WASTING THE COUNTRY’S TIME.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2149, 3 August 1907, Page 2

WASTING THE COUNTRY’S TIME.

FARCICAL PROCEEDINGS IN ‘ . PARLIAMENT. , (Special to Times.) ■WELLINGTON, last night. The House of Representatives yestevdav. to borrow Gilbert’s words, “did nothing in particular, and did it very well.” Mr. Hogg’s obnoxious Bills—“ Abolition of Plural Voting and “Flour Duty Abolition” Bills—were preceded by Mr. Witty’s “Land Agents Bill,” which hon. members proceeded to discuss minutely and at great length. Early in the afternoon, Mr. Heke was pulled up by the Chairman for raising frivolous points of order, and a scene was narrowly averted. The Chairman said he had on four occasions made frivolous points of order. He gave him what he termed “timely warning,” and then peremptorily ordered him to resume his 6eat. Mr. Heke, however, stood liis ground. “Point of order, point of order?” he kept repeating, till the Chairman at length asked the Minister in charge to “deal with him.” Mr Heke remarked that this Was “an autocratic House,” and still stood to his guns, but eventually Mr. Carroll (in the absence of the _ Premier) rose, and poured some oil on tin troubled waters. In the process of doing so he gave the Maori member some words of friendly advice, and Mr. Heke then subsided.

At 11.30 p.m. the House had got no further than clause 5. ■

Mr. Milford at this stage made a discovery. He said the Bill was aimed at the lawyers of Christchurch. He pointed out that the lawyers had collared three-fourths of the business from the land agents of late. The business of the lawyers of Christchurch, he said, had been somewhat slack because of the decrease in crime aui so they had cut into the land agency monopojy. An attempt was now being made to make them pay a fee. Some members, he said, would like the Government to lay poison fur land agents and then have an inspector appointed to 6ee that it was well and truly laid.