DOMESTIC POLITICS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 4

DOMESTIC POLITICS

Anyone paying a visit to Parliament House these days will find the atmosphere, except,on rare occasions, somewhat dull and uninteresting. Such party engagements as have occurred in tho House during recent weeks have been mere ilashes in the pan, trifling in origin and mainly in the nature of petty and unedifying attacks on the Government. To a great extent a lessened public interest in Parliament and Parliamentary affairs was a thing to be expected, but at the same time indifferenco to our own political affairs may easily be allowed to go too far. The partial silencing of Parliament, and its removal from the public gaze are of comparatively trifling importance, but underneath the noisy exterior aspect of a representative Assembly there is a working machine from which much was hoped in the way of useful legislation during the current session. The programme laid down for the session was likely to make the year 1914 notable in the annals of New Zealand-* and although the interference with the ordinary course of business duo to the war, has necessitated the abandonment of part of the programme there is still an excellent record of work accomplished to the credit of the Government. If members will settle down' seriously to the task there is every prospect of adding still further ■ to. what under the circumstances must be regarded as a remarkable session's work. It should at least be possible to place the. Education Bill, the Legislative Council Bill, and a- number of smaller but. important measures upon the Statute Book before the present Parliament" terminates its working career. The Massey Government has capped an excellent political record and the passage of many useful, reforms by an exhibition of firm and efficient administration in a national emergency which is wholly to its credit. That it has received little active assistance from the Leader of the Opposition during the trying period following on the war may perhaps be explained by tho fact that Sir Joseph Ward, while much given to high sounding professions, Dut seldom succeeds in. giving practical shape to his somewhat vague and confused" ideas. For a'period he quite properly abstained from party attacks, and, whatever credit may be his due on that account he is entitled to claim. There is talk at the present time of a Labour-Socialist Conference to arrange a division of electorates the Wardist-Labour and Labour-Socialist Parties in anticipation of the coming elections, and judging from their attitude in the House it ia hardly likely that the Wardists will decline to participate in the arrangement. Any 6uch combination mignt appear to the average citizen as a too brazen confession of opportunism and indifference to any consideration except the sweets of office, even for a party s& demoralised as the Wardists have shown themselves to be. It is by no means improbable, however, that such an arrangement may be arrived at, and in that event the country will have to decide whether it prefers sane and stable gov ; eminent under the Reform Party, or tho unsettling influence of weak and opportunist government headed _ t>y Sir Joseph Ward but dominated by-our Social--ist friends of the Red Federation. The affairs of the Dominion will require sound,and careful handling during the next year or two, and the electors we imagine will not be inclined to indulge in rash experiments. ■ '