POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1919, Page 8

POLITICAL.

A.DDRESS-IN-REPLY. COLLAPSE SAVED BY MR. HOLLAND By Telegraph.—Press Association, Wellington, Last Night. Before the, debate on the Address-in-Reply was opened last night, Sir Joseph Ward asked the Premier if the usual course would be followed and the House adjtmrn after the mover and seconder had spoken. Mr. Maasey did not agree tliat snch a course was usual, at least not while he was leader of the Opposition, but said lie had no wish to take advantage of the Leader of the Opposition, who was suffering front indisposition, and who, he understood, was not able to follow the mover and seconder. He would agree, therefore, to the adjournment of the debate till to-morrow. When the time came to resume the debate this afternoon, Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald intimated that Sir Jo.-epl< Ward was not able to proceed at once, and Mr. Massey intimated that he was prepared to ask the House to adjourn till 7.30.

After the formal business had been disposed of later, Sir Joseph Ward informed Mr. Massey it wouid be impossible for him to speak to-day, and the Premier then asked the House to proceed with the debat ein the absence of the Leader of the Opposition.

The Hon. W. D. S. MaeDonaiil intimated that the Liberal Patty did not intend to debate the Address-in-Reply, but would let it go by default. The Speaker }vas proceeding to call on the debate, which brought Skprotest from the Labor Party, who said they had been misled. They understood from the Premier that in consequence of the absence of the Leader of the Opposition the debate would not be proceeded with until 7 3.0 They were anxious to speak, but some members of' the party had gone away under the impression that they would not be called on, while otliers had their notes in the Chamber, and altogether they had been placed at a serious disadvantage by the change in plans, of which they had not been made aware. Mr. Holland made a special appeal to the Premier to adjourn till 7.30, but the Premier remained obdurate, declaring that a wrong construction had been put on his words.' The Speaker then called on the Orders of the Day, and at the last moment, Mr. Hollahd found some notes, from which he proceeded to speak, thus preventing the debate from collapsing.