The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1907. THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 153, 28 June 1907, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1907. THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

For the cmusc that lacks assistance. For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, A.ni the good that we can 0%.

With the exception of the announcement of our promotion to the rank of TDominion," there was" nothing of an especially exciting nature in the Speech from the Throne as delivered yesterday by His Excellency the Governor. But the amount of legislative material set forth in the Speech is enough to appal either the most enthusiastic novice or the stoutest-hearted veteran among our Parliamentary representatives. No doubt a great many of the measures indicated axe necessary; or perhaps we may say more accurately that in the interests of the country it is desirable that Parliament should deal with all these subjects as speedily as possible. But this does not mean that it is desirable or possible that Parliament should attempt to deal with them all at once or in this one session. No one can accuse this country of legislative stagnation; but we do not want to acquire a reputation for passing enactments merely for the sake of legislating. Just now there are tlrree or four measures of great public importance which obviously must come up for discussion this year; and it seerfs to us that it would bo wise for Government to concentrate the energies of Parliament chiefly on these bills, and defer all but the most urgently needed changes and reforms to a more convenient season.

To select the indispensable measures that Parliament must inevitably deal ■with this year is a very easy task. The future of the country, and the more immediate prospects of the Liberal party and the Government of the day, centre round the Land Bill; and we have already explained that this measure, in the composite form it has now assumed, will be brought down as erpeditiously as possible. Closely connected with the Land Bill is the Native Lands question; and perhaps the most interesting sentence in the Speech is that which indicates the intention of Government to utilise the interim reports of the Native Lands Commission, and to introduce legislation "securing to the native owners such land as they require, and making available for European settlement the surplus above those requirements." Of course, the precise methods by which the Native lands are to be made available for settlement involve the chief problem of the Land Bill; and for the whole eokmy, but more particularly for the North Island, and especially for Auckland, it is a problem that urgently demands solution. The revision of the Tariff, including not only the arrangement of reciprocal treaties with Canada, South Africa and, possibly, Australia, but the interpretation of our scheme of Customs duties, appears to be one of the most serious questions of the hour. And the course of industrial events during the last few months has pointed clearly to the necessity for amending our Arbitration Ac£ or modifying the Arbitration system so as to serve more effectively the purposes for which it was devised. But these three questions of land tenure, fiscal policy, and industrial legislation "might easily provide half-a-dozen Parliaments with material for debate; and though we have no wish to dogmatise, we venture to suggest that Ministers will do well to confine themselves for the year chiefly to these subjects, and postpone other matters pi

less urgency iall these great questions are settled.

Apart from the Legislative forecast, there was a good deal of interesting miscellaneous matter in the Speech. The reference to the establishment of the Council of Defence may remind us that Government is following the lead of the older nations in thus dealing with this vitally important public question. The services of our Premier at the Imperial Conference —more especially the fact that, the Imperial authorities expressed hearty approval of his suggestions in favour of cheapening postal and telegraph rates, reducing the Suez-Canal dues, and quickening the mail transport —fully deserve the emphatic recognition that they have received in- the Speech. The forecast of departmental expansion, more especially in regard to mining, agricultural, and pastoral exports, shows that the Government does not intend to slacken its efforts for the promotion of our great staple industries; and the Tβference to the necessity for supplyingthe loss of the San Francisco service, suggests many valuable possibilities to the country, especially when taken in conjunction with the promise to extend and develop our oversea trade. As to such matters as workmen's homes, superannuation schemes, workers' compensation for accidents, the gamhling evil, and local government law, no one is likely to deny that they are all well worthy of earnest consideration by our legislators. But much has been done in these directions already; and we hope that Parliament will see the necessity for making head-way with the larger and more comprehensive measures that must form, the groundwork of the session's duties, instead of allowing its attention to be diverted and its energies frittered away by questions of relatively minor importance.