The Press Tuesday, December 6, 1927. The Parliamentary Session.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19176, 6 December 1927, Page 10

The Press Tuesday, December 6, 1927. The Parliamentary Session.

The Parliamentary session which has just ended has been the longest, but far from the dullest, on record. A considerable part of the live and a half months that have elapsed since the session commenced has been wasted, and although the Statute Book will be a bulky one —108 Acts were passed —the net benefits to the country will be small. No session could be called unimportant in which the Customs tariff was overhauled, taxation increased, and a Licensing Bill introduced and fought to a finish. The best that can be said for the Tariff Act —and it is a best that is not bad —is that it was very thoroughly discussed by the Legislature, which was restrained by the public opinion generated by public discussion from making further substantial concessions to the high-tariff party. Whatever credit may be given to Parliament on this score is heavily offset by the increase in the income-tax and the needlessly large levy upon the users of motor-spirit. The most interesting and perhaps the most important event of the session was the introduction of the Licensing Bill. We refer to this Bill in a separate article to-day, and we need not do more here than point out that the Prime Minister acted throughout with perfect candour and fairness. He introduced what he believed was a reasonable alteration of law, he saw it completely altered by the House, and he very properly abandoned it, leaving the full responsibility for it to the House. Before leaving this subject, it is proper to take note of the attitude of the Opposition groups. Some of the Liberal newspapers, caring little about the issues raised by the Bill, made strenuous endeavours to exploit for purely party purposes what they pretended or hoped was a serious split in the Reform ranks. The Leader of the Labour Party also showed anxiety to make party capital out of the admittedly difficult position of the Prime Minister. As for the general attitude of the Parties, it has been noticeable that the Liberals were far less disposed- to oppose for opposing's sake than they have been in years —a fact.which is best explained by their realisation that there arc no deep fundamental divisions between them and the Reformers. The session has not, on the whole, given the public much to be thankful for; on the other hand, it did nothing to allay the growing uneasiness of the people concerning the scala of borrowing and expenditure or concerning the growth of the power of officials in the government of the country.