The Dominion. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1909. THE DUTY OF THE REFORM PARTY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 665, 16 November 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1909. THE DUTY OF THE REFORM PARTY.

Thbee is already Bome.taik. as : to-.the possibilities pf an abortive., session, and it. seems to.be pretty generally considered that the Government, which showed last June that it has no strict ideas upon.tho duty of the Legislature,, wjll.noi.be dis-. pleased if Christinas finds the House adjourned until another June.''■. There.is no great volumo of new legislation which can be called urgent.' The country- does not require, for example, that the Statute Book shall before Christina? receive new Acts dealing with the licensing.' poll, compulsory, training, now taxation,. or any of ■several Mother' questions with which the Government has, in terms more or less yague, expressed its intention of dealing. Some' questions, however, arc quite urgent. There fs ho excuse whatever, for example.'fpr any further postponement of a .final ..settlement 'oi-'-tho; land question. Apart, from legislative measures,; there are questions of high importance which must receive early an'd thorpugh ponsjderatipn by Parliament, such as the general question, of finance, railways administration, and the Civil Service. It is plain that the time which will bo at. the disposal of toe Legislature between now and Christmasjs quite inadequate for the carrying out .of even a small legislative programme! Here.it J! that thei.Beforjn Party must take a definite .stand- for the': principles upon vhich it weiit eo successfully to the country. During the short session the Party made' a good fight for the simple and honest;principle that the business of-the nation should not be mado subordinate t> the political necessities of ' a Pkimb MfNlsTEk whose policy it has. been to surround himself with colleagues and supporters who cannot be trusted, and must not be allowed, .to carry on in his absence, Ihere .has-this session been another fight by the Befprm Party for another of the canons.of political honesty..' The time has now com? when the Party,' and all members , who believe Jn sound government, must, go forward to tho attack upon some of the largest and oldestestablished >buses of New Zealand politips. - •.-. ■}■:■.-' '•;■• "■.■■•- ■'.'.: ■.:,■'■

The obvious duty of Me. Massey and the.imenibcrs whom lie 'is expected to lead- in the movement for reform is to ask that the House and the country, shall he told without delay, where the business ;pf Parliament' stands. .The rush at the end of the session-in past years, which has annually resulted in the passage of vicious and ■ hasty legislation by a House too weary and confused to render'proper sorvico to the. country, has been due in tho main to' the withholding of the Government's proposals and the refusal of the -Government- to say frankly', at an early stage of the.session, what measures it -has intended ~to ■proceed 'with in earnest; Protests .have; been made each year, both., inside, and outsido Parlia:against:this improper procedure; VVhy have these protests been unavailing?' .fycaußO the Opposition has never made its yprotest•■•' much, ;lnbre than "■' formal ; . because , ib'' scrioiis:and '' thorough, going.' effort has',; been- made 1 to concentrate.tho country's attention'on the abuses attacked and tho : importance of attacking them. The Reform Party, is now strong .OTough to,make; its protest effective; thg machinery of Parliament proyidos nleane for th 6 checking of.a-Govern-ment bent on trickery and legislative sharp practice. • Wo all know" that many of the Government's legislative proposals, as announced in the/Budget; are hasty linptp'visations. Some of them have possibly not yettakon the form even of draft Bills. - The. hole-and-corner '"agreement" upon iicensinglegislatioji.is one of these. One of the most important proposals of all—the adoption,of the principle of compulsory training-rhae only been decided upon since Minister's return from In order that,the country jnar*ta'protected against,the passage of hitrriedly-devised and faulty or'vicious laws, ;the-friends of sanity in politics must insist on;being, told where ,they are. That can only be known, when 'the Government's intentions are known. Mr. Massey must at, once ask for, and must use,every -iiesourco to secure, a; statement of:the business,that the House will be asked; to,.deal with... ':'.;■' ;.'■.;. :\ ; :■■ Unless they know what thefew. remain-' ing weeks contain for them, members will .be unable to discuss the Financial ment'with , much profit :to the country; If the House is kept in the dark both ;'as to the Government's plans and as td the substance of its undiscldsed Bills', the debate that, begins to-day mil bo almoit an entire waste; of timo-^of-the nation's time, for which the taxpayer is charged. A radical revision of iihe/present system of bringing down legislation is a reform which the country -will welcome ■■'•" and which, if its heart Is "strong, the Eeform Party bring about. .The present system: ia^a. premium, on error and jobbery.-; In every constitutional countfy it is admitted that Supply;.; may, and should, be: obstructed, or. denied if the Government of the day conceals or withholds informatioa as to the national finances. The same principlewill justify, if indeed it dobs not demand, the Strongest opposition'to .the tratisacoion of business while the Government conceals or withholds its real legislative intentions, Itwillnot bo sufficient; to enter, a formal protest against tho misleading of Parliament ; the Reform Party must aim at interesting the whole country'in the methods to, which, it objects.- The country is ready to, respond to lead if that lead is given, but half-measures will, bo worse than useless..; the most five weeks to olapse beforo at least two of which will be required for even an ordinary discussion of tho Sstiniatcsy.there are awaiting Parliament's attention half-a-

(jozeh measurcß of supreme' importance, not to montion a, multitude: of minor Bills. The country does not pay.its memParliament to neglect/their duty; it expects them to rccogniEo that they must return honest and serious'service. Unless' stand is taken now against tho did policy of manoeuvring, the service that will be rendered will bo neither serious nor honest; The obligation upon Mh. Massey is plain. Ho must' insist oh' the fullest information' boing placed before" monitors ! at once, and, if forced, to do so/ must fight at every opportunity afforded' undor. the rules of. Parliamentary /procedure to secure that the ■ business ■: of Parliainent shsfU bin carded on,on sound 1 .iiid businesslike linca. . .; , ; . : . ; ■•