LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 697, 23 December 1909, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

:. "GOVEnNMENT DEFEATED. ,, ; ''■ ~.': "FOR TIIE FOURTH TIME." ■ - ';." 'I-' Sir,—Tho above appeared in: your issue of I to-day's (lute, but ono factor in tho'-support' -■ * that tho Government .lias received requires ~ moio than a • passing notice. I' refer to the j, ' block Maori vote, which has always been re-; l corded on tho Government Bide. IM'rome'm- ',' ber rightly, tho lato Hon. R. J. Seddon was':■'■'■-i----reminded of this consistent vote by ono of- t tho Maori niemb'irs; It was a close call, and/ S a Government defeat would have turned 'them-' out of office This brings up another subject tor consideration-that is tho Maori Hopreseu- *- tation Act, under which a Maori or half-caste : K ; can stand for a Maori constituency, and if".' V on an English roll, for a European constitu- ' oncy as well. Tho Eon. James Carroll is : an instance of this. A European, however, : cannot represent a Maori constituency. It.is C ; now omto clear that tho Maori members have 4 iiolped tho present Government materially. <,' An analysis of tho closo, voting during this "i session whero the Maori voto has saved the :|. Government so, often would bo very instruc- -' five, ihis may have occurred eo often that • i ?i e cn 'l d6 duco two things therefrom, ono that i'■ tho Maori .vote rules the country, and.- ' '•; secondly, that the Maoris aro over-represented. ". ' fIMS state of; things demands investigation. '* .One solution is to ropcal tho Maori Representn- ■■ '-.'-. „„,? M ll \ lts eatwety.-'-nnd allow Maori* - > and half-castes to, stand as candidates, for' : f twT an ™ nst 'teencies, they/being eligible .V----therefor. Tho other is to amend tho Maori'. : ~' . llcpresentation Act by; restricting the Maori vote to Maori matters, pure and simple. ■-.. ■'- ; v Those constant rebuffs that the Government « ! f> havo received are not met in tho same way -'; as Lord Rosobery's did -on tho occasion when > .H' they received an advorso voto on tho ammuni- ' ■ "■'* tion question. They went out of office, whereas ' ' tis Government stick to tho Treasury benches "• thanks to tho Maori block, vote. It is the : 'h Maoris;who rule;tho country, Q.E;D; The j conclusion that many of us havo come'to w W that tho bottom has fallen out of tho Govern- ' ment nnance. No Government ias over had ; - such opportunities as this continuous? ono j nad, and no Government has so misapplied iU • ' trust. Mr. Massey.has earned our everlasting \O Jl respect for tho bravo and doughty.manner that' ; i ho has endeavoured to try and stemi this/bane- •.'•:■ ful system of legislation by exhaustion. All ; l honour to, him.. What about tho State, as ■ 'I,T an employer?, 'these protracted sittings nxea' ! /"'.,'.]: keeping the officers of tho House at work be- l yond reasonable hours. If a private individual ' '1 were to exceed the tick; of a; clock at closini?- - time i>y minutes, no mercy is showll ' "y; 1? nj ! How.oan our. representatives study \i nr Order Paper, and cogitate over the« Bills. / " (Mr. raylor right; they ought to be - ■-4 ] circulated, lft .the recess, to givo timo for :•! I maturo consideration), attend committees, be ' in their seats inl the i House,' and, abovo all, i ' i ; koop their .health?, This .hasty legislation i , ;! always means reaping tho same crop? i.e., a ?A host of In America, I believe,'-^ ■■■?■ it is tho custom to refer all Acts: to tho Judges, to see if they aro work- '' !*',« they aro finally placed on the - ; :' olAtuto rjook. ~ ■ ~ . .-■ , ■■' ■■ r ■■'- - I ''"' ,It has been said that .the Prime Ministor ; i; keeps his team together only by threats of a :; vl dissolution; or Parliament. Ma>be ; it?would ' : not bo granted. If: granted, tlio result might-.;. not bo. pleasing to lim; ..When, tho change.:;} to triennial.Parliaments was made, ono of the ;' ! arguments used was .that, thoi'e- would 'be no "■'*■ excuse or necessity, for n dissolution,, hxmm : " then the elections would occur more fi-equontlv ' ■ Ihis appears to: havo boen : overlookod.-i '• f ; am, etc., ; ' ■ ■;; "■■;•.., •,-•. ■ -,- ... ~"*■"; .;;: ■ ■ : , ■■■'•■ :: ; :: ,: :-■a ; ;noeth'.'islander/•'-.■' ;■ ■ Wellington, December: 20, 1909. ; , .'.'. ':. ■'■. . : .; .'