The Dominion. MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1909. A LINE OF DEMARCATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 14 June 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1909. A LINE OF DEMARCATION.

More.than onco on Friday and Saturday last the Prime Minister spoke of "a lino of demarcation" that- will be distinctly drawn in the House beforo Parliament risas for the year. He spoko in a menacing way, too, as , if the drawing of the line will reveal him on one side and Infamy, on the other. Now that' the Prime Minister has spoken of the dividing .lino, it may be profitable to discuss the direction in which it will run, especially as there •'still linger some doubts in thc : minds of members and the public as to the policy for which the Government stands and tho policy for which the opjyinnnto of Quj Qovfiinii&lli IIW) COUifllld-

ing. The divisions, which have so fax been taken do not greatly assist ub in this inquiry. They would almost make it appear that tho present Parliament , will resemblo the late and preceding Parliaments in its leading features. It would be premature, however, to abandon the hopes which were founded by men of all classes on the result of the general election. There aro reasons for belidving that the silence and solidity of the Government majority do not at all indicate that the Ministerialists will bo content in the future to do with nnquestioning obedience exactly what the Govommont commands them to do. The Prime Minister's action in summoning an informal "Parliament" was, rightly considered, an indication that, ho could not rely.upon hie new followers, or even all his old followers, to vote at his nod as a matter of course. His object was to capture their support for his immediate purpose, and' he has done so. But the new men will have "found themselves," as the phrase goes, bofore very long, and it is likely that a few of them may privately feel a little indignant' with themselves for having been "rushed" by the Peime Ministee. . . .

■ Tho future line of cleavage can be found by considering what tho Government stands for. Nobody has any clear idea 1 of the Government's policy.. All that is known is that it will be an extension, or intensification, or something of the" kind, of ,the combination of State Socialism and financial imprudence that is now in full current. On the administrative sido the Government's policy amounts to the maintenance of Ministerial, autocracy by preserving all the public services in a form that permits political patronage to work most effectively.- The line of demarcation will show itself as a line between thoso who. favour advanced Radicalism, unsound finance, and what the Americans call "graft," and those who favour real Liberalism, sound finance, and the placing of our politics beyond the reach of cor- J rupt influences. So far as a future legislative policy of a positive kind is concerned, the Government has not much to offer that; involves grave conflicts between rival principles. We can feel sure only that it will aim at the extension of the State's already extravagant functions and the.imposition of thoso further • restrictions upon individual liberty which aro humorously called "Liberalism." The opposition to the Government will come from those, members of the House who are opposed to Radicalism and unsound ■finance. The Reform party has a definite programme, and one to whiph many men on tho Government side can, and probably will before long, give their support. The freeholders are certainly a majority.-in the House. Nor can the Government feel at all confident that there is not'a majority/: against it on such v questions as Civil Service and railways administration. .The bad condition into,which the railways" have drifted is the result of years of "political" railway construction. If no more railways were evor to be built, tho case against Ministerial control would lose much; of its force, but many railways havo yet to-bo built' This is a young country, and there is , still open a. field'for tho'working of infinite evil by a system .under/which political and party considerations have an ohormous advantage over national considerations. As for the Civil Service, it is only a matter of time—and not a long time—before men of all parties mako up their mind that, morally and .financially, it will be far better for the country when the Government of the day is unable to "convert the Civil Service- to •its party onds. Nothing would bo more ■satisfactory than insistence by the Prime Minister upon a clear attitude on , the part of every member upon such questions as these. II he would insist that his v party should contain only men who wilf'support him in his Radical proposals and in the retention of political control of the public services, we should not be long in getting back to' sound politics. The sooner a clear lino, of demarcation is drawn by tho Prime Minibteb the better for everybody.. •'• ■ ■•■■■•■.■'■' . -„,'■

;'lt must not. be forgotten, that at the j general, election the Government went to the coun&y without any definite policy. Orio of the leading Ministerialist journals ascribed to this-fact the set-back which the ' Government received. ■ The! Ministerialiste, in promising to support the Government,-could not have meant, and would probably desiro that, they should not be said to have meant, that tl\ey intended/to support tho Government in all times and circumstances. The Government cannot regard their support as absolutely and irrevocably pledged;' it can only treat their support as dependent on ite good behaviour. There have been signs that this interpretation of their duty is held by several members of tho party. Messes. J. P. Ltok and Witts votcdagainst tho prorogation of the session. : Mr. Poole and Mr. Graham are openly; critical of the character of the new Ministerial appointments. Nothing is more certain than that there are other i members of the, party ready to.'criticise' and, if necessary,,oppose, the Government when occasion requires. ~ There will always be a number, of members who will place their votes and consciences in tho Government's keeping, but these, it is to be hoped, are a minority. Many of .the' new members;on the Government benches have submitted to discipline during the past week only through a conviction that etiquette forbade their opposing tho Government at the first time of asking. They will not be content, to submit to discipline when the House resumes work later in the year. Tho public's political education is proceeding fast, and it cannot be long before the dominant issues become clear and unmistakeable, and members are forced to declare definitely either for Badicalism and political patronage, with their necessary accompaniment of waste and extravagance, or for cautious Liberalism and honest administration. .'