Notes From The Gallery

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 14, 29 September 1939, Page 27

Notes From The Gallery

(By

Our Special Representative

Cars Across the Sea + Free-Wheeling Again Ups and Downs + Auckland in Trouble

W HEN the Parliamentary machine likes to do so, it can speed up and get things done with a smoothness and swiftness that are astonishing. For instance, the House whipped through the Public Works Estimates in an hour-in other words, approved at the rate of £350,000 a minute the spending of £21,000,000. Normally, these Estimates provide members with talking points for days, the debate being one of the most important of a session, as befits such a tremendous appropriation. Developments since the drafting of these Estimates make modification necessary, as much of the money may be needed to meet the first call of defence and production. Candour A little refreshing candour from the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Opposition member for Kaipara: "He has been a personal friend of mine since boyhoodnot that that would make him any better!" » Looking Ahead With an eye to what would appear to be the distant future, Parliament this session has passed a law providing that English visitors who ‘bring their cars to New Zealand will not be required to re-register them here. As Mr. Coates remarked when this proposal was being discussed, it was a nice way of cultivating the right Empire spirit. However, English cars that come out here in charge of their owners are likely to be few and far between. It was a nice gesture of reciprocity, but there has’ been no report yet of the reaction in England. Rie ies Cycles Make. History Christchurch and other places which have been-waiting with suspense may free-wheel once more. Bicycles are not to be registered. Cyclists will be 1/better off than they thought they would be, the State will be some thousands of pounds worse. off than it hoped it was going to be, and no doubt it will be ‘business as usual for those gentry who have a weakness for bicycles that are left lying loose. Mr. Semple’s capitulation in dropping the clause from his Transport Bill-* for the sake of peace," he said-was graciously received, and S$. G. Holland, Opposition member for Christchurch North, feelingly acknowledged the Minister's action by expressing appreciation."on behalf of 40,000 er 50,000 cycle-users." He wasn’t quite sure of the figure. Living Up to It Mr. Semple’s idea of a good chairman is a man who "gets up, speaks up, and shuts up." During the Committee stages of the Transport Bill, when the Minister had to answer all sorts of

questions from a_ seemingly tireless Opposition, he carried this precept into practice, with the result that the Bill was put through one of its most ticklish stages with a minimum of delay and trouble. The Minister knew all the answers, and he gave them with a succinctness and clarity that must have satisfied his questioners, even W. J. Polson, Opposition member for Stratford. Two Up When the Minister gave notice of his intention to behave as a good chairman should, Mr. Polson murmured audibly that it might be difficult to get the Minister to shut up. Whereupon the Minister got up, informed Mr. Polson a trifle sharply and a little more audibly that he (Mr. Semple) knew well enough when to shut up, even if he (Mr. Polson) did not, and having thus spoken up, the Minister, like a good chairman, promptly shut up, sat down, and waited for the Opposition member to get up, speak up, and so on. A Matter of Form It would seem that the subject of ‘statuary is a delicate question to broach when there is an Aucklander within hearing. What Mr. Polson described as Auckland’s " peculiar taste in statuary " resulted in a brief revival of history, some of it ancient and some more modern, and a certain amount. of recrimination which however ended quite happily when a proposal was before the House to give the Auckland City Council power to devote part of a bequest to erecting a group of statuary in Albert Park. W. J. Lyon, Government member for Waitemata, was a little concerned as to what form the statuary would take, and recalled that there was "considerable disturbance" about some statuary in Auckland not many months ago. Sandbagged Venus A. E, Jull, jovial Opposition member for Waipawa, was a little more precise than Mr. Lyon. He referred with a twinkle in his eye to the "very fine piece" of statuary at the entrance to the Auckland Hospital, and speaking as a student of art-a distinction he conferred also on the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry)-he started to tell the House about the famous statue of the Venus de Milo and how it had been sandbagged to protect it during air raids, But the Acting Prime Minister (the Hon. P. Fraser) intervened and with some warmth said that he would allow no facetiousness or irrelevancies. When, a little later, W. J. Broadfoot, Opposition member for Waitomo, protested against Mr. Fraser’s threat to move the closure, Mr. Fraser got home another thrust, the Chairman of Committees (R. McKeen) took a hand, and in the end the Auckland City Council got what it wanted.