POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2776, 20 May 1916, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES

THOSE "GERMANS"

m PAYNE'S ACCUSATIONS

ANSWERED

t?" : ' Mr.; Payne resumed bis daily attack on alleged- Germans. in tho House yesterday, by giving notice of questions concerning alleged' Germans in Jiew 2eais I'land, .the .Hon; <I.'Allen rose and said that V .Vbe tnousht such, questions should not be A »llowed,to go, on .record in the public jV;- : ; "'res without; -being.. answered as., soon na ; poesihlo. ''I .suggest to him," said Mr. '■ 'iHon, .'that it-ho-wants .to know, about !v ■; yi snyoce,. it wo'uld.bo: a fair; thing to do' to f;.-;-: giyo..me.a"'listiof.names,j!and I will i • .have, inquiries .made." ' t v.iW fe"^ a P lo; , % ho had; tho answerjou;havo.,refused; to do'it. f . Thore. Jias, been. .110 refusal, \,jTou;haye been invited;to send, tho, names 1- V 8 - <i°ne; in .soilie. cases.. V; i-lho-. quefttioib iy, "Dees tho -House; (lediro /';r, - s - :««WR -SO: ostf." Voices; No:) ;Is t > ~\me;:timeof: iny;, Departni<uit ,to' ba; taken i -■ ® .thing, .aud is the .Department, tho, dispense , of-answering r ; ii'idiculoiLS charges?; .X .' am' ./prepared; t'-•,W?!"? r , J"; «ne of; thaw; question's about V,- individuals now, but Ido warn tho House ' -that- these .questions aro taking - -up- a ' y of my Department. They haye very much miqre, importune work; to. :do;.', Jlr.yAUeii t;;;. ,tben proceeded, to give.'; detail. by.: detail ! Vtho history of all the men whose' nanies Jiad. been mentioned as being of German Jin'giti. ' , ■', . ... ' . . frequent., interjections wfere made by . as tho. Minister .gave his account "'und when' the details revealed, as they ['.'•'•^didvin-.^iy-'-sinßle^isase,-."either that the t , luan in question was of purely British :• . .descent, or that his connection with.any ; / .German was so' remote as to niaico. it ai> .iSurd- to. suspect, him' •of enemy sympn-Vlthies.-;,Time after.time members on both" r'v'.J isWes House showed extreme indig- ;; ; ,nation against tlie groundless accusations, ■ r and repeatedly members said "Scandal," Oi "Scandalous." Ono of the men named ~; 3ias been dead sly years. Two' men named y s :"|do not exist and never, "have ' existed. r , ., | ;'o_thera, whoso sympathies' might .be du- ,; . 'tious,. were; not -in either, tho Expedition- , ary or the Territorial Eorce. . < Mr. Payne 'was.persistent in his inter- , jections, and : at length. Mr. Speaker r called him to. order, saying that tho Min- ; ister-niust 'bo allowed to'make , his state- •; nient. without interruption. . ;v, A heated incident occurretl at one-point. ; i-.Ono man referred to, Mr. 'Allen ■'pointed i ; 'out, had died six years ago. "I presume," 7 said tho Minister, "that Mr.'Payne; looked ;;'through tho Army.List and look out all' : . , ; :the names the spelling of which suggested origin." Mr. Dickson: ..Did . ho . find Madams JJoaufve? •• ■ •'

iv Mr. Pnyne: Bo a bit decent. She's .tho -! fwife'of an Allied Minister. J'oii common 1 : brute! : ,- ■ ; Mr. Dickson immediately rose to a point of ~ordor, and tho .Speaker- asked , Mr.. ! ' Payno if bo had .uswl the language complained of. . . "Yes," said ; Mr.. Payne. "I did "bsh: ::cause''ho -referred: to Madamo • Boeufvo, vho is the wife of a French Minister." [.•' s 'l'hE( Speaker: Kesume your seat. If v you used that; language 'you must with|v..th'aiV,'. and express regret. 7 • . ■ : .- r; Mr. Payno (without -rising from liis h ;\l6eat):. I withdraw and, express regret. "The Minister of Defence then continued reading his little , list. "If more -quesj;.*, stionsaro. asked/' he said in conclusion, "I' £' \cangive similar answers, but I must say' I it is takingaip a.' lot of 'Departmental and [. House time." NO MORE PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS ! A very long list of Hills brought ('own ibypiiyate members' is on the Orner l'aper p' j this session. - .Very, few • of--them .would jliavo , had t mora than a .remote chance tot- passing \ihto:law iu- any-event,-but j , :Mr. Massey gave them' all "their quietus yesterday: .Vrivate-members'• ;Bills, it j ' should bs understood;-are dealt with ou pi and after. • Local. Bills are ' ; - /disposed of- on -Thursdays. This ■ procedure , .'obtains -until-cthe 'Loader Of-tho "House, . /finqyos ;to, r -tako % 'thess" dftys'. ior Oovernij ,:l iient. business, whiebyho ttbes in* ordinary:t< .V^im^-liitbi:- jtheulßj«a,.lof six Lor ;eight :•. 'V jweaks. Yesterday; afternoon, however, Mr.' .V. , lUassey. gave notice to move -'.that on. an<l j.jfil'ter Wednesday, next- Government busi- • i .' Iness■: take precedence on-; Wednesdays, and 'Ifollow local Bills, on Thursdays. ■ "I : may i; .• jnention," ho added, "that-1 propose, to 5.. place this- motion, oil the top of tho Order "-.l'lPapor on next, sitting day, and to. con-i-.j.tiniie the debate . until lta,conclusion." . .vThis means that ho will not" allow the* motion .to• bo .talked out from day to day . to enable :v few Wednesdays to be k stolen for .private members' Bills. sV V''... . AGAINST RECRUITING? k:: :;f Certain pamphlets and other publications i. 'lare. being-published in Auckland by an I organisation ; styling itself the freedom | •• j league,- ahdrbjvft member, of the Society S:". I of/'Friends, who-are; it' is claimed, calculi ~lated' - to discourage recruiting.- - Mr. • Ilornsby asked a question in the House- ; - L 'yesterday on the subject. Ho.asked tho /■,'jtDefenco Minister: whether he Would take K such steps, as might bo advisable to, deal these .persons.' Ho pointed out that I if or like actions in England men bad beent..j fined; ,£IOO,. with' costs. Mr.-Allen said r . -that he had read the pamphlets. He did !;V Imtft'tbink' they would, be likely to do ji.!much harm by influencing New. Zealandera, "becanso.so few-of them-would adopt : • that policy'.' The actions of these men ; Vrnight be within .the corners, of, the -law, {'■ ; (however, and.iliij ;pr'b'posod' to submit the [ 1 ■ 'cases, to the Attorney-General for .. bis iopinion on .tkemr —