The Dominion. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1910. THE STATE OF THE SESSION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 926, 20 September 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1910. THE STATE OF THE SESSION.

To-day Parliament' enters upon the thirteenth week of, the session. When it begins next week's sittings three full months will have elapsed from the opening day; and so small is the total of useful or creditable work already accomplished that it is not surprising that the oldest Parliamentarians are saying that they cannot remember a more extraordinary session in their experience. A number of minor Bills have been dealt with, but of the vast programme which the Government announced so proudly, although so vaguely and so much in tho manner of a catalogue, at the opening of the session only one policy measure of any importance—the ridiculously mis-named "Public Debt Extinction Bill" —has been dealt with. The chief measure of the jear, the Land

Bill, appeared only to meet with the execrations of the friends as well as the opponents of the Governand it is as nearly certain as anything can be that it can never reach the Statute Book. The measure noxt in point of interest, the Gaming Bill, has been introduced, but the Prime Minister has not yet .mustered up courage to, present it to the public, owing, it is understood, to his fear of offending one of his colleagues. Two other measures of importance have been circulated, namely, the Commercial Trusts Bill and the Beet Sugar Industry Bill, and of these the second. is in some important respects'- as unwise and ill-considered as so many of the proposals that present-day "Liberalism" brings forth.

There has been a more scandalous waste of time than on any previous session in the history of Parliament; a waste of time due entirely to the Government's weakness and indecision and its unwillingness to trust itself and its policy in the open space of free and frank debate. By every means in his power the Prime Minister has worked for procrastination and delay, in the hope that he might carry the session .as far as possible without doing anything, and so the better carry out' the policy of "legislation by exhaustion" at the end. It is quitein vain that he seeks to place_ upon the shoulders of the Opposition any portion of the responsibility for the waste of time, for he has refused to give out his Bills and set the House at work upon. them. He even arranged that when he was absent for .a day or, two nothing of ,any importance should be done. ■ It is he, and he alone, who arranges the programme, and / his must be the responsibility.. Even the one .big policy measure that has passed through the House, the "Public Debt Extinction Bill," is so careless and confused in spme important details/that it must be again put through the mill. Some of the astounding absurdities and errors in this Bill which had been overlooked, in the Lower House were pointed put by the Hon.- J. E. Jenkinson in, the Legislative Council last week. There is no specific definition of what loans are to bo deemed part of. .the. "public debt" for the purposes of the Bill.' Itis. provided that.loans to local bodies out of the sinking fund shall 'be. made- under the provisions of the State Guaranteed Advances Act, but that Act provides for a procedure which will be impossible in" respect of extracts from the" sinking'.fund. There is no provision in the,Bill for, future conversions,"- which- will of course;increase the total of the "public 1 debt", (although effecting a, saving in the inter bill). Again, it is .pretty clear .that the' Prime Minister muddled his calculations by a confusion between 74 years and 75 years/ The existing funds which' it .is. proposed to divert apparently are; largo enough,-in a sound scheme, to pay off the debt in .75 years, but .when-the first report of the AuditorGeneral is- made, it' appears, he:will state on an actuarial-basis, 'as-'the sum : necessary to be .set aside, a sum actually ;■ less than that now. being paid..'"'

; The: question arises: Wliat steps, are-to be taken to prevent; an unheard-of congestion and muddling of business by a.weary House in the last sjx or seven weeks of. the session?',.' The average time of ; risihg,' so far, is, we- : siippose, about midnight/; .Whether .thafc is too late,,or too, early for-a House fresh from a 1 long: recess we need riot inquire into; but it will be apparent to everybody, that. having set that time, the Prime Minister, cannot. ■ with any justification suggest that', it. is too early an;hour of rising for ; a weary and. restless. House .the heat: of. early, summer. When a ■ measure dealing, or professing to deal, with a matter .so important as the extinction of the public debt can, after being considered''at leisure by both Houses, still'remain packed full of.such absurdities as those we have': mentioned, what chance ? is there for orderliness and sanity in measures hustled through at express speed;in a House in which free criticism will have become 1 impossible ? We would suggest to Me. Massey.and;his.colleagues -that' they should find, .the average time of. rising which, the Prime Minister has considered proper for a fresh House and resolutely refuse to "allow business to be transacted by the House', at a'later hour "when the' "driving",.tactics begin. In this they can.count upon the sunnort of the vast majority: of the public,, who have,in' the past thirteen weeks seen quite enough to prepare them; to treat with '■■ contempt any suggestion bv the Government thafc the ■ Opposition -is obstructing the business of the country.? .