POST-SESSIONAL PONDERINGS.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 66, 10 December 1937, Page 4

POST-SESSIONAL PONDERINGS.

For most of us, and particularly for newspaper readers and for listeners-in, there will be a distinct feeling of relief wben, tbis afternoon, the resolution for the adjournment of Parliament is passed. kWhatever else may he nrged against our Government, it is qnite snre that no aecnsation of inactivity will lie against them. As was the case with its earlier session, dnring the preeisely three months of the present session that have passed, a pace has been set with which it has been qnite impossible that even the most observant members of the commnnity at large conld keep up. From the ontset of its probably brief career, it lias been an obvions part of the present Government 's policy to rush matters along in such a way as to carry the people of the country off their feet and give them no time to consider what its actions really mean and involve for them # * * * In Parliament itself an ontstanding featnre has been the way in which Ministers— the Prime Minister in particular — have invoked the closure and other restrictive rules of procedure in order to smother the very cogent criticisms of the relatively small minority in Opposition, the latest instance being the attempt to "gag" discussion on the Auckland waterside strike, a matter, in its broader aspects, of supreme importance to the whole community. * * # * On the other hand, there cannot bnt have been elicitea, even among those differing politically from them, some feeling of admiration for the conrage and persistenee with which the handful of Oppositoin members have stuck to tbeir gnns in the face of assured defeat for the present. With odds of three to one against them, they may not have been able to do much in the way of staying the extravagant measures as to which an obedieiit majority, permitted no opinions of their own, were there to do nothing more than comply with ministerial behests, They have, however, succeeded in letting the light of day in upon several questionable matters that very badly needed it, and that will doubtless stand to them when the real test comes before the people in a twelve-months tiine, or at whatever date Mr. Savage chooses to set for tHe next election. * * * * Most noteworthy, perhaps, of all the Government has done during these fateful three months is the immense volume of financial resources which it has taken to itself in order to carry ont its schemes. From one source and another, including a vastly increased amount of taxation and of interest-bearing loan money, to say nothing of Reserve Bank c.redits, the Government contemplates dnring the cnrrent financial year a total expenditure which has been estimated at something over £60million. The meaning of this may be better appreciated when it is realised that this represcnts something like £40 for every head of the population, men, women, children and infants in arms, or, taking the basic family of man, wife and three children, £200 for every household. That is what they are scattering broadcast, a very great proportion of it on undertakings that in some cases will bring in no specifie return at all and in many others will provide no adequate return on the capital spent, thns necessitating still further taxation to make up the shortage — as, for example, with the railways. » # * * And yet, with all this, but very scant, if really any, permanent reduction has been made in the number of the unemployed. 3y juggling with the methods of recording and classifying those ont of work the Minister concerned has attempted to mahe a show of substantial reduction, but that will deceive only those who are too lazy or too ignorant to analyse them. Admitedly an appreciable number have been given temporary employment, most of it paid for or heavily subsidised out of unemployment taxation. which looks very much like being wjth us as long as a Labour Government remains in power, for it is very evident that it cannot carry on without it. But, as for the reabsorption of the workless into continuous, lastipg and productive employment that will pay for itself and promote further employment, evidences are altogether wanting. Nor is that to be wondered at when we take into account the heavy burdens and throttling restrictions that have been placed upon private iudustrial and commercial enterprise, always with the threat of ultimate confiscation to a Socialist State hanging pver it. # » » * Nor are the people of this country able to comfort themselves with the thought that with the rising of Parliament they will know the worst until it meets again. By the dictatorial legislation that has already heen passed each of several Ministers has heen clothed with powers which, by the use of Ordefs-in-Council- — so heartily condemned when Labour was in Opposition — he is virtually constituted a'sole legislator for his department. Nor does this content them, for able to rely implicitly on the support of a big and thoroughly compliant majority in the House, they presume to go beyond even these extensive and expensive powers and do things for which they have no legislative authority. Proof of this is to be fonnd in the numerous "ratification" clauses that have been introduced into Bills passed dnring the last three months — the Picot purchase and the Serimgeour appoiqtment, for example. * •» * * "Heoi ano," for the present.