misunderstanding in the interpretation of.' tho.sanio! . The Prime Minister said he had no intention of amending the Standing Orders. In no.'case' would ho interfere with ..the right' 'of free"'- speech ' in. the proper sense of the term, but he would do overyching he possibly, could to prevent the silly and stupid, tactics which were indulged in by certain honourable gentlemen last year, tactics which were wasteful both of members' time and the 'country's money. He had nover in all his lifo seen.such stupid tactics before. , . .' < . . ■'. Sir Joseph Ward said he was sorry fche Prime Minister was not willing to havo 'the rights of members' under the Standing Orders exactly defined. Members on his side of the House had not been guilty of -silly conduct, and were most anxious to conform to the rules of '.the House. ■' Mr. Speaker, at the close of tho discussion, added that he had taken no action last year that could not bo sustained under, the Standing : Orders. , A BOMBSHELL. OPPOSITION AND THE. COUNCIL. It is a well-known 'fact'that in the case of several constituencies that are being contested by jnclnbers* of the* Liberal Party at present in Parliament, there are grave doubts about such members being able to ■ retain their seats. Mr. Massey yesterday afternoon lot a little light .in upon the, position, and at the same time throw a bombshell into, tho Opposition camp. Mr. Massey was ■ replying to £?me criticism about ■appointments to laud boards' and to the Upper House. , , : , ,• " . _: in , an incautious moment. ' ; "■ ■ "The lion , .- gentleman has no need to talk about rejects," said Mr. Massey, ''"because,, as'a matter of fact, I have had a deputation fro'ny.his district asking mo to appoint .him to the "Upper House."••',' ".Within the last month," added Mr. Massey, , "I have been re'quested by. v supporters of four of tho candidates'who'snpport. the right hon. gentleman (Sir Jos.: "Ward) to ap- ' point .them to the Legislative Council. (Laiight&r.) ''■ ; : - ' Opposition members:-Name them.! .( ■ Mr. Massey: .No; I won't namo :theml I don't think that would bo fair. . Mr. Colvin (rising somewhat, excitedly) : It is an absolute—, and I never heard it. (Loud laughter.) -Mt nover emanated from me. ■ ,' Mr. Massey: I am quite willing to ; accept that statement. I did.not say. for one moment-that it had emanated from the hon. member, but it did emanate from his own party. '■ .Opposition members: From your own party! ■ . Mr. Massey: No. In no instance were they supporters of. mine. Mr. Colvin again stated that he had nothing to do with the request, and objected to the, statement. ■ . Mr. Massey: Tho hon. gentleman had better not drive me too hard. Mr. Colvin said ho was quite willing, that tho Prime Minister should make the matter public. . . \ . ' Mr. Massey: I am quite willing to tell tho hon. gentleman privately. Will thnt satisfy him? ' . Mr. Colvin again interjected that he knew nothing of it. •'•'..■ '-■ ~ Mr.' Massey: I .said I was requested to put the hon. gentleman in tho Upper House. I was requested by some of his own personal friends and supporters.. (Government laughter.) . THE BUDCET. _ Sir Joseph Ward asked the Prime Minister yesterday afternoon when the Financial Statement would bo pjesent-.j od. Ho asked, ho said, because that day, in answering a deputation, tho Prime Minister had said that between ■the debate on tho Address-iu-Rcply and the debate on the Financial Statement an opportunity would be given, to the ' -House to discuss the Licensing Bill. , • TheJ'rimc Minister said it was usual for the Addrcss-in-Roply to occupy about two weeks, and Usual to allow three weeks' -interval' between tho conclusion of that debate and the presentation of the Budget. ' He bolievod tho ■ usual course would be followed this year. Possibly, if the honourable geiltleinan wished, the Statement might bo presented earlier, but .between the Ad-, dress-in-Reply and tbe'Financial Statement the House would 'have an opportunity to discuss the Licensing Bill. COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS. Jho Prime Miriister informed the House of Representatives last evening that the appointments to be made by tho Government to the Upper House, in order to ensure the passage of tho Legislativo Council Reform Bill, would bring its strength up to approximately forty members. Mr. G. W. Russell: That means you are going to appoint twelve. Mr. Massey :■ I am not able to say definitely