PARLIAMENTARY AMENITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1919, Page 10

PARLIAMENTARY AMENITIES.

S£ LIVELY VERBAL AFFRAY^ Somewhat lively passages-at-arms occurred in the House of Representatives during the discussion on the Working Railways Department vote at an early hour 011 Saturday morning. Sir Joseph Ward stated that, with the Kaitangata mines, there had always been plenty of coal in the southern part of the South Island for railway j purposes, and the express train through I from Lyttelton to Invercargill need never have been cut off in order to meet the convenience of a Minister of the Crown and his electorate, so that they could get their mail through by the express train leaving Dunedin early the next morning. '. Sir Joseph Ward then left the chamber. The Hon. W. Nosworthy rose V as he did so, but the Chairman of Com. mittees called on another member. ,Later, Mr. Nosworthy, commenting on the fact that Sir Joseph Ward had leit the chamber when he first rose to speak, indignantly denied that the through express to Invercargill had been cut off to meet the convenience of a Minister of the Crown, presumably a Minister now on the Reform side of the House. "It was due," he said, "to the Union Company—the P. and 0. Company. You Know what I mean." Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt): How do you know? Mr. Nosworthy: I do know. Mr. Wilford: How do you know? Mr. Nosworthy: I do know. Mr. Wilford: But how do you know? (Laughter). On Sir Joseph Ward returning to the chamber, Mr. Wilford told him of what had taken place. STATEMENT REPEATED. The Leader of the Opposition Tepeated his former statement, saying that Mr. Nosworthy might have let him know that he was going to speak, and should have been manly enough, before remarking on his absence, to admit that he did not know that the Minister was about to speak. Mr. Nosworthy said that he had got up to speak. Sir Joseph Ward: You might have let me know you were going to speak. The Leader of the Opposition again repeated his statement that the Union Company had nothing to do with the matter. Mr. Nosworthy: Well, I say it had. Sir Joseph Ward: I say it had not. Mr. Nosworthy: I say it had. Sir Joseph Ward: You know nothing about it. Mr Nosworthy: I say I do. Sir Joseph Ward: I say you don't. Mr. Norworthy: I say I do. Sir Joseph Ward: I repeat you don't. The Chairman of Committees: Order, order! "THE REASON GIVEN TO ME." "I happen to know," added Sir Joseph Ward. "I have made representations for the past two and a half years about this matter, and the lion, member has not. He does not know, and the reason I gave was the reason given to me. The Union Company had nothing to do with the service of the people of Canterbury, Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, Southland and the lakes. In the ordinary course the absence of the Wahina would have prevented the southern people joining up with the ferry steamer and coming on to Wellington. That was not what I Was talking about. It was about the provision of a through train for the convenience of the people in the districts named." Mr. Nosworthy: The train was no good without the connecting mail. 'Sir Joseph Ward said that there were people who had been agitating for this through train who had no desire till the Wahine returned for the complete resumption of the ferry service as before. Two-thirds of the people of Southland and Otago, and a large number of the people of Canterbury had been urging the need of a through, train for he did not know how long. He was not urging the second (Jay's service across the Straits, but the convenience of the people of the South Island. Mr. Nosworthy: I don't doubt about the people wanting the train. I quite understand that the commercial community, as well as the outside community, like the through train. not the Leader of the Opposition said the train was altered to suit a Minister of the Crown, presumably sitting on this side; fltid, whatever anyone else may do, l don't stand under it. Sir Joseph Ward: You don't knof/ What you are talking about. Mr. Nosworthy: I do. Sir Joseph Ward: You don't. Mr. Nosworthy: I do. (Laughter). The chairman: Order, order! The incident then closed.