POINTS OF ORDER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2509, 9 July 1915, Page 7

POINTS OF ORDER

" pHIBERtFOR HUTI • THOSE^HORSE ."BOXES *»- ' STATEMENTS AN&; FACTS' Soirfß, commotion wasftraisod in the 'Bouse of Representatives yesterday by k qnostion by Mr. 1 .Wilford concerning anen being housed in horse boxes at aho raoecourso. E-.Mr.:.Wilford Minister, of ffubHc. .Health/wliother lie caiisidored it nvise 'to allow sick men with a temperature, or .men sufferiug: from \measles, ftd ho-.in • loose. boxes.. Ho stated that jpn Sunday afternoon' lie; had seen men lying'. in . beds in those boxes at Trentham racecourse; lie asserted'that the Minister had denied last Wednesday that , men were in the loose boxes. (, Tho Hon. R. H. Rhodes said lie hid fseen the men in- Ithe...loose; boxes and ife'.'had s never, denied.. that they were there. .-. ' Mr.-Han3n: Oh! Ohl I • Mr. Rhodes: I demand the withdrawal of that remark. ■ V. Mr;.., Speaker;-, did not order' the:withldrawal. - ...... t Mr. .Rhodos: -.Very weil; - I tyiow t'ho teember for Invorcargill.■. ' l Mr.„Hanan: And 1 know what an in(capable and inellicient you are. j Mr. Speaker: Order. I Mr.' Rhodes explained that men were W>ut ihfc .'the' loose boxes ..because a Juospital marquee Had blown down. They there, on Monday night' and iTuosday. night week, and were -,taken out on .Wednesday. Tho boxes pweire perfectly clean and healthy., and he was quite prepared- to go and sleep in -them Jumself: WHiat the honourable member for saw on Sunday he " did not'.know. The men may have been ■put - there; temporarily; for shelter, or. sthey may have gone thereof their own •' He" would be very , much sur-iprised-t-o learn that sick, men had been: j)lit there to sleep. " ••".'■-.'.V • 1 1 Mr.- Wilford: Tliey were all in beds. S Mr. Rhodos later referred'to. the quesftioa again, saying that in-tho meantime iJd had 'consulted Dr. Valintine. The 'fact was, as he had : supposed, that the men were brought in for. shelter'until ithe. doctors: comdl allot/.-tiein hospital (quarters. Tho men were not-in tho box lior a-longer iperiod than two hours/ _ »and'theydid-.not sleep, in'the. boxes. I Mr. Wilforpl repeated that tho men had slept in tho boxes on Monday and Tuesday of. last week; -v- : , Mr. Rhodes: They .were not; sleeping jn "the horse-boxes when the honourable Member made that statement in :the ■House. i The Prime ■ Minister said. tho men were only, in tho boxes for an hour or ftn'o. 'and he believed the honourable anember knew, this, and he should havo [said so. The member for Hutt could pot mislead the' House,; because mem- ; ahers knew liim, but there''were a great ijiiany people outside ' the : House who (did not know him, and who might bo unfluenced by what ho might'say. j Mr.. Wilford raised a point of order. fHe said that the Prime-Minister had /accused him of making a statement know, png it .to. he'untrue. '.'I demand the of the statement. Thpro r is not a' word of truth m it,'.'- ho said, las he sat down. ■ \ It was then Mr. Massey's . turn to ■appeal to tho .Chair for the withdrawal 'of- tho accusation; of untruthfulness limade against him. ■ [ Mr. Speaker said: that Mr. Wilford's !remark "was, of course, wrong. But if •the Prime Minister had mado a state-: , ianent, that:-avmember.of: the.-House 'had ■made a-; statement knowing, if to bo :iwrong, the Prime Minister, ought 'to withdraw. . ■■■'.. \ Mr! -Massey. began to- repeat- exactly •Iwhat he had said,-whereupon i Mr. Wilford'raised .a point of order, jelaiming that an hcnourablo member, shad no right to Tepeat; a; statement he lhad boon ordered to withdraw, : f Mr. Speaker said there' seemed -to be Srloubt about tho words used, and it was 'impossible for him to remember them. i When Mr. Massey ' roso again to .- [speak, lie was' greeted with a chorus of •cries,of ""Withdraw!'' 'from tho Opposition. benches. . . • J Mr.'Massey: I will not withdraw. I '|am not going to -be bullied -by. members jopposiib, ■ either ' individually - or'wlleoitivolv. All of them could not do it. I want to point out to -you, Mr. Speaker, that tho honourable gentleman opposite fsaid that something'-1- said- hadn't a jbvord of truth in it. I ask. for the ;,iivithdrawa-l of, that remark.: ■-. '■ Mr. Lang said that romark, of courso,- . iftvas wrong, but he wanted to know, Exactly what; Mr. Massey had said.. /< Mr. - Massey: I said that tlieso men pvho were in the horse-boxes on Sunday Were only placed there temporarily, and ahat I believed the honourable member - ?or .'Hutt knew it. > > j Mr. Wilford: Moro than that. _ t Mr. Massey: If my statement is not Jsn 'order, I am willing to withdraw it. | Mr. Speaker: If those are -the words ■used then there is no need for their [withdrawal.- They .are - not • out ; .of. '"order. -, He added that further con-troversy--on the subject should cease, -. Vnd the!, incident closed.