The Dominion. TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1910. HOPEFUL SIGNS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 884, 2 August 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1910. HOPEFUL SIGNS.

We are told that Sir Joseph Ward when in Auckland on Sunday last, expressed himself as well pleased with the prqgrcss of business during the present session of Parliament. He also intimated that, in his opinion, the Houso would continue to sit for at least three months longer in order to cope with the important business yet remaining to bo attended to. We are inclined to agree with Sir Joseph on both points. It is true that there is very little yet to show in the way of legislation of importance this session; but this is not a ground of complaint on our part. At the beginning of each session the conduct of Ministers and of members, in the matter of tho amount of attention that is given to measures beforo the House, as a rule loaves very littlo room for complaint. Not only are members freah and equal to ' their tasks after tho leisure of the recess, but. it.is the custom to observe early hours, prolonged sittings boing rare. ■ Tho result is that tho Bills submitted at this stage of the session arc closely scrutinised, and members generally are to blame if any flaws or weaknesses escape attontion. But it varely happens that tho really important Bills are placed before members at this period of tho session' when they would receive the attention their importance warrants. They frequently aro not oven circulated until well into tho dying hours of tho session and then they are rushed through in a manne*

so often described in the press and so strongly condemned by every right-thinking person. _ Our reasons for directing attention to this familiar aspect of our political life oa the present occasion arc the Prime.Minister's remarks at Auckland, together with certain views expressed iu the House by tlie member for Hutt, Mr. T. M. Wilford. We quite recognise that Mr. Wilford's political past does not afford any ground for nope that he will ever be anything in Parliament but a docile party man, yielding a ready obedience to' the will of his political chief for the time being. Possibly he entered Parliament "too young to exercise an independent judgment, and the habit of obeying party orders may \ have grown out of this. But the fact that he is so shackled to his party lends a value of its own to any departure he may njake in the direction of independent thought or action. It is fair to assume that when he ventures to discard party teachings there must be some very strong motive behind his action. Mr. Wilfohd's spasm of virtue on Friday night is therefore worth recording; moreover it'is the , most outright admission one can . recall .by one of the strongest party men in tho House of the great evil which has grown out of the method of "legislation by exhaustion' which his own party have practised for over fifteen years and which they insist on continuing.to, practise' in defiance of public opinion and tho ■public interest. .'We reproduce this portion of the remarks of the member for Hutt: i

Referring to the lack of confidence ■whien tin uvurred tliepeoplu were showing in regard to this country, Mr. \vinoru remarKed that no believed that hall tnu trouble was caused owing to tho lightning speed at which legislation .was passed uero. . Mr.'. Wiliord went on to say-that in passing legislation uiey calculated that they weru. going to cure an apparent detect, aud whilst rushing blindly, on they did not appreciate 'tht possiuie eli'ect in oth'or ways of the new measures. He honestly believed that a new system in regard to passing measures should be introduced. After a Bill hud been read a second time it should be, referred to ,a committee, eveu if it took/ a whole session before it was ready to bo passed. In that way the country would get an opportunity of understanding what was proposed, and could make representations to its, representatives in tho House, who could not be expected to be experts in every direction. In the following session the Bill could be reintroduced for the purpose of being passed. "No tiine would be wasted," added Jlr. Wilford, "in getting to the probable effect of every lino of every clause- of every measure. Oftentimes members vote for a Bill the meaning of some clauso of which they have never ascertained. When a mistake was afterwards pointed "out— sometimes by a person inexperienced in Parliamentary matters—members often/ felt ridiculous, in that they helped to pass tho measure."

Every, member of',. Parliament knows . that every word- of Mr. JVjlfoed's regarding the shameful manner in which Bills are rushed through the House iji fcruo, : so far, as it applies to the end of each session. They know that there is not the slightest reason to believe, that there will be any departure from this practice during the session how in progress. And they know perfectly well that when the Government puts on the pressure Mn.' Wilford. and his fellow Government members will sacrifice fcheir views to what Ministers regard as the party's interests. That is in fact the curse of our -politic* 'Party strategy, party necessities, over-rule all other considerations." .Mr. :■ Wilford, no doubt,_ is no ' worse than' the great majority of the Government following: he comes in for special attention on the present occasion merely because he has now seen fit to preach a reform which his own actions in the. past assisted, to render im- ' pevativnly necessary. Moreover, he is in some measure qualified to speak with authority as to the manner in which Bills are rushed through the ,House without ' members knowing what they are voting for, because as Chairman of Committees he has had special opportunities for observa-' tion. We do not feel particularly hopeful of any immediate change in the procedure of the Government of the day, for the reason that, despite the growing discontent of the Ministerial following with,the methods of their leaders, they have not yet shaken off that habit of obedience which has placed Ministers in the position of being the masters instead of the servants of Parliament and the country. ■ Still, recent' events afford ground for the belief that a section of Government mombers are inclined to exercise, a greater free-, dom of thought an'd action. The weakness and wobbling of the Gbvornment on important policy issues have given rise to a feeling of insecurity and of distrust in the judgment of Ministers, and members of the party in consequence are not so easily persuaded by their leaders. They are beginning to recognise that-the party can do little tor them at the coming elections, and that they will ha,ye to fight their own battles on their individual records rather than on anything which the Government can put forward in their behalf. This must do some good in the direction of assisting to break dowp the absurd dominance of half-a-dozen persons over the whole Ministerial following' and over Parlia.rnent itself. '