"THEY LIVE ON IT"

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2288, 23 October 1914, Page 6

"THEY LIVE ON IT"

LABOUR MEMBERS REPROVED. Curious conduct on the part of certain Labour members, Messrs. Payne, Robertson, and Webb, was severely reprobated by the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher in the House of Representatives yesterday. The pother arose out of a claim by a Wellington resident who had had some furniture smashed by pursuing special constables on the trail of a rioter fugitive at the time of the strike disorders. Tho claim was for tho modest sum of £7 10s. -When the petition came before the committee, Mr. Fisher said that asthe claim was so small, and as undoubtedly damage had been done, ho would recommend his' colleague to pay it, and 60 do away with tho necessity for calling evidence, which, proceduro would probably cost moro monoy. The committee brought in the'ordinary favourable recommendation to the House. When the report was presented, certain members who did not know all I about what had occurred raised objection to tho bald recommendation without evidence, and askod questions. It was hero that the Labour members bo-' baved so strangely. They 6aid no word about Mr. Fisher's generous proposal to help tho petitioner, and no word of the Minister of Justice having agroed to pay the money, but attacked the Government and "the Inspector of. Police on familiar lines. Mr. Fisher, after expressing his amazemont at their conduct in having refused, to allow the _ petition to be withdrawn, and in misrepresenting tho facts in the House, said:—"The Labour members have, of course, been engineering the whole thing for political purposes. They don't caro a snap of tho fingers for the man and his £7 10s, . . . When the petitioner came to see me about it Tasked him if ho would be satisfied with tho amount of his claim, £7 10s., and he said he would b& perfectly satisfied. Now wo have it that tho Labour members aro not satisfied. They want to damn the Government whatever the cost; right or wrong. They havo no sonse of justice, and no sense of propriety. Upon my, word, when I 'see them taking up tho attitude they took up in tho committee this morning, and afterwards walking into the House to speak as they have this' afternoon, I think a committee that has none of thorn on it is lucky." Mr. J. H. Bradney (Chairman of the Petitions Committee) deplored tho repeated references, by Labour members to the lamentable incidents of the strike. Mr. Fisher: But they live on it.