Pork Inspector Needed in Jerusalem

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 220, 6 December 1927, Page 1

Pork Inspector Needed in Jerusalem

Parliamentarians Face Serious Problems

A LITTLE BUFFOONERY E SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Monday. \ LITTLE nonsense now and i then is relished by the wisest .. in.” This is true, and members of Parliament —however wise in he eyes of the people who sent hem to power two years ago—,ave been doing serious work for ;he past six months, and welcomed he relief of a few moments of :onsense in the Chamber of the House of Representatives to-day j during the absence of Mr. Speaker, I Sir Charles Statham, to secure the Vice-Regal Assent to the Appropriation Rill for the year. Perhaps our politicians have not the ready wit of the legislators of the long ago, particularly in the conduct of a mock Parliament, but their enjoyment of the situation was genuine —if modified —as Mr. C. E. McMillan, who must touch the scale at 17 stone, marched in front of Mr. T. W. Rhodes, who is not large, to the Speaker’s chair for the conduct of “business” of the House. Mr. A. M. Samuel took the place of the Minister of Education amid loud and sustained protests, and commenced to read the provisions of the Education of Members of Parliament Bill, while Sir Maui Pomare took his seat at the Hansard table till an objection was raised that he was writing with his hat on. Then, with Mr. Rhodes shouting himself hoarse in the Speaker’s chair, and ringing furiously at the bell, and half a dozen members trying to get in a word, the mock Sergeant-at-Arms was compelled to bring Mr. J. Horn before the bar of the House. “What is the charge?” asked Mr. Horn. Mr. Samuel: It depends upon the size of the drink. Mr. Forbes, loyal to the South Island, moved to have the State treasure chest brought into the Chamber so that Southern members could help themselves. The hear, hear of South Island members to this was drowned by the putting of a motion of Mr. S. Reid for elimination of pony shandies from Bellamy’s. Mr. Samuel was brought before the Bar of the House and promptly ordered a whisky and soda, but was suspended until the Bill extending the time for receipt of applications for the position of pork inspector in Jerusalem was dealt with. Those who were aware of Mr. Samuel’s nationality appreciated this little joke as much as the member himself. Mr. McCombs’s Abolition of the 1 , Legislative Council was brought down jby the mock Prime Minister, Mr. | j Potter, who later introduced the Abo- j j lition of Work Bill. I Mr. Samuel: Drink is said to be the curse of the working classes. Is work the curse of the drinking classes? Mr. Potter: No; work is the curse of the working classes. And so they went on. Mr. H. T. Armstrong took the chair and immediately declared the House in committee, and Mr. Howard (called Sir Ted) passed enough legislation to last Parliament for several sessions. It was not till the mock Sergeant--at-Arms, Mr. McMillan, offered to treat everyone at “another place” that members, with one accord, adjourned to a cooler and more refreshing portion of the balding. .