LOBBY GOSSIP

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2198, 10 July 1914, Page 7

LOBBY GOSSIP

f- . AND POINTS FROM DEBATES " ' . DAILY SUMMARY Tho'Addiess-in-Heply Debate in the House of Representatives came somewhat suddenly to an end last night It was resumed jesterday (after a few minutes had been spent m formal business) by the member for Southern Maori (ilr C Parata), who made a headlong attack upon tho Government, us Native land pohcj, and tho Native Minister. , Tho Hon. Dr. Poraaro made a crushing leply, m tlio courso of which iie convicted Mi Parata or lnconsistoncy in his political views, and also put forward a stiong dofenco of tho Government's policy in regard to the West Coast Settlement Reserve , lands In tho late afternoon and evening the debate continued by Mi. A. H. Hindmarsh, Mr. If. M. Campbell, and Mr. J. M'Combß. ' Tho next speaker was Mr C. K Wilson, who delivered one of tho best speeches heard in Parliament this session. He was,equally effective in exposing the, trumpet , } stones with which the Opposition "Fljing Squadiou" tickled tho eais of the oleotors during xhe lecess, and in sturdilj defending tho policy and act'ons of tho Government Mr. Wilson's leforences to the naval

pohcj so harrowed'the feelings of Sir Jbsdpli Waid ithat ho kopt tno House sitting for a- quurtti of an hour after the time foi the supper adjournment listening to rambling personal osplana-

tions When tho House resumed at 1017 p m. the Opposition did not put forward a speaKerj and Mr. F. H. Smith took up the limning, Mi. G. V. Pearce, member for Patea, •"Uitented himself, with making a brief jil.rsonil explanation, and at 11 8 p m Mi. JS P. Lee, the mover of the Address, ;ow3 to' reply. His speech took , tha form of extensive readings from the leport of tho last Imperial Conference, his object being to s clear up all doubts as to tho opinions on na\ al polity held by Sir Joseph Ward. Tlio motion that the, Address bo presented to his Excellency was carried at midnight, and tho Houso rose two minutes Intel. /

A "POOR" MAORI, , A piteous tale of how a "joung Maori 1 fella" had been led into the follies ot

tho ( complex civilisation of tha white 'man was told by Mr. C. Parata in the House of Kepresentatrt es josterday. This poor fellow had taken advantage of his right under , the Act of 1912 to become liuropcamscd, and then he liad sold his land. For ,it he xeceived £27,000. "And what has he got to show for it/" asked Mr. Parata with pathos "A new bouse, a few racehorses, and a few motor-cars (Laughter) And who is to blame for this ? The groat Nativo Minibter,' who by his legislation has maflo the Alaori u hito " Speaking later of the same Minister Mr Painta said "He knows no more about Native affajrs than my boots, 30 far as tho practical sido of the thing is concerned " Mr. Hemes appeared to be lather more smused at this denunciation tlian anjbody elso in the House COMPARING VOTES. When he spoke in the Address-m-Reply Debate in the Houte of Bepresentatives jestorday, the Hon. Dr. Pomaie referred with apparent'mdiguation to the fact that the member for Southern Maori (Mr. Parata) represented less than 300 electors. '

Mr. Russell. How.raany votes did you Dr. Poraare said that he had got a great manj more votes than Mr Parata and more than the hon gentleman who had interjected ll And," ho added, "I will got moro next time—l believe I w ill got a great many more at the next election than tho hon gentleman I behove he will be 'pushed through tho ■window ' " (Laughter) '

' A STATEMENT OUT RACK. "That verj able speaker, the member for Riccaiton," Mr Witty, was reminded by Mr. C K "Wilson last night of a statement ho was leported to havo made on one of his "Flymg Squadron" descents upon an undefended outpost at Ohoura , Mri Wilson read an extract from a report of a speech in the Ohoura "Advocate" b> Mr Witty Some one asked Mr Witty: "Where did the Government get its ,majonty from P" Mr Witty Rats A voico rßate like Roddy M'Kenzie? Mr Witty. Yes, there are more rats than Roddy . /'And ye't," continued Mi Wilson, "he went into tho lobby -with the member for Motueka the other night These are the kind of statements that are made out back, and I think tho member for Hiccnrton was very ill-advised to rrake such statements about one of his colleagues" Mr Witty made a personal explanation. Ho said he had made no suth remark about the Hon Roderick M'Kenzie but he anid. "It might apply to the other M'Kenno (or Maetenzio), and I believe it did."

paid'spies in the public , * SERVICE. l A revelation of some of the under-1 groilnd w.rk being done to discicdit'the Presc'it Government by peieons m tho Public Service, who aro "paid scouts and spies" foi the Opposition, was made by Mr. C. K Wilson in the House of Representatives last night )Alr A\ ilson said ho knew of one publio ofßcoi who, m reply to complaints trom settlors about the non-oxpendituro w Government grants, had replied that the money had not been nudo available, when in actual fact the money had been authorised weeks earlier "Ihat is the 'tjpe oi man," said Mr Wilson, "that the expenditure of public monej is being kit in the hands of, and thov aro -cheming for tho purpose of injuring ( the present Govoinment, who are doing ivorjthing in their poivor to give assistance so long delayed to bottlers in the back country. I know of a caso that occurred the othei daj Money had been authoiiscd foi months and months, and instead of tho road overseer doing ' the work, the giant was wasted in an immoral way, and at the same time the overseer was trjing to put tho fault upon the Government Metal for the work for which the monoy was provided I was cracked last jear, and although he had authority to put it on, ho formed and graded the pieco of iond right late into tho winlei, and to-day that road is three feet deep in mud, tho c\pondituro is blocked, and tho motal is still Ijmg not put on t!ho road / That man is a public eenant l Again, I lepeat ' there aro men in tho Sorvice who are doing this sort of thing to mjijro tho Govcernment. . . Theie are men pat into the Service as political spies, and thoj are the paid 3gents of the Opposition to spy on tho Government and give information to the Opposition "The overseers arc tooling with the co opeiative labourers—deliberately and wilfully fooling with them Whj" does an overseer tell co-operative labourers that the rate foi the woik m hard rock js a shilling a yard, when he Knows vciy •Hell be will I'avo to pay 3s (id ' What right has the overseer to trj to fool these workmen ? It is easy to und"rstand tho object of this sort of thing . . Why should lir* tell the men they aro getting a shilling a jard 'vlion he knows verv well they are getting 3<= 6d ? rh?'o men can have only one obj'ect, and that soit of thing must be stopped because it is not fur to the w:ikin? man an'l most uniuet to the

Government tliat pays them their salaries."

The flon W Fraser (Minister of Public WorLs) made a bnef btatement afterwards, "lost Jus silonco might bo imsmterpietwl " If tho honourable- gentleman would formulate charges against ceitnin officers, lie said, giving the names of the men, and tho locality, ho would have a searching inquiry made into tho matter, and if tho charges were tmo, the troubles -would not occur agj(in "But," ho said, "I have had complaints by letter from somo men that they can't get work because tho gangers would not put them on And I have sent a competent officer who has seen tho ganger and the man supposed to urito a letter, and tho man lias said the whole thing was a fabrication, That sort of thing goes on But I do not think 1 should lake as pi oven charges against' iny own officers untit I have pio\ed them mjself "