Threat to 'Gag' the Opposition

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 40, 10 November 1937, Page 3

Threat to 'Gag' the Opposition

— Press Association.)

VERBAL DUEL IN HOUSE "Tin-Pot Point of Order," Says Mr. Coates - ■ y DEFENCE FORCE PAY

(By Teleeraph-

WELLINGTON, Last Night. Beferring to the Army vote of £550,000 during consideration of the Estimates in the House of Bepresentatives to-day, the Bt. Hon. J. G. .Coates (Nat., Kaipara) drew attention to the, fact that a number of men were leaving the permanent forces. -It seemed-to him there must be something wrong with the system when so 'many were leaving the' service., Ir J. H.argest (Nat;, Invercargill)' urged' that the pay of young staff corp's officers should be inC'reased' in order to retain brilliant young nien ih the ser-' vice. Beferring to the question of the pay of officers, the Minister of Defence, the Hon;.F. Jones, reiteraied the statement he made during the* discussion of the Army Board Bill that the present position was alegacy'from the'past Government. He proposed, that the question of rates of pay should be dealt with at the same time as the reclassification of the service." ' ' The Chairman of ' Committees, Mr E. J. Howard, pointed out that the Minister, in hls reply, had.,dbalt with policy . matters and had nqt stuck t'o th'fe Esti-' mat'es. He'urged members to coniine them'selves' to' dehling strictly with the Estimates. *. '"' ; " # :Mr Coates,' referrin'g to 'the question of pay, denied that the'-matter'was a "legacy .from. the past. Gqyernment. The M inister had ./been in-. ofg.ee two • >years, and that; was .qyite 'lohg . enoujgh' to j deal with • the position. He should I>e„pre-.; pajed tq take • the , responsibility, fpr, it. The Prime Minister, the -Bt. Hon. M. J.; 8ayage, at. this- stage. rose to ,a, .point oftordor and asked- if ,Mr Cjbates; were to be allowed to discuss a question of .policy. • Mr Coates: Point ;of order or no, I ara going to defiy responsibility for. the present positiOn. ' - He adaed, however, that he, was perfectly willing to assist- the chairman. Mr, Savage: What you have done is to defy the chairmau. Mr Coates: I merely wish^d to stress the point. Mr Savage: We have " been fo'rced to listen to a lqt of rubbish talked by the Opposition all the afternoon. ' / Mr- Coates: Oh, is "that so? The Prjme Minister gets up with 'his tinpot point of order to "gag the House. Mr Savage: I only want to help the chairman. -' ■ • •• Mr Coates: Apd I'm willing to help him too. , ' 1 - - Mr Savage; I will move a resolution in a minute that will put a stop to thin. Mr Coates; That will be.to move the gag. "I don't care what - the Prime Minister does. Mr Chairman. I have put" atisdrop Iher! vote. y of haso o be

spent on f ast fi'ghting planes to protecfc the bombers. Mr Savage: That is a policy question. Mr Coates: .Oh,- no. . • Mr Savage: The Government has ,to decide.that, not the Minister. The vote was passed. .