POLITICS IN REVIEW.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1964, 22 January 1914, Page 6

POLITICS IN REVIEW.

ff 1 iglfiill jii||uE||||'s| v--^iAii' : '-J 3 '-ter : c'stirig';:}fp^ .tdc! iy e rcd;-I)yPM r.j.j'fc-'Neiwma. n|JsM.PSfori SB aiiglf ikei; j;at>a;sg^ :stituent|Jat|ll jmtewlleSs-oniPucsdiiy; ■ ..aiKe^hiclv^wa^preyded^ iWS Meldruinv\*: : -; . v '3'^ v -SMr'X Newman-,,:paid; : WgreatSt'ributc''t6 his;" foe's fvaiidsdelight;|dJliis*: friends,'; 'bjr ■his" : sound-judgment lils consideratipljjforiisupporters 'and opjftm-' ; of But' ihostSj'prprmnent : all through s .■hohesty|,'off-rpurppse; ; pf"-th6.imaiij< ■gained^iih'Hithejrespect?bf^boths'' sides.. There was/fepnsiderpdTMrJSNewmaiv; no man* in: ■New^Zealatid. ; ;tn;|compare« with Mi:;;;:Masseyj;fls'ga:!!eadc'u£ bfpapfgrcat lie be lon , g';Spai•e(.V't■9; , %erve)his'"c■o^mt'ry, , ■''■ ■with dignity >a ! iid^efliciency''tho office of ■SpcakerJEsg,■Duriiigß.thp£? session,; Mr.-, : Lang)hadfgainSU the S respect■;of ■ both ;sidos;-b.iiUhoj ; impa'rtiality,)firmness,:and patieneelhethadjj'displayed'''undor/at■times':yeryj/trying;^ircHnistances^|s^jJ j¥?Ohe ; ?6f«tlie'K'f^ ■ Avas-.tTio completbjbreak-up'ofjtlie.-'liib-'' cral Party^J.fn i pr,ia'long'time , it had no interests.'• were looked XafterJ£:byJ,aj:;VCommittec ','■ of 1 doubt,that<the paity.,:;"col!apsed^wheiv-offico.'.::was'... lost. . TheV.ijad no /principles to keep them to-getl'ierJ'..and-.for.-':a'''long; timo" it was pitiful Ho'seeyfo'uiv/oi'ifiyeirnensCach. acting iis leader: a'sx'hance'bccurrecL The corn'pleterdpwnfalUof.Uhb.j.leadorless Liberal Party■ : .was ; .tracedi;- y and.even..when Sir Joseph .sWard Ijwasl-appointed. :leader, ■ it. ■was slibwii'liejhad'ivcryjittlp^real.power Newman) did aiot»4elipve|tliat , f SirvJo'seph Ward approved' 6fVthS ,; 'obstnictivo tactics ■followed,Y.bufhit'~seomed as. if'somo of. his party, wpro'.-.sb"filled;with, political venom, that|eveii'; wlieiivthiSgroat ' ■ strikes- was .tempta-. tion:itbVgaiiv|J.'p6ints" over : the :Govern-. nient.'J;':, It (was.' undoubtedly' the strain of that''timc'vUiatrcaused tho '"undermining ofMr;:;Massey's health, but during' the "'whole;. session tlto.:. Government never lost on one division;.^;The session was tho''longest on record,/hut,despito arid '"unjustifiable- ■ obstruc.tion, ; ;':the':".GovernmeHt. sue-.: cceded .in-:putting all the;measures that they introduced.oii'totho Statute Book.;; '■-. One '.of., tho., events .of tho year was j the:'■'presentation'?of'it.hc first ■■report, of the Public Service Commissioner (Mr."-D.-.-i Robcrtsori)Sj-This document'' threw :■:■ a great..,doal."bf.-lighty ; .upon the workings of■ tho';Public'Servicb;-and showed that even at-vthat"early, months after' taking\bfiie'o, : -the ; Cominissioncrs had seen" their, way."to institute economies totalliog. something ■; like ■■■■ £47,000 ' a year, arid'this.mainly through tho introduction* of business-like' methods and system:-' .'Mr.'vNewman ...ventured to say tliat when this system gets into working order".it'ivill' attain- its objects',".namely, to free.the Public Scrviee s from political influence, to ..secure fair -<■, remuneration, and just treatment to civil scrvantn and promotion by.-merit's instead 1 of .by im-proper.Jnfluences'brought--;tp bear' by othors?rfS: v ..*5 >.%K*. «v.:«;v : -4S"fr"". j A B usy,Sessipn;^-;S'; ; 'sV ; ' Jj'.The worlv.of the session.was .'reviewed 'at':, some - length, and : . the .