"AUSTRALIA" COURTMARTIAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 1, 26 September 1919, Page 7

"AUSTRALIA" COURTMARTIAL

LIVELY SCENE IN FEDERAL HOUIiE,

Some heated passages occurred in the House ot l;ep:e3eni,uives wlien Mr. \\ est askwl the .Minister tor the Navy if li-j would take early acuun.tor ino relisao ot Uie men recently sentenced by co, (rtmartial on ii.A.ji.S. Australia (steles tiu: "Argus").

Sir Cook said that the ma, ter had been Ltougiit wider his notice 5../ ice bis return to Australia, aud lie just luce to oay m gene.ul terms tiiui at wnatever cose nothing must be allowed to i.iu-i-iaie wkii uic wsenJuis oi the Navy. (Ministerial cheers.; tie vould like also to 101 l chosu wuo liaU been constantly agitating tho matter in the house that lacy snuuld allow tne matter to rest wiiii ■tne assurance (Caucus liiteriupljun and uproar.) Mr. Fagu (tan., tj.;: it was a most cruel anu vicious sentence. sjir Josepu Uook: »uay . I sa>, «nce members wili have it thai way, that all tne statements they may mate in this lioujs mil not iimuencu ttie Navy ono hair's brcadlli. (Caucus jeers unci uproar.) Mr. Page: They ought to sink some oi the siupD in fjyuney Harbour, and that would linko you take notice of them. Tlie Speaker (Mr. Elliot Johnson): Or.icr! Order! Air. Pago: They ought to sink some ships, t would do n, xue Sp:aker: Order!. Order! If this practice of interrupting .Ministers is to continue, the privilege m UsKing ouestions without notice'will Jiave to be curtailed. b;r Joseph Cook; May I cumpleto my sentence? I was speaking of the disci,...,w ui the Navy Mr. Page: We all believe in discipline. Sir Joseph Cook: Then we are agree J on the point that nothing must be allowed to interfere with the efficiency aud discipline of the Navy. Therelore, J suggest that members should allow the matter to rest with (he assurance that the whole ifuestion is being looked into. Mr. Page: Why did you not say that before '( Sir Joseph Cook: you prevented mo from finishing iny sentence. You can take my assurance that the matter will receive every consideration consistent with the maintenance of the discipline of the Navy. Mr. Page subsequently apologised for his "Bink-the-ships" statement.