Another Stonewall

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 150, 15 September 1927, Page 11

Another Stonewall

SUMMER-TIME BILL Committee Stage Passed PLAUDITS FOR MR. SIDEY (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, To-day. THERE are none so blind as those who will not see and members who opposed the Summer Time Bill in the House of Representatives last night, and continued a determined stonewall debate to keep the measure off the Statute Book, refused to see that when the clocks advanced, on would go the universe in unison. They struggled throughout the night to break down the calm passivity of Mr. T. K. Sidey who has sponsored daylight-saving for something like 18 years. They marshalled their forces and battered heavily at the gates of his preserve. They even attacked that treasured citadel, his conscience.

ly/TEMBERS rose and, almost with sobs in their voices, wept for the departed morals of Mr. Sidey, whom they said had entered into a surreptitious pact with Labour to facilitate effective passage through the House of the Summer Time Bill. Further than that members, with dramatic gesture, told full galleries that Labour had deliberately withdrawn two private bills in order that Mr. Sidey might have a fair run with his measure. These statements provoked reauy refutation from both Mr. Sidey and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. E. Holland, but participants in the stonewall returned to this argument as to their spiritual home whenever tney ran short of something mors elevating to say. Mr. J. R. Hamilton, Awarua, professed to have received hundreds of letters and even telegrams from mothers and children asking him to save them from the hideous fate of daylight saving, and raised a ripple of

WINGS CLIPPED

This could not go on of course, ana just before supper Mr. F. F. Hockley, chairman of committees, was compelled to remind members that tne short title of the bill had already been discussed for 13J hours on the previous stonewall debate, and he ipressed his determination to close down on anything suggestive of tedious repetition. “I will class the reference to hardships on farmers as tedious repetition,’’ he said, “and I think I might also include in tjiat all reference to the kindly nature of the member in charge of thp bill. (Laughter.) This restriction came as a severe blow to those who had carefully organised opposition, as their chief weapon was taken from them tney floundered more or less tni the second-breath stage was reached.

RAILWAYS AND DAIRIES

The Right Hon. J. G. Coates read a lengthy report of the Railway Department upon the possible effect of the alteration in timetables to suit farmers. Mr. Coates started at the North and worked through the North Island Main Trunk and branch lines, and then traversed the South commercial and traffic branches. The department had got into touch with dairy factories in every district, and wherever possible individual interviews were arranged. In some Far Northern districts suppliers of cream sent to factory by rail had been inconvenienced by earlier trains, and had threatened to place their produce on the road. On the Opua-Whangarei line some bother would take place with produce and school children, with the result that if a special train to cope with the position were placed on the lines for the period of summer time it would cost £ 500. The Government had been careful, however, to see that the present interests of dairy factories were not prejudicially affected, because there was a danger, in some districts, of a

INTERJECTORS CRUSHED

At this stage Mr. Hockly’s determination to preserve order became manifest, and he closed down entirely upon interjections. “If there is another interjection,” he said, “I will regard it as indication of disrespect to the chair. I will report the member to the Speaker and leave the responsibility on his shoulders.” Members felt the effect of the tedium and endeavoured by raising points of order to block free discussion. The chairman dealt with each as it arose, however, and was relentless in closing in upon members who made heavy weather of their speeches and repeated their arguments. The strain became severe about 4 o’clock, and even Air. Glenn felt just a bit unhappy. “Cripes, I'm all undone,” he sighed, as he sank into his seat after a very hard ten minutes. Air. Rhodes’s amendment was defeated by 38 to 14, and the short title of the bill was passed at 3 o’clock, but this was by no means the end. Loyally supporters remained by Air. Sidey throughout the night and rallied to his cause every time the division bells rang. Members who caused the hold-up became petulant at about 5.30, and complained with a touch of reproach at the chairman’s rigid rulings. Air. Glenn’s motion to report progress was defeated by 32 to 16. At 5.40, at which stage the committee was too tired to worry a great deal about strict procedure, the principle of summer time had become sub- , merged to a multitude of technical

