THE POLITICAL MACHINE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1931, 13 December 1913, Page 4

THE POLITICAL MACHINE.

To the uninitiated the methods of Parliamentary' warfare at times become rather confusing. The keeping of a House, which means maintaining a quorum, the pairing of members, which means the setting olt of absent members'. votes against one another when divisions occur, and other Parliamentary terms, are mysteries to many, fiut few people, however, realise how much the smooth working of the procedure of Parliament in these and other matters depends on the "Whips' of the parties. The "Whips," of course, are the members chosen to assist the party leaders in tho control of their following, to "whip" them up to the mark should they need it in the matter of attendance, and a multitude of other things. The work of the Government Whips is usually more strenuous, and calls for greater sacrifices than that of the Opposition; and especially is this the case when the margin between the parties is small. Now that the present long and trying session is being brought to a close, tho time is opportune for a few words of congratulation on the very remarkable success achieved by tho present Government- Whips, Mr. D. H. Guthrie (the member for Oroua) and Mr. W. Nos worthy (the member for Ashburtoa). Both these gentlemen have had a quite exceptional amount of responsibility placed upon their shoulders, and they have parried out their duties with conspicuous tact and judgment. It is the business of the party Whips to overcome all sorts of difficulties, to prevent friction, to know all that' is going on, to arrange pairs, and generally to look after and to keep in-constant touch with members, so that all can bo accounted for "when the necessity arises. At ordinary times this imposes a heavy strain oil those undertaking the task, but during the session iust ending the circumstances have been abnormal, and the burden of the Whips lias been exceptionally heavy. It, is not everyone that is fitted by temperament for this- work, for it requires unlimited patience and ail unfailing supply of common sense and good humour, besides an extensive knowledge of human nature and of the methods of jmlitical warfare. That, these qualities are possessed .-by Messrs. ClirnifciK and Nokwortiiy in a marked degree is shown by the conspicuous success with which they have performed their onerous task. During the weary hours of■the great "stonewall" they were always at Lheir post, and they exercised a wholesome, restraining influence iipon the rank and lile of the party when (he..Opposition was wasting valuable: time in" futile obstruction, and seeking to provoke the Ministerialists'' and -drag them into controversy, with a view to wasting further

«tii%^h i is : -is.iih-.q!d,dodge/and ihe -Whips times li>,d it. c'iiiU;tM'.it(f». • persuade the •' rank and. Jfi ?f forgo ' "-..'thej 1 "- p leasing u f hiii iiij;" .b::el; -'at ; . their tonnenlors oiKthe? oilier side of the House. :lt saya.-'inuch for.their alertness and •judgment- that,- despite all tho tricks .and deviccsof the Opposition, there not'-.a single occasion during the current session that Messrs. Gutmiuk and Noswoiithy were caught napping. The members opposed to them as Whips, Mksshs* Ngata and Forbes, are both very astute gentlemen, but despito the advantages which nn Opposition always possesses through freedom from the responsibility resting on the Government in connection with the conduct 9!' the business of the House, the Government Whips never allowed their party to be placed at a disadvantage in the tactical manoeuvring which from time to time occurred. Probably no one will welcome the relief afforded from the strain of the session's work by the closing of Parliament more than the Whips of the Reform Party—and no one will have better earned 1 the-rest than the members for Oroua and Ashburton.