NSW Parliament dustup

SYDNEY: The Parliament of New South Wales, always notorious more or less for a certain element of disorderliness, has again had recourse to fisticuffs. A very complete and satisfactory description of a ‘‘scene’’ has decorated the chief pages of all the newspapers. There is at present a very bitter feeling in this Parliament — due mostly to the unflattering reputation which the existing Government has acquired, and a debate on the Estimates was long drawn out and acrimonious. The

acting Leader of the House, Mr D. R. Hall, round about daybreak, began to use the closure to force through the Estimates, and the Labour men became excited and then sullen. They threatened Mr Hall with personal violence, but Mr Hall went serenely on. Then, as the parties were passing each other on the floor after a division, the Labour Whip, Mr Lang, suddenly struck out at Mr Hall. The Government Whip, Mr Hoskins, jumped in to the assistance of Mr Hall, who is a small, pale man, and grabbed Mr Lang by the collar. He tripped Mr Lang, got him on the floor, and seemed to wish to sit on him. Mr Stuart Robertson, an excitable, erratic person of extreme views, dashed out from the Labour side and attacked Mr Hoskins. Mr Lang got free and resumed his attentions to Mr Hall. By this time Mr James, the Minister for Education, and another member were in the fray, but their whole effort was required to separate the altruistic Mr Hoskins

and the infuriated Mr Robertson. Mr Hall, diminutive, but active, had to depend upon himself against his heavily built assailant. So he adopted a sort of football tackle. He put his head into Mr Lang’s stomach, grabbed him round the knees, and over they both went together. Then a general rush of members from both sides put an end to the melee. Apologies and regrets were expressed and decorum restored.