The Dominìon. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1913. THREE CLAUSES-78 HOURS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1917, 27 November 1913, Page 6

The Dominìon. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1913. THREE CLAUSES-78 HOURS.

The Legislature Amendment Bill, which provides among other things for the abolition of the Second Ballot system, passed its third reading in the House of Representatives in the early hours of yesterday morning by the substantial majority of M votes, S3 members voting for it and 19 against. The proposal to repeal the Second Ballot Act originally took the form of a special Bill, but the Anti-Reformers adopted the very unusual course of debating at great length the motion for leave to introduce the measure. This was the commencement of the "stonewall" which has established a most discreditable record in the Parliamentary history of New Zealand—a record of frivolous motions, tedious repetition of irrelcvancies, and futile waste of members' time and the country's money. It would be difficult to conceive any more degrading exhibition than that which has now been brought to a close. The Opposition and their Labour-Socialist friends fully deserved the scathing criticism to which they were subjected by the Minister of Marine, Mn. FisiiEn, in the very eifeetivo | speech with which he concluded the third-reading debate. Mn. Fishek made excellent use of every minute of his time, and he laid bare in a remorseless manner the mean and unworthy' tactics and motives which characterised the prolonged obstruction by which the Anti-Reformers had endeavoured to delay the passage of the Bill. For members who, for instance, deliberately wasted five hours .and a half in a. ridiculous discussion of the single word "this" in the short title, to talk about being deprived of the right of free speech is too ludicrous to deceive a child. No fewer than 78 hours have been devoted to the discussion of the Bill, though it only contains three clauses, one of which is the short title. If each of the clauses of other Bills were debated at the same inordinate length tiie session would almost last till Doomsday. It is not merely in regard to the Legislature Amendment Bill that the Anti-Reform members have endeavoured to block the business of the country. Throughout the whole session (hoy have done their utmost, to prevent, the Gov-.M'muenl. from giving effect to its programme. Kverv opportunity has been seized for the purpose of causing delay, and they have again and ana in obstructed the progress of Bills—even Bills for which in the end they have actually voted in divisions, or agreed to on the voices. They care very little indeed for anything but the furtherance of their own party ends. They no doubt suspect that, the legislative proposals of the Guv-

eminent arc establishing it more securely every day in the confidence of the people, and therefore they are doing their utmost to prevent the Reform party's Bills from reaching the iStiitiits Book. The recent- "stonewall'' was only_ the climax of this policy of persistent obstruction, and judging by (he fact that Sin Joseph Waud has given notice of his intention to move that the House disagrees with the rulings of the Chairman of Committees _nud the Speaker in connection with tiie recent deadlock, the Opposition are looking for a further opportunity of delaying the transaction of the country's business. What the people think of these tactics is indicated by the resolution passed at a meeting of fanners and business men in Greytown on Monday, which expressed "strong condemnation of the tactics of the Leader of the Opposition and some of his followers in the disgraceful waste of time, and money caused by stonewalling during the present session,' designed, in our opinion, to delay the passage of needed reforms and to embarrass the. Government during the progress of the strike."