PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2682, 11 December 1909, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

In matters of detail (says the “Dominion”) some members are breaking away from the tyranny of the party whip, and we have not the slightest doubt that the members who reasonably exercise their right of individua-l opinion stand very much better with the country than those who follow slavishly at the / heels of the Leader of the House. “Has it occurred to members that this is a continuous Ministry?” asked Mr. T. E. Taylor, the other day. As a youngster he had admired the nght which Grey. Ballance, and others made for the destruction of a continuous Ministry. “For eighteen, years we have had a continuous Ministry in power, ' proceeded Mr. Taylor. “The,Liberal party has never nominated a single member of a Cabinet for eighteen years.” Pitfalls abonnt in debate. Mr. Witty, an extreme leaseholder, was, on Friday night, defending the methods of the Valuation Department, and in order to make his point he referred to his own purchase of ,a considerable area of land. “On the freehold?” asked somebody in astonishment. “Yes, on the freehold, said Mr. Witty. Later Mr. Massey jocularly observed that Mr. AVitty was “a regular land-shark.” “Never mind what 1 am or not,” was Mr. AVitty’s disappointing answer. Mr. Ross, M.P., causes a good deal of irritation by his persistence in raising reasonless points of order. After haying raised several of such points on Friday night, and been dismissed by the Cliair, he interrupted Mr. AA r right. Air. AVright- was unkind enough to be sarcastic. ‘“The l hon. member,” he said, “must remember that I am a mere nonce, and he should therefore treat me kindly, and not endeavor to use his skill and great knowledge to spoil what small point there may be in what I happen to say.” The Pahiatua member was then ruled out of order. A judicious “boiling down” policy iff connection with “Hansard” was urged the other evening by Mr. J. C. Thomson. The present cost of this publication, he said, was over £4OOO a year; but, if the reports of speakers were curtailed, as could be done without impairing the efficency of the value of “Hansard,” the sum of £IOOO a year could bo saved. He instanced the “excellent reports” published by the newspapers as an example of what might be done in regard to Hansard. “Tlie newspaper reporters make better speeches than we do,” was Air. Baume’s tribute to the press gallery. Air Alassey said; he would very much like to 'know what caused the fire in the old Parliamentary Buildings. The fire was not accidental; and there were people in the Parliamentary Buildings who knew that to be the. case. _ Unfortunately the information which, had reached him on e tho subject was of a confidential nature. He honestly believed what he liad been told to be the case. He did not know who was actually responsible for the fire ; but lie would give something to find out. Sir Joseph: Except in connection with rumors that were afloat at the time, I have never heard anything of the kind. Air. Alassey: AVell, I should like to get at the bottom of it. A AIENACE TO FARAIERS. A clause, which Air. Hogg stated would cause more alarm to farmers than the most improved German Dreadnought, was the following in the Land Settlements Administration Bill, which was strongly opposed by several coiintry members during the debate —“ln order to give greater facilities for establishing homes and home farms for workers, land may be compulsory taken within any borough having a population of not less than five thousand inhabitants, according to the latest census returns, or within a radius of twenty miles from the boundary of such borough or. town district, subject, however, to the following special provisions(a) The owner shall have the right to select and retain out of the whole estate any area not exceeding four acres if such area is within a borough or town district, or ten acres in any other case It was urged by Air. Buchanan and other members that almost any farmer would be liable to have his land taken from him under this clause. "The Prime Alinister said he would not object to deleting the word “compulsory,” and this has subsequently been agreed to. “GANGS” AND “SAND-BAGGERS.” There were some hot passages in the House during Air. T. E. Taylor’s speech on the Land Bill. Mr. Taylor had asked what certain Radical members meant by standing by the Government in this change of policy, when Mr. Lourenson interjected: “AVhat’s the alternative?” Air. Taylor replied that the alternative now might be a change of Government. A man’s business was to be as honest in the House as-he would be outside. If the Radical sentiment of the House was true to its duty, the Ministry would have to abandon the Bill until the country was consulted. Mr. Laurenson: Do you want to hold on to the lands? ' ! Mr. Taylor: The Opposition could be no more tricky in regard to the national endowments than the Ministry of the day have shown by this Bill that they can* be. The Opposition had always been open with, regard to their intentions on the land question. Ho would sooner deal with an honest thief —(Laughter)—than with a man who would -sand-bag him from behind while he was walking home at night. He was not afraid of the Opposition coining into power, becau so he believed that the sentiment of the, country was demo- - cratic. AVho had fomented this cry for freehold? > , >-» ■ 4 MrC.'JiaiirensoA ; [(ppintipgrto;!the Opposition): It was fomented by that gang over there. v : v • Mr. Massey was raising a point'of -order -as to -'this statement', • when tlie Speaker 1 ruled that - the word' “gang” •must • > Mr. Laurenson withdrew tlie expression. - . v> , * ■ ' • : } was a’’most objectionable word, , Mr. Speaker- added, ,