■ speaker ; ■ referred to-the. fact that.no fewer.than 104 Public Hills,: 23' Local Bills, and five I Private Bills wero passed. Some of these Bills wero .of very great importance, and represented the' fulfilment of platform pledges given at the last general .eiec:iion..: Practically : . the. only ■ important 'policy ■ matter, which ..,it was liopcd to ■ deal with during'the-session just ended,' and which has-had to,be postponed, was the.proposed ='tariif..'"revision.;- On tho wholo tho Govemmentf-has every reason to bo pleased with;.tho outcome of tho session's tactics adoptedby its opponents made tho. session an anhiouD one for Ministers and members alike, ;but\tlio..record.. of work dono will.compare favourably, with'that of any previous session.'.S' ....■; • ,-"'■.■ ■.:'. The 'financial position .when Mr. Massey took office j. was. admitted by. most authorities' to, ; .be'about as. bad as.it could be, but; by careful watching and management,' "sound' finance has been nauguratcd.'r ,; : Mv.' Newman delved into the, wholo question, of. finance, and ho pave-, reasons' for tho dearness of money just now, .Ho claimed that tho Government had done .everything humanly possible to ! meet the. ■'■ ; ■ Mr. Newman^dealt.-.trenchantly with criticism.iabout/"increased public 'ex-penditure,'.but-ho showed that it was impossiblo .to ■have telephones,; telegraph ,and post, offices;'-hospitals''. and schools, and largely increased wages to public servants, without increased public expenditure.::*;", In dealing" with .this question' he' gave' a few instances of' how the Government; had? benefited the'big army of workers as follows:—' Increases to'railwayman, about £100,000 Widows'"'".pensions, at; 60 . ..; ■■"£70,000 Military, pensions" : ...':':..;.,„..'. £25,000 To make various superannuation funds solvent,' tho"Government, had to make largo payments,, suchias-t-jr;i'.,-.■'■.■■ Railway Fund ;*^:;.; , ;S:-;;::{' : . ! ;;';:.'i;25.000 Public: Sef vicev.Fund ?48,000 School ■- Teachers^SHvr*' ' I'',ooo ■'W Total l^vSI^"?:ftl: ■•■';■ £00,000 And these ■ items; .he-said,', were only part of payments which will have to be paid, J if these'funds'established by the late Government, on an unsound basis, are to be made'sound, as : tfaey must...To' make the superannuation fund sound :.willVcost; ultimately:—,;;..: .p,.-% -■ "■*'.'?.."■'■■ ■'«■'■£''. ■,;'.; , fcj.-ife^-si%';v.^'.S[''':P° r year. 70,000 Public Service iv.:v:'.Jv.:.::..'...V.'::"- 80.000 Teachers' Fund : -:S:::,:.. ; 30,000 That is-one. 0f..-.tii6.'.precious legacies inherited by tho Massey Government. W- What ■; Had \ Been Accomplished. .. ■;i : :ln'conclusion; ho claimed .that the work of the Government must be judged on. broad, lines/"; His'party had set out;— ' '.' .:.¥ i}' ■' ■' ■-■ ",: ■ \ ■ ■'■ ,'; ■ i'To clear, the/Public'Service of political ■influence.#li'i;£ift : 4"i ; " '-■"■ ■■■'■.■'■'"■*■"'■■'. * Oi.To give";settlers freehold homes,'and to increase close settlement. '.- ; .;.'. '. To improve■■tlip-position-'and Teriinneration. of ■railwa'yjf.and'..other servants of ..tho': Stato.. ;'W«S'*? '■■'■■■■?*'■ ;'tv SV ■' i ■ ..., To promote; industrial; peacbrand keep ■law- and'' order:^"'S^ffifewi: s ;'' : . >■'■ '. ''."'.To straighten.:out'and 'restcre.'the"fin;arices. of,the country:■'■". "pf"; Y,y~'J< ■*'■:''■■ i$T6 : rp>iealHho liarid'SMaWi'i'Z: '•';.' f of-living. ! .-f.-..\V but ■the las't? said :Mr. ; Newman, ■'lii'il; been.; .'dono iin'i'part'prvlnwhol* ■ !NVxt' , ''sessionJ:,theV.Customs;;wero' to be :taekled:;Si : Hb;'jtlibiißht'' hp'r- had said ■.'enough 'to' nrovo*that. tho' Government. jy.'cre"honcst*in'theirrendeavourß to pro.■'mote'tlie .well-being of; the'people, and -that "the "Peform".;Pai'ty were 'iiow;;the itrue Liberal Party.;.- (Applause.) ■'-■<"■'■}:' ;:7iAt''tho"conclusion : 'of the .'meeting' Mr. ; (New-man', ! :.wlio : .hact a good w;as "accorded-."a,-.votb.iof-'.thanks,i;a -similar" coiiiplinieritSheing? paid iito.;. the ijchair-'.