LAST MINUTE CHANGE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 56, 28 October 1931, Page 3

LAST MINUTE CHANGE

("Post" Special Commissioner)

mr. bodkin resigns MR. S. G. SMITH ELECTED TO CHAIRMANSHIP OF COMMITTEE LABOUR MEMBERS PROTEST

WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Upon the resignation of Mr. W. A. Bodkin from the Ghairmanship of Committees, Mr. S. G. Smith was reinstalled in that office in/ the House of Representatives to-day. Mr Speaker intimated that he had received Mr. Bodkin's resignation and the Prime Minister moved that Mr. Smith be appointed Chairman of Committees. Mr M. J. Savage (Labour, Auckland West) said it seemed to him that this was another attempt to bring about a fair distribution of the loaves and fishes. Members were entitled to know why the change was being m/ade. It was evident that Mr. Bodkin had either been asked to resign or been told that his resignation would be welcome so that the balance between the two parties in the Coalition might be maintained. The move ealled for the strongest condemnation fromvLabour, Mr. Savage continued. Party bargaining had been carried on during the sittings of the inter-party economy committee and they had seen it continued since the Coalition had been formed. Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Central) said that the office which was in the prerogative of the House, was to be made a thing for party bargaining. The chairmanship of committees was not an office of the Government, any more than was the speakership. Once the position was filled for a session it ought to he removed from party bargaining. What reason was there for putting the screw on Mr. Bodkin a few days before the end of the session.

Mr D. G. Sullivan (Labour, Avon) suggested that pressure had been brought to bear on Mr. Bodkin. * Mr. Bodkin said that before the Coalition Government had been formed he had approached the Prime Minister and placed himself in Mr. Forbes's hands. He had assumed that a National Government would be formed and that it would elect its own officers. He believed the course which he himself had taken was unconstitutional, but he was certainly hound to honour his promise. Mr. Forbes said that he had not asked Mr. Bodkin for his resignation and it had nothing to do with the desires of the Reform Party. He felt it was only fair that Mr. Smith should he offered the position, seeing that he had sacrificed his Ministerial rank and that he had previously been chairman of committees. The election of the officers of the House was always in the control of the Government and if a Government miemher voted against the Government nominee he was voting to put the Government ^out. There had been absolutely no bargaining. The motion was carried hy 34 votes to 14 votes.