Sensitive subject unsettles MPs
Wellington: A somewhat unusual scene was created in Parliament last night in consequence of two speeches made in the dying hours of the session — one by Mr Holland and the other by Mr Payne, who proceeded to deal in some detail with the work of Miss Ettie Rout in Paris. A somewhat thin House sat sullen and ashamed till eventually, while Mr Payne was speaking, the Prime Minister rose, and urged that if such speeches were to be continued the galleries had better be cleared.
There were in the ladies’ gallery about 30 women, some of whom went out after Mr Holland had been speaking for a few minutes. The Speaker warned Mr Payne that if he continued in the same strain he would order the galleries to be cleared. Thereupon Mr Payne soon concluded his remarks. The unsavoury subject was sidetracked, and it was not necessary to have the
galleries cleared. Sir James Allen, replying on the third reading of the Appropriation Bill, expressed his great regret that the House had had to listen to such speeches. Referring to the member for Grey he said: ‘‘The hon. member has displayed right through the war three characteristics.
The first is a spirit of vindictiveness, the second is a spirit of disloyalty — disloyalty to his King, to his country, and to the men who went from this country to fight for freedom — and lastly, from what he has done tonight, he is a reveller in filth.’’
The Minister also strongly depreciated the remarks of Mr Payne, and he urged that the Speaker would use his discretion and see that such speeches were not allowed to appear in Hansard. [Miss Rout was engaged in a campaign to educate soldiers about prophylactics, so that they would not be so vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases. — Editor] — ODT, 6.11.1919