“BANDIED WORDS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 193, 4 November 1927, Page 13

“BANDIED WORDS”

PARLIAMENT'S DELAYS

OBSTRUCTION AND TACTICS ARBITRATION BILL AGAIN (THE BUS'S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. Is it that members of Parliament are not anxious to Have the session finished and to return to their homes; or is it that there is a lack of business method in the conduct of the business of the country ? Both suggestions were made when there was a very Spirited debate in the House of Representatives this afternoon over the prospects of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, which is at present being- considered before the Labour Bills Committee. Labour members did not hesitate in their condemnation of the measure, while Government members confined themselves chiefly to criticising Labour for obstruction of the business. A discussion upon the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill was made possible . by Sir John Luke, chairman of the Labour Bills Committee, moving that the committee have leave to sit during the sitting of the House, _in order that the hearing of evidence on the ' Bill might be proceeded with. This proposal was strenuously opposed by Labour members, who sought reason for the desire to have the committee sit in the afternoon. Mr. E. J. Howard, Christchurch South, and a member of the committee, said that if the Minister brought down a Bill so late in the session as to prevent adequate time being devoted to its consideration, that was his look out. There was a heated controversy as to whether witnesses from outside Wellington were waiting to give evidence before the committee, Mr. Lysnar refusing to say who they were, and the Labour members seeking this information. Mr. E. E). McLennan, Franklin, eventually said that the president and secretary of the Employers’ Federation from Auckland were those who wished to give evidence before the committee.

Mr. R. McKeen, Wellington South, thought the Minister of Labour was getting panicky about the Bill. Mr. W. G. Glenn: Ask for more screw. Then you can work overtime and get the job through. I believe we are not getting enough. Mr. Speaker: You are getting away from the point. Mr. Glenn: I believe that the House should be closed up by now, so as to let 40 farmer members back to their business. Mr. W. Parry, Auckland Central, was perfectly frank. “We recognise the importance of the Minister of Labour breathing a breath of life into this industrial illegitimate,” he said amid the gasps of his fellow members. “It is all very fine for the Government with a big majority to ask the committee to sit during the sitting of the House.” DAWDLING SESSION The Leader of the National Party, Mr. G. W- Forbes, viewed the situation with his usual cold philosophy, at the same time telling the Government what he thought of the conduct of the session. “During the twenty -years I have been in this House,” he said, “I have never seen a session dawdle along as this one has done.” A Government Member: You have done it. Mr. Lysnar: Speed it up, then. Mr. Forbes: I do not know whether we will be here till Christmas. Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, became insistent for information, and pointed out to Mr. Glenn that even with an increase in salary members could not be at the committee and in the the one moment. Mr. Glenn: No, but you would work overtime without growling. Mr. Holland alleged that the Minister had advisedly brought the Bill on late in the session so that it could not be considered properly, and he did not expect it to go through this session. The Minister was its only friend. The whole conduct of the session had been happ> v -go-lucky, and had lacked business method. Members of committees did not know what they were to do. “It is time business method was employed,” Mr. Holland said. “It is a question of wait and see all the time.” As soon as Mr. Nosworthy rose to his feet he got well offside with Labour, anct both became heated. It was apparent, he said, why the business of the House was being held up. Mr. Holland: We are entitled to information.