just now. Enough members will be appointed to bring tho Council up to a strength of 38, 39, 40, or it may bo 41. Mr. Witty: Couldn't you squeeze in another one, and make it 42? Mr. Massey: I should not be at all surprised if the hon. gentleman came along, and asked me to keep a place open for him until after the election. ' Mr. Witty: Not yet a bit. ■ Mr. Wilrord (speaking to the Prime Minister): Don't, you think the whole place has outlived its usefulness? Mr. Massey ; No; I don't think that. Mr. Wilford: That's what you said in 1901. Mr. Massey: I am not the only member who has changed his viws since 1901—or since 1913. (Laughter.) A member: Don't bo hind nnoh him. Mr. Wilford: Ho's hiding Fisher. I Mr. FiVbcr: He is thinking of the I soft- pe'h!. . I ,V.r. M.Tsscy.: A.i a maHer of fact, I

was thinking about the soft pedal. Tho hon. gentleman ' s Paying on a different instrument now. BREAKING UP ESTATES. A great point has been made during tho recess by members of "The Flying Squadron" about land aggregation, and statements have also been made that Uio graduated tax has been ineU'ective. 'ihese assertions received n death-blow in tho House last evening, when the-Pri-.no Minister promised to give a return to Parliament showing that during the last two years no fewer than one and a half million acres of land had been subdivided iii New Zealand. That, said Mr. Massey, had never before been done in the history of the country. It had been done to a largo.extent through the graduated tax that the Government Had provided. In the Hawkc's Bav district alone 35,000 acres of land previously held in large blocks had been cut up into farms averaging about 120 acres. "NO" AND "NONSENSE." Sir Joseph Ward pulled up indignantly in a'speech in the Houso of Kopresoritatives last evening to remark that somebody on the other side of tho House was ''muttering away" in his seat, and that he considered if a Minister wanted to say anything he should get up, and say it, instead of "grunting away"-in his seat. ; Tho Hon. W. Eraser interjected, that all he had said was: '.'No! No! No!" and he repeated it. ' .-' Sir Joseph Ward: I undorstood the bon. gentleman to say: "Nonsense! lSonsense! Nonsense!" Mr. Eraser,: I did not. • Mr. Fisher: That is what ho should havo said. (Laughter.) APPEALS AND JUDCMENT. When ho was speaking about tho Public Service Act in tho House of Representatives yesterday, Sir Joseph Ward declared very emphatically that in all appeal cases public servants should be conceded the right of being represented by a solicitor. Mr. Leo: Railways, too? Sir J. Ward: In"the interests of tho legal profession, yes. .Mr. Lee: You didn't provide it. .Sir J, Ward: There are a good many tilings 1 haven't been able to provide. I-haven't, been ablo to provide the hon. gentleman with much judgment. Mr. Fisher: You haven't any to spare. (Laughter.) • When the laughter died down, Sir Joseph Ward declared angrily that if a •ballot of honourable members . wero .taken upon the judgment of tho Minister of Marine, they would judge him out of his position altogether. ENROLLING ELECTORS. A suggestion was made in tho Houso of Representatives that the method of placing electors on tho rolls might give an undue advantage to wealthy candidates, who could see that the work was done. Tho subject was raised by Mr. W. Voitch, who drew the attention, of the Minister in charge of the Electoral Department to the fact that tho only provision in Wanganui for placing people on the rolls was through the postal employees. Many'of them in Wang.iinii wero too youno; for this <lutj The Heform Party, through thoir wealth, had an undue advantage over the Labour candidate. Mr. T.' E. Y. Seddon also had something to say on the matter. If the police woro going to do this duty in the country districts, and were not to.be paid, there would be neglect. Thn Hon. P. M..8. Fisher, in reply, said that the arrangement was equallv fair to all members. In thickly settled districts the postal employees would do the work. He was sorry to hear tho young men' who wore capable of delivering registered., letters .could 1 J .not 'wjtn'css .a;-, form. With' regard- to th« letter-carriers not being qualified to do so, owing €o tbo fact that they were under the nge of 21 years, he would say that tho Registrar could authorise anyone to witness the forms. v The police who did the work in the country districts would be paid, i:s would the nostal employees. ■■ '