Political Notes

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 September 1913, Page 3

Political Notes

i • ■ H*om Parliament House PRIVATE MEMBERS' OPPORTUNITIES. .Last Wednesday evening- showed in a very conclusive manner (lie small opportunities which private members have oil ever getting a .Mill through the House, even when a substanlial majority of ten members are in favour oil it. Mr Sidcy's "Definition oil Time" Bill which contains the proposals lor daylight saving wliich he has striven session after session to get made the law in New Zealand. Whatever the merits of the Hill the fact remains that there are a majority in Ihe House evidently representing a majority of tin; electors in favour of the measure, bu! Mr Sidoy, again realising the impossibility of getting his Hill through himself, moved "to report progress" and so the Bill was killed. Mr Hind marsh's Hill providing to limit the distress for rent did not Fare any better, but produced fnmi tlu' t Prime Minister a somewhat remarkable statement to the effect that as -ir Hinuniarsh had not asked the Government to take up his Bill they would not do so, and, of course, that meant that , that Hill also would be killed on a motion to report progress, which of course was what occurred. The .Premier's statement was remarkable, as a frank indication that the only hope a private member had of getting a Hill Hi rough was to have the Government take it up as their Hill, for which they, and not the member, would gtjt the credit. It can easily be understood, therefore, what small chance a private member has under the forms of the House, of doing any- ' thing by way of legislation on his own account. COMMERCIAL Till STS HILL Mr Payne's Commercial Trust Hill was killed by the casting vote of the Chairman of Committee (Mr Malcolm), a method of casting his vote-which is at variance with the custom id' the House: the Chairman's vote always having gone previously (when a dead heat occurred in the voting) to maintain the Hill alive till killed by a majoritv oil the votes of the Chamber. Those three Hills are all of a useful nature, and having a majority of the House behind them are nevertheless relegated to the limbo of dead Bills,, which may at some lime or other be resurrected, but only to die again unless the Government of the day takes pity on them and adopts them for their own. The remainder of these notes will be continued in to-morrow's issue.