HOUSE WITHOUT A HEAD.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1922, Page 8

HOUSE WITHOUT A HEAD.

UNEXAMPLED SITUATION. SPEAKER AND CHAIRMAN OUT. POSSIBLE CANDIDATES. A situation without example in the history of the New Zealand J’arhainent has been created by the election returns, in that tbe House of Representatives will have to meet without either of its official heads, and without any man in its ranks who has had the necessary training to succeed them. Rather curiously, Sir Frederic Lang, who has been Speaker of the House for the last nine years, will technically remain the "first Commoner” of the Dominion until Parliament meets. Mr. A. S. Malcolm, the late (member for Clutha, although now voted out of Parliament, will, in like manner, continue to hold the office of Chairman of Committees, which he has filled since July, 1913, until tbe House meets to choose his successor. Both will be entitled in the meantime to draw the salary attached to the offices they have held. The position is governed by the Civil List Act, 1920, section 3, which enacts that for the purposes of the provision as to salary the persons filling these offices “shall be deemed to be the Speaker and Chairman until the first meeting of the next Parliament.” In other words, the Speakership and Chairmanship never die. NGRODY IN TRAINING. As to the succession to the two posts —the most responsible spokes in the Parliamentary wheel©—a curious position arises. Had both Sir Frederic l\ang and Mr. Malcolm been re-elected, theiicontinuance in office would unquestionably have been a matter of course. They were, in point of fact, the only men in the House. Had only the Speaker Deen defeated. Mr. Malcolm would, for the same reason, have succeeded automatically to the Speakership. For 50 years, the Chairmanship of Committees has been an apprenticeship to the higher office. Sir Maurice O’Rorke (1872-79) hold it, and so, in their turn, did Sir Arthur Guinness and Sir Frederic Lang. But now the House has no man available who has so to speak, “served his indentures.” It will, therefore, have to turn to an untried man for its head, and also for his first lieutenant. HIGHLY-RESPONSIBLE OFFICE. Upon whom the choice will fall is a matter for interesting speculation among those directly interested in legislative work. Possibly it should be explained that the duty of the Chairman of Committees, who must be distingn’shcd from the chairman of Select Committees. appointed for specified duties, is to take the chair whenever the whole House resolves into Committee, which it does in order to give, leave to introduce a money Bill, or consider the Estimates, or dissect in detail the separate 1 clauses of a Bill upon which it has, by : the second reading, already affirmed the i general principle, or discuss the voting i of money to the Crown upon Estimates ! submitted, and for other purposes. Tie requires to be almost as well posted as the Speaker in regard to Parliamentary practice and precedents, and his rulings are always liable to he challenged by resolution appealing to 3Tr. Speaker, and reversed by the latter if they should be mistaken. Manifestly, such responsibilities require, for their adequate discharge, long and thorough training. Further, the Chairman of Committees is ex officio Deputy-Speaker, and takes the chair of the House itself when his chief is ill, or absent. MEMBERS WITH QUALIFICATIONS. Clearly, the incumbent of such heavy responsinilities—for upon the expertness of the Speaker and Chainman in their work may sometimes depend the making or marring of an Act —needs to he a man of outstanding qualifications. Again. Parliamentary practice has determined that both offices shall he filled by members of the dominant party. This convention shuts out, for example, Mr. T. M. Wilford, the present Leader of the Opposition, who was Chairman of Committees for the year 1909-10, and proved himself especially expert in the position—firm and fair in his control of discussion, and prompt, and clear, and just in his rulings.

On the Government side, there is no man who has had any experience ar ail. On general capability, Sir William Berries, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, and Mr. F. Hockly stand out conspicuously.

The first-named has a knowledge of the standing orders that is probably unequalled in the new Parliament. But all three of the gentlemen mentioned are such important factors in the fighting forces of their party that they could probably not b'e spared from their place in the Government phalanx, to take, positions that require above all things impartiality Toward all parties. Tn any case, two are Ministers.

| Mr. Vernon Reed, who has lost the ■ Bay of Islands seat, once held the office of deputy-chairman (now abolished), and has occasionally relieved Mr. Malcolm in long sittings. Mr. J. A. Young (Hamilton) has had many years of experience as Chairman of the Native Affairs (Select) Committee, and has boon spoken of as a possible candidate. Sir George Hunter (Waipawa) is another possibility. But. this, unless Mr. Statuam (Dunedin Central), a lawyer member of undoubted parts, were considered eligible, though at present ranked as

an “Independent,” seems to exhaust the list of possibilities. A QUAINT PROCEDURE. On the day when members are eworn in, it is the first duty of the Prime Minister to nominate a candidate for the Speakership. It falls to the Clerk of the House to fulfil at this 'stage one of the functions of the Speaker by indicating the Prime Minister as the member who has possession of the floor for the moment. This he must do, according to English and colonial practice, by pointing his pen toward the Minister. For anyone other than a member to raise his voice in the House, except in calling on an order of the day, or in “reading” a. Bill, is in the Parliamentary sense, almost a capital offence. Long before the pen-pointing incident occurs, probably, the public will hear of the intentions of the Government in regard to the appointment of our new “first Commoner.” since the establishment of constitutional government in New Zealand, only eight men have held the office of Speaker. These were: Sir Charles Clifford, 1854-lil: Sir David Monro. 1861-70, Sir Francis Dillon Bell, 1871-75; Sir Win. Fitzherbert. 1876-7’9; Sir G. Maurice G’Rorke, 1879-1890, and 1894-1902; Sir Wm. Stewart, 1891-93: Sir Arthur Guinness. 1903-13; and Sir Frederic Lang J 913-1923.