FLOUTING PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 537, 18 June 1909, Page 8

FLOUTING PARLIAMENT.

MR. ARNOLD AND THE POLICE ! forge; '

WHAT 010 THE PRIME MINISTER MEAN?

MR. MASSEY'S CANDID OPINION. Much comment has been occasioned in consequonco of tho declaration of tlio Primo Minister (Sir. Josoph"Ward) that if Parliament affirmed Mr.; MiiSsey's motion in favour of universal training he would not be bound by it. ' ' • I Asked.,by a;;;D6MiNibN reporter as to his views; Mr..;Massey said-.he regarded , as most peculiar,>iSir-Joseph's action first of all in saying .that even -jf -tho motion wero agreed to ho .would not bo . bound by it, and then in voting against the adjournment, while all I his colleagues and most of his party voted in tlio'other lobby- Hei know, or course, that tho; question- was' to bo shelved, and that pdrty jualousy .would prevent the motion being';agrad''to,V but,'it, ho made thoy position of'his, own party quite clear so jar : as local defence was/concerned. "'I think;" added Mr. -Masscv, "that.the mover of the adjournment r&tttor 'fell in,'

The intention was to avoid coming to a direct issno by another method. But did you over see the present Government faco anything? They ran away from many of their own proposals, they ran away from my motion, and, worse than either of those matters, they have run away from the difficulties of the session . Judging be recent indications, it seems to mo they are well qualified for holding prominent positions in the Order of the White Feather." WHAT MINISTERIALISTS THINK. "HE USED UNFORTUNATE TERMS." Several members, on the Government side of tho House, told a Dominion representative that they did not regard the Prime Minister's remark as a threat to override the supremacy of Parliament. One anemben thought that Sir Joseph Ward had possibly used unfortunate terms, • and, so to speak, ovor-expressed himself, but they were - all quite satisfied with the meaning which they understood his remarks to bear.' This was that a_ defence scheme,, requiring ; a large expenditure, could dn\y be brought down by the Government, and agreed to by the House after a full consideration of details. The scheme would require a special Act for its inauguration, and, therefore, it was argued, a mere motion on the subject, previous to consideration, would be quite valueless, and in effect, bind nobody. It is difficult to reconcile this view with the terms of Mr. Mas-sey'-s motion, which proposed' definitely to commit the House to two propositionsfirst, that the volunteer system 'has been proved inadequate, and, second, that a system of universal training should succeed it. It was obvious that these members were unwilling to follow any lead on tho subject coming from the Opposition, and more than ono of them laid emphasis on the fact that the Prime Minister had promised, in his speech at Invercargill, to bring down a defence scheme, and that it was the duty of Government, members to wait until that scheme appeared. _ If Mr. Russell (Avon) had not moved his amendment to adjonrn the debate, which gave to Government members a way out of their difficulty, Mr. Davey (Christchurch North) was waiting to move a similar amendment, it is said by pre-arrange-ment.

The outcome of the criticism in tho House • with regard to tho state of the police force is being eagerly awaited; Mr. Arnold, the member for'Dunediii 'North,' who brought up tho question, told a Dominion reporter yesterday that if Jho wero not satisfied in what was dono in tho, meantime ,to remedy matters ho would during neit session, move to -set cure the setting up of a Royal Commission. Ho observed that ,in addition to tho seven cases which ho mentioned, reference was mado by tho Prime Minister to three cases with which he waa not acquainted. 'It must "not bo imagined," ho added, "that I'quoted'all the cases which I consider should,be the subject of inquiry. It 15,.a disagreeable, tils oto havo; to go into tKo''details o>f i case after "case. But I intend to do what I consider'a public duty.''

MR. MASSEY ON THE DREADNOUCHT OFFER. 1 ... \lt will be remembered that Mr. Massed, Loader of the Opposition,, declared that he could not have supported tb<> resolution re the Dreadnought offer' in its original form. Questioned'on the subject.by a Dominion.reporter yesterday, Mr. Massey said that if he had . voted for tho motion as it was brong)it-down ho would'havoboen approving, not only of. the offer, but of the manner m which it was made. He added: "Whilo I could not ' possibly approve ;of . the action of the Government in committing the country to a. liability of millions without consulting Parliament, I felt that the offer having been made the honour of No# Zealand was concerned, and the proper thing to do under'_ the circumstances was to confirm'it. On this point I am only my own personal view. Wo don't intend to allow Imperial 1 matters to be .used in any way as party questions." . ..

700 BUSY TO BE BANQUETED. Efforts .were mado: by some of tho Prime Minister's friends to arrange a function in honour of his visit to London to represent the Dominion at tho Imperial Defonco Conference. It was proposed that there ishould be a banquet, which was to have taken place last evening.' Sir Joseph thanked those who had interested themselves in tho matter, and pointed out that ho had so much to do that ho could not spare the time that would be entailed. The proposal had therefore to be abandoned. PROGRESS OF THE REFORM LEAGUE. Branohes'of the RefoW League are to be established; in all the Wellington electorates. In connection with the proposal, a social will be held in a few weeks.. Among the speakera will be several leading members on' the Opposition side,-including Mr. W. F. Massey, the leader of tho party. ,