The Dominion. SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1909. THE POLITICAL SITUATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 526, 5 June 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1909. THE POLITICAL SITUATIONS.

: During the • coming ;woek members of Parliament will : bo called [ on to decide two questions of moment, to the country and to themselves...-. Neither of the is-, ■sues is a party one/ and the judgmont of members on each separate issue should not'bo hampered in any way by a confusion; of one with the other.: i They are separate and distinct issues. Tho first involves,the.question of the representation of New. Zealand: at the and Military. Conference, to bo held in Londonctowards,the end of July. This is a national issue—an important 1 enough decision, but one not presenting any serious difficulty in arriving at a conclusion. The second involves the ; question of'the postponement; of ( ,the Bession of Parliament and the consequential delay in dealing with many questions of importance, and some of vital > urgency, to' the country. This is a,domestic issuo in brie sense,.but it has ,an Jmporial aspect, inasmuch as the part .New Zealand , can play in the affairs' of t&e Empire '. depends very largely on the condition of our internal affairs. ■'Wβ have dealt very fully with these ; questions' during "tho past few weeks, and .we'have shown, we believe, that kny unbiased person would have little hesitation in arriving at a decision .as to the proper course to pursuo in each case..' Unfortunately) the matter will not be.determined by unbiased people, and unfortunately also the real situation' has been obscured'by a mass of irrolevancies chiefly in the nature of what is'well described as "flag-waving," and by a regrettable distortion of very commonplace circumstances... If. is desirable, therefore,' oti the eve of , the meeting of members, to again place before them and the public the facts of the position as they really : are; and to indicate what in our opinion is the plain duty which members on both'sides of the Hquso owe to their constituents, the country.

To 'the first question: that of ; the country's representation at the Naval Conference, members generally appear to have' made up their minds how to answer on one point at least. No ono for, a moment doubtethat the country should be reprosented at the; Conference in a fitting manner. But by whom ? The, invitation from the. Home authorities Bugges'ta the Defence Minister, but thia is not in any way'binding on the country. Sie Joseph Wabd is Defence Minister. Naturally, ■the idea obtrudes itself-that Bin Joseph' Wabd should go—circumstances - permitting. Sir Joseph Ward is a good; Imperialist; ho has represented the country with credit on a previous occasion. It:is plain from his attitude ;that ho would very' much like to mako th,e trip. Why should he not be appointed as the'eoun- , try's representative? What aro the obstacles in. the way? Sie Joseph Ward is Prime Minister ! That should not bo an objection. Parliament will' bo in i session I Parliament was in session when Mb. Seddon was Prime Minister, and ho saw no objection to leaving his first lieutenant, Sie Joseph Ward, to, conduct the business' of the country in his absence. Who will say that the affairs of tho country suffered on that occasion? But, it may be urged, tho affairs of tho country domand special attention at the present time. That is quite true, and it is the only real obstacle in tho way.of Sib Joseph Ward making the trip' Homo. But surely, seeing that this is the case; tho Prime Minister of the country should not leave the issue as to whether or not ho shall go to the Conference.entirely to mombers to' decide Surely the one person who ffV"Hilrt decide the matter ia tho

'Prime Minister,himself:■ No' orie' knows better than Sir. Joseph Ward whether tho condition of the country's affairs warrant ; his; departure fromNewi Zealand at the present juncture., -If,- as : is to bo assumed .from-his, attitude, ho.sees nothing in "the condition of thipgs."to prevent him going .Soma : l( h.o hhs v , the great .■majority, of the House with him on tho quostion, and can go. . But-, apparently Sir Joseph : Ward .wants;'.something moro '.than thi's:' Ho 'sa..yß,;in bttect':;/".r :, shall ! 'go' : ll6in6 '■ only' on cofiditi6n ; ;"that ; ;the business' .of ; the. country; is , hung 'u^until' my return." Why.does*he add this condition?.• If the needs of the. Empire demand his attention' in-London; and if the affairs of,this' country/are in such;';a'condition that he can bo spared for a period of three months, what' right has; tho Prime Minister to dally, with'the,,matter? Why should ho stipulate that raatto'rs of vital importance to this ■ country—indeed, in reality, the whole business of the country—should bo hung up 1 .Has he no' confidenc° in_bis cplleaguesi. Has he-Bur-rounded himself 'with.men incapable, ofcarrying .6n'.the : ;business of the.country in his absence ?•' Have we reachedja stage in the affairs of the dominion when Parliament cannot sit, in'the absence of one man J ,, must answer these ijuestions when ' they make known ! their decision next wcok.as to the colony's representation at ■; the Conference. •If Sib Joseph- holds the opinion .that , tho country can spare him for : the''Confer-i enco, let him,attend the Conference.. If he feels that the condition. of the country is so serious that he cannot attend tho Conference .whjilo Parliament is in session, thon obviqusiy hie duty. liDs-here. Should he arrive,at the latter decision, and we should' o'ot .be surprised if this were his ultimate': determination, the country; would be quite well represented, at the, Conference' by the; High Commissioner. . ; .-.i. . ; 'J-: ■.";'.■ '■■ ' ..; ' .'. -. ■'■".

