Bed-Time Stories

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 449, 3 September 1928, Page 8

Bed-Time Stories

Parliament in Doldrums

(THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter.} WELLINGTON, Saturday. TWO divisions of more than usual interest, some excellent bed-time stories by Mr. T. M. Wilford, and the appealanee of Mr. T. K. Sidey’s second or “consolation” Summer Time Bill were almost the only redeeming features of an exceptionally dull week in Parliament. Possibly the parties are gathering their energies for the final rallies of the session; so that the lapse into sobersided respectability mav be merely the lull before the storm.

rpHIS session has so far not been notable for fireworks, nor for the laps and stubborn deadlocks that made last session conspicuous. Except on the second night of the session, when it sat until nearly four in the morning, and on some rare occasions since, the House has risen consistently each night at round about midnight or 1 o’clock. Even the expected bursts of electioneering have been, moderate in volume, though a Wellington Reformer seems to take every opportunity of talking to his constituency, and one or two propositions emanating from the Labour

benches have had a vote-catching flavour. Such was the amendment this week by which Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton) proposed to increase the pay of public servants. It has to be conceded, of course, that Labour has been consistent over a good number of years in this form of appeal. When the proposal went to a division it tvas seen that the Liberal-National strength, from Mr. Yeilch to Mr. Seddon, trooped into the same - lobby as the Labour Party; which seemed to confirm suspicions that some of them are regretting their omission to go with Mr. Atmore when he was the only non-Labour man to vote against the Government in the first division of the session.

REFORMERS DISSENT The- other interesting division happened early in the week on the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, which a section of the Reform Party and a number of Liberals opposed strenuously on the principle that New Zealand should retain the right to say who shall be entitled to the nationalisation privileges of this country. At the head of the mutiny were Mr. E. P. Lee and Mr. H. M. Campbell, usually firm pillars of their party, but this time vigorous in their opposition. (The situation was such that, had Labour joined them and thrown its full weight into the scale, the Government would have been defeated. But barely had this intriguing aspect presented itself than it also became clear that Labour was supporting the Bill. How far some alteration is desirable was shown in a forceful speech by the Leader of

the Opposition, who pointed out that a naturalised citizen of New Zealand becomes of no nationality at all once he permanently leaves these shores. Possessing papers which are of no use to him outside New Zealand, and shorn of his original nationality, *he thus becomes neither lish. flesh' nor fowl. Appalled at the pathos of the prospect, the Labour men voted with the Government, and had the satisfaction of seeing the Bill pass its second reading by a comfortable majority.

WAILS FROM THE GAOL More items from the Estimates w c’ e put through during the week, to the accompaniment of discussion that was usually very dreary. On Friday evening it was only with difficulty tnat the Government kept a House. A large party had gone to Mount Cook, and many others were visiting their electorates. Thus there were few who were not either mountaineering or electioneering, and after dinner the benches were very sparsely populated. Had a tacit arrangement not been made between the parties, there would inevitably have been a hold-up of business, as at one stage there were only 15 in the House. The discussion as a result lacked life, though it brightened momentarily when Mr. J. Mason (Napier) was discomfited on raising what seemed a fatuous and entirely unnecessary point of order, and again when Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt) retailed some entertaining “bed-time stories" centring round his experience of complaints by prisoners. One man who complained of sickness was, on close observation, found to be keeping his stomach in a satisfactory state of disorder by eating a mixture of bathbrick and soap. When given exercise in the gaol yard he drew the warder’s attention to the peculiar fact that, though the spouting and downpipe were in perfect order, there was no water in the water-butt. Bending to investigate the phenomenon, the guileless warder was seized by the slack of his pants by his eccentric charge, and deposited head-first in the barrel, in which there was a sufficiently abundant supply of water to half-drown him. WHEN PARLIAMENT IMPRESSES While these tales by Mr. Wilford, and others are invariably amusing, and alleviate the tedium which too often descends upon the House, they are not consistent with the high dignity and seriousness which are the purpose of the assembly. Much more impressive is Parliament when it settles down to weigh great national issues, and It has touched the highest points this session in the two summer-time debates initiated by Mr. T. K. Sidey. Public interest in the principle was again handsomely shown on Wednesday, when crowded galleries were hushed as Mr. Sidey began his effort to confer summer-time privileges on such local bodies as desire them. Holding the centre of the stage, Mr. Sidey again showed that summer time commands more in public interest than the platforms of parties oT the perorations of Prime Ministers. For reasons best known to themselves, a good timber of the violent opponents of national summer time did not speak to this modified proposal. The utterances of those who did were a quaint mixture of wistful contrition and lingering prejudice; and Mr. A. M. Samuel again shed an eloquent tear on ‘behalf of the women and children. It will be an extraordinary tribute to Mr. Sidey’s tenacity if he gets his Bill through, as no other private measure could have a chance so late in the session. The Prime Minister has now given notice to move that in future Government business take precedence, which means the beginning of the hectic rush toward the end.