laughter by describing Mr. Sidey as a statue, which would soon be put into correct shape by the muiuplicty of amendments which members intended to move. Later in the debate some members wanted summer time tried in the cities. The first, a suggestion which caused Mr. J. A. Nash, Palmerston North, to venture, “Oh, yes; try it on the dog.” Mr. Sidey, ' far from imitating a statue, professed his readiness to compromise to the extent of having a general provision made that anyone who came under an Arbitration Court award could appeal to the court for exemption if summer time proved a hardship. The Hon. D. Buddo, Kaiapoi, asked for evidence of specific objections to the bill, information wm,— W. J. Glenn, Rangitikei, quickly supplied him, by marching across the floor of the House and planting a huge pile of telegrams before Mr. Buddo for perusal.

Mr. A. M. Samuel, Ohinemuri, was perhaps the most successfu object >r in the House. “For 18 years,” he said, “this bill had been appearing. Why not leave it for another three years till, next Parliament? Then it would be of age and able to vote for itself.” This suggestion was not taken seriously by any means. On the contrary, Sir Maui Pomare began looking backward, and recalled the legend of the two Maoris who tried to net the sun. “My people are objecting to this,” he said. “We have been here for hundreds of years; why do you want to try this on us.” Upon Sir Maui’s mathematical calculation, if the House had discussed this measure for 10 hours a year for 15 years, £12,000 would have been wasted, but if 15 hours a year had been spent on it since its introduction, the expenditure to the State would be £IB,OOO.

dislocation of the routine diverting the flow of cream from one factory to another. As Mr. Coates worked his way through both Islands it was apparent that, generally speaking, dairy factory managers favoured the provisions of summer time, although in the North there was a fairly extensive objection, where altered trains would upset farmers’ routine. Air. H. Atmore, Nelson, interjected: They are generally favourable, then. Mr. Coates: Yes, in the South, though in the North there is some objection. As the night wore on the chairman became more stringent in his ruling, and gradually closed in upon the scope of members’ discussions. Mr. Glenn, organiser of the oppositionists, looked less pleased as he saw his speakers being effectively shut out of discussion. It was not till nearly 2 o’clock that the first amendment made its appearance, Air. T. W. Rhodes. Thames, moving to have the words “daylight saving” added to the title “Summer Time.”

amendments and points of order. One member wandered in for the division without a waistcoat and carrying his collar and tie in his hand. The solitary woman who had graced the gallery all night sat hopefully on to see the Bill sent through. A lone workman appeared in the public gallery, having dropped in on his way to his daily toil. The Hon. L. AI. Isitt suddenly entered the Legislative Councillors’ gallery to see out the dying stages. An amendment moved by Air. H. Holland, allowing shearers and threshers to make individual agreements with employers to vary awards, was attacked vigorously as a blow at the principle of arbitration by providing for separate agreement. This amendment was agreed to. Air. Sidey agreed to an extra clause enabling anyone governed by the arbitra.tion award to apply to the court for exemption if summer time proves a ■ hardship. This was rejected by 31 to , IS', Air. Coates voting against it on the principle of “summer time for one . summer-time for all.” Several fruitless attempts to ■ shorten the period of summer time l were made, Air. Sidey on one occasion : agreeing to a reduction of two weeks. : but being defeated by advocates of “whole or nothing.” An endeavour to have the Bill apply ■ only to cities, boroughs and town districts, and not to rural areas failed, as • also did Mr. Lysnar’s effort to have : railways run to standard time. When the Bill passed through com- ■ mittee stage at 7.5 Air. Sidey received l warm plaudits on all sides of the

House for the attainment of his 18 years’ struggle to have daylight -saving placed on the Statute Book of the Dominion.

The third reading was taken at this sitting and the House adjourned at 7.15 till 2.30 this afternoon. Mr. M. J. Savage, Auckland West, entered a protest against the Prime Minister making the pace too hot, and on his representation it was agreed that the committees, which were set down for sitting this morning, were postponed. “This sort of thing has got to have a stop somewhere,” Mr. SaVage said.