To the 'question: j Shall the sitting of/ Parliament be postponed,' and the business of the country be hung up for a period of three; months? members can only give one answer., The idea is quite beyond tho;bounds.; ofreason. Onocan readily believe that many members would much like to meet the wishes of the Prime MiNiSTE.R'in this/matter. Thoro aro many who- tho : occasion ;.'mean's much to Sir i Joseph, Ward personally. I But while personal and party considerar. tions must always have some effect in influencing members to make up their minds on questions of this kindj thore _i& a higher obligation 'than,either of these imposed on them, Members,owe a duty to their constituents and to the. country, and that duty never rested more heavily on' them than , it doe's to-day.' , It. has been made very clear during tie past few months that the Dominion ■ is .passing , through'a period of depression which has not only disturbed the finances 'of .the country, but has had wido-reaehihg effects in .a varioty ; of directions. Hundreds of people, are leaving our, shores every wopk,for Australia. Thousands of pounds are going but of the country, and thousands more are being diverted to Australia because tho sons of settlors and popple genorally desiring land cannot secure it in New. Zealand. Wo are losing some of-the best;of-our'-population and capital which would otherwiso be utilised in developing the resources of the country; and, what is being done to stop this drain on the life's' blood of the Dominion? Queensland is tempting away from us moro capital and more farmers than ■'. people gonerally realise; and, what is • still worse, it is usually the more enterprising that go ahold in L..18, \,uj. what are we doing, to prevent this .hap- , ' pening 1 What have wo done ? What aro, mombors' asked to do? To hang up tho business of4ho country for turco months, and permit this oxodus to go on unchecked ! What will they have to say to their conßtituonts if they agree' to this montstrouß proposal! What U to bo douo

for the unemployed if Parliament adjourns for three months?. .With a . Minister for' Labour who , shuts his eyes to the unemployment and; distress visible to everyone else, and who blandly expresses his satisfaction \yhilo people go hungry' for want of work; what hope is there of alleviating tho lot,of the'hundreds suffering through .'scarcity.of work, if' Parliament adjourns? What will.members have to say to their constituenta—a.nd to tho'unemployed? What of tlio iimbor ihd'ustry, tho condition .of which a spoeial Commiesion was. urgontly directed to .investigate—mills closed down all over tho country and hundreds of men inconsequohco thrown out of work? What of tho railways and the policy, of the new Min-ister;'-which calls for urgent reforms? What of the finances of the country, and tho scheme of'retrenchment, which; Par< liament will require to know a good" deal about? What member in the face' of these and other important questions galling urgently for attention can honestly say that the affairs of 'the country warrant a postponement of, tho sitting of Parliament?. Wo venture to; one. 'What/good reason : can bo advanccH for postponing the business of Parliament? ' Again we say riot one. 7 None has been attempted. All that.-has : been:; advanced in favour of it is the. opinion that it is desirable in tho interests of the: Empire that the'; Prime Minister of the country should attend the Naval' Conforonco in and we think wo have clearly shown ' (J.) that the sitting of Parliament does not proyent Sir Joseph Ward attending tbo : Conforenco;, if lie \thinks the Confercnco demands his attention; and (2) that tho domestic interests of New Zealand' , demand that Parliament shall sit irrespective of tho movements of Sir Joseph Ward; Wo have confl l ■ donee that members will; realise thV im-: poftanco of tho occasion, and,;act only after sobor thought and uninfluenced by personal or party considerations. -In a second article ; we'show that tho Naval Conference, though an important: occasion, ia not an occasion-of vital urgency such as- has been suggested by Ministers. Members must approach the question,of the postponement of tho session with thoir' minds cleared, of tho fallacy that it. is noceesary for New Zealand to neglect her own vital domestic interests in order to, show that she reOognises her obligation to' the Empiro. : Nothing could be'moro absurd, and yet tho proposal to postpone tho session really.. amounts to such outrageous folly, as this. T,he good sense of members I should' s&ve the country from a situation so fraught with danger to the imraediato as/'woll as to tho'future\ in- : torosts.of the'. Dominion.V The' cyeeV of. their constituents will bo closely focusscd on their a,ctions; during the- coming week, and tho : country, was never loss-inclined ■to look .leniently ■ oii, any breach pf: the trust iir)p6sod;:upon those'.;who represent ,it in -Parliament.; .:. . •'.. ' ; ' ■ ' -.' :