The Dominion. MONDAY, MAY 17, 1909 THE NAVAL CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 509, 17 May 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, MAY 17, 1909 THE NAVAL CONFERENCE.

; .The comments of the newspapers upon : tile problem of Now Zealand's represen- ': -tation, at, the Naval Conference should mako interesting reading for the Prime . Minister, who has before now given inI, dications that he is inclined to postpono j making up his mind on important qucs- - tions until after he has seen / what the ,1 newspapers say about it. We' are glad to ", say that the weight of opinion amongst the more prominent of tho. country's newspapers is,-so far as wo have seen, against ■the suggestion that Parliament should, a. ',i|ic]et early for/the dispatch of formal .'■ business and then adjourn for some I mouths to onabla Sta Joeisi'a Waao to

visit the Conference and yet not leave his colleagues to take care of themselves during tho session. The Otago Daily Times, in its first comment, on Friday last quite excusably omitted to consider the possibility of such a course being contemplated by the Government. It took it for granted that the holding of the Conference would not be considered a reason for interfering with the normal sessional arrangements. We should also have taken that for granted had the suggestion not been put forward in all seriousne'ss that the business of New Zealand should not be transacted in Sir Joseph Ward's absence. Accordingly, our Diinedin contemporary's discussion led it to the conclusion that the Conference might well be postponed until early in next yoar. In a second article, on Saturday, the Daily Times again pressed its arguments for postponement of the Conference, and declared that the-date of its meeting should be so fixed as ( to admit of 'the Prime Minister's presence at it "without any interference with the ordinary course of Parliamentary business in the Dominion." The Ohristehurch Press sees that there aro very strong reasons* indeed why the Prime .Minister should go to London, but it points out some important differences, between the.present position and the position when Mb. Seddon visited Britain in ' 1897: "The circumstances at the present-time are not exactly the same. It is the first session of a new Parliament. Parties have not yet been clearly denned, and the'finances; of the.country i demand early and, serious attention." As to the suggested adjournment of Parliament, this, our; contemporary thinks, "would-be to ask a very great deal not only from the Opposition, but from the country, and such a course could- only be justified by supreme Imperial needs.

. _. . Wo believe the . Opposition will be quite willing to look at.the question from a broad point of view, placing the needs of the Empire in the forefront, without any thought of party advantage; but it is impossible to disregard altogether the interests and welfare of the Dominion."

The point of view of. the Opposition is before.us to-day' in the shape of a statement; by Mr; Massey. '-No reasonable person will doubt that his view is quite as broad as can be desired. There is'no occasion for any references to "party advantago," Nobody wishes to make the question a party question. The 'Prime Minister.himself, if he takes any. pride in his party at all, should be the last to Bay' that there : will <be any "party. ad-. vantage" to tho Opposition in his absence. And ;.wh6. will say that Parliament cannot -'.'place'the needs of the Empire in the .forefront" except by doing nothing in the: Prime. Minister's . absence?, That would be absurd. Of the other metropolitan journals whose opinions are available, our evening contemporary opposes the idea of a broken session on grounds similar to those on which The Dominion is opposed to it. A southern supporter of tho Government favours the idea, and relies chiefly upon what.it considers to be the precedent set in '1897, .when Mr. Seddon ; visited Britain, and : it says,; in its disingenuous l way, that it "need not as-. Bume at this stage that Mr. Massey would be :le's3-reasonable now than Sir; William BussEiii was. twelve yoars ago." The opinion is, also expressed that if Sir Joseph Ward make's the'iproposal to \yhich we ; object, "he ' will, have Very good grounds for seeking the compliance of MR.'-.'MASSEY\and bis. party!". We may conclude our ; noticc of our contemporaries,' opinions by sympathising : with the Prime vMiNi§TEu in the embarrassment which he must feel in possessing so indiscreot'a friend as the journal which was unable'to plead for him without talking of "personal spleen" and, "the snarls ■of the Opposition jackals." He would be a very bitter enemy ''. of Sir. Joseph who wqujd' wish him a continuance : of that kind of support.- '". ':; ;'■ ■ The tentative movement in favour of postponing the country's unusually important business affords W excellent illustration of one of the results of that unfortunate drift in New Zealand politics which we discussed, not for the first time, on Saturday last—the ascendancy: of the Executive over Parliament.' In no Mm Stafe of the Empire, we are sure, w.iuld the Prime .;' Minister's absence for, a lengthy period be considered a reason for Upsetting the normal arrangements' of Parliament. WHat we desire to know— and what : nobody,' apparently, has dreamed of setting forth—are the reasons \vhy the business of Parliament should be suspended during the: absence' of the Prime Minister. The public.has the right to be given some weighty reasons before consenting to such an important, and in bur opinion such an undesirable, postponement of the questions awaiting Parliament's attention. The Prime MiniSTEß.and his friends are evidently keenly anxious that the session shall not go on .with, the head of tho Government absent .from his place,- Why? Is.it that, the true reason is to bo found in the party calculations of the Ministerialists ? Surely it cannot be that.the result of the general elections and the character of the subjects certain t6 be dealt with by Parliament have , combined to-make our. Ministerialist friends hopeful that they will gain something by procrastination, a late and hurriod session, and a Prime Minister fresh from on Imperial atmospher<v But no other explanation of their anxiety discovers itself anywhere. What is, then, the purpose to be served by the arrangement they desire?- .