Mr. Nosworthy: The Government has asked for this course. Mr. Howard: Without explanation? Mr. Nosworthy: Yes; without explanation, if you like. Mr. Howard: Then we will oppose it. This is not Samoa, you know. Mr. Speaker: Order, order! Mr. McKeen (to Mr. Nosworthy): Cheer up! Mr. Nosworthy: If they think they are going to prolong the session— Mr. F. N. Bartram: We are in no hurry to get away. Mr. Nosworthy: Judging by what we see this afternoon, I should say not. Mr. Speaker: Order, order! I must stop all interjections. Mr. Nosworthy (still heatedly): The Government is not going to put its shoulder to the wheel and turn back! But we would be silly and blind if we did not see what was going on. It is deliberate obstruction. They do not want this Bill to go on. Mr. H. E. Holland: Do you say that of any individual? Mr. Nosworthy: I say it of the Opposition. Mr. Holland raised a point of order and explained that if good reason were given, permission would willingly be given for the committee to sit. Members talked out the motion at the tea adjournment, Mr. F. Waite moving an amendment right on the hour to the effect that the Labour Bills Committee be given permission to sit every afternoon till the taking of evidence* on the Bill -was completed. INTO THE EVENING The discussion was resumed again in the evening, when the Prime Minister found himself in lively conflict with the Labour members. When Labour members expressed willingness to fall in with Mr. Anderson’s desire to have the Labour Bilip Committee to sit daily during the sitting of the House, Mr. Coates called out across the floor of the House, “An ignominous retreat!” This was accepted by Labour in the nature of a challenge, and their atti- ; tude changed with the result that a ; passive stonewall was erected against | the Government’s motion, the debate I developing into more or less general • discussion upon when the session : should end. Mr. F. Waite, Clutha, who repre- ! sented the Government’s view, de- ' dared that his side was prepared to j stay for one month to have the busi- : ness of the country done as the Government wanted it done. Mr. P. Fraser, Wellington Central, i said that if members bandied about

language of this kind they sought trouble.

Mr. Coates explained that if the Bills before the Labour Bills Committee were no’t disposed of Parliament would have to sit much longer than was anticipated at the present time. He hoped that the end of the session was in sight now. He described ?l suggestion by Mr. E. J. Howard, Christchurch South, that his order paper was not ready as “too thin.” Mr. Coates’s persistent smile irritated Mr. H. G. R. Mason. Eden, who was seriously criticising the Bill when the Prime Minister asked: “Is the lion, member as innocent as all that?” Mr. Mason: He is more seriousminded that the Prime Minister with his frivolous interjections and his frivolous smiles and giggles. The Government had its way at 10.30 and the motion was carried.

POLITICAL TACTICS

LABOUR’S VERBAL POWERS

ARTICLE BY MR.. SULLIVAN (THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. When Mr. D. G. Sullivan, member for Avon, wrote a newspaper article ! dealing with some aspects of politics, and making reference to the Labour members’ powers of speech, lie could hardly have imagined that it would escape the eagle eye of the member for Ellesmere, Mr. D. Jones. But also, Mr. Sullivan probably did not imagine that Mr. Jones would save that article, on the chance that some day it might be used against its author and his party. The opportunity which perhaps Mr. Jopes had foreseen came this afternoon, when the business of the House of Representatives was delayed for the entire afternoon sitting. while Labour members stonewalled a motion that the Local Bills Committee should sit at once for the purpose of hearing further evidence on the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill. Mr. Jones quoted from an article written by Air. Sullivan, which appeared in a Christchurch newspaper on October 6\ and in which Air. Sullivan said that the Labour Party’s power of self-expression was a well that never ran dry, and that no debate ever ended because the Labour Party had nothing more to say: it ended when the Labourites thought it should end. “The length of this session discredits the Government.” said Mr. Jones. “We all know that, and here we have the Whip of the Labour Party setting out its policy.” Air. Sullivan: That is not a correct j presentation of the article. Air. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition: What is the policy? Air. Jones: A policy of delay. I take the strongest exception to it. 1 think it is time that we and the country .recognised that the session should have ended weeks ago, and saved an enormous amount of time and expense. Mr. Speaker, the Hon. Sir Charles Statham, reminded Air. Jones that he was straying from the subject of the debate. Mr. Jones: Here we have the whole afternoon wasted. It is time someonegot up and directed the attention of the country to the delay, trouble and loss caused by the tactics set out in the gospel of the Labour Party according to the member for Avon. All*. Sullivan claimed that he had been misrepresented. He said that there was nothing in the article to I justify the complexion put upon it by I the member for Ellesmere. “The ar- ! tide in no place states that it has | been, or ever would be. the policy o' ‘ the Labour Party to hold up the busi- | ness ot the House,” said Mr. Sullij van. “The purpose of that parti* ui lar part of the article was to pay i I tribute to the capabilities of the mem- ! bars of the Opposition.”