The Chrønicle LEVIN SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1916. AN ATTACK ON POLITICAL RIGHTS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 July 1916, Page 2

The Chrønicle LEVIN SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1916. AN ATTACK ON POLITICAL RIGHTS

A proposn 1 to extend the life of New | Zealand s prevent Parliament- w;>6 1 to the Premier. this week, by -\i 1 *Woi thy, M.l\, of Ashburtoii. \\ believer .Mr Noteworthy rises to/ ask ;i question iu the House it is found to lail miller one of two denominations: 1 he > s desirous oi ascertaining tvliej; some greatly-need<ed railway-siding 1; ''I 1,0 constructed in Aehburton electoiate, or he i« up to bn the mouthjiiece for a type oi member who makes ammunition tor other people to lire. The question as to whether the Preiniei would introduce legisJaton to extend the life of the present Government i.s a reflex of rumours heard seve:ai times during the lat>t six months. The answer of the Hon. Mr Massey— that 110 such bill would be introduced t ! is session -is ,sntiisfaetory : but there is cause lor disquiet iu his intimation that unle.-K the war ends befoi'e next Mv-sion of the N'en- Zealand Parliament seme such amending legislation will be brought down. In the provisions ior ti triennial Parliament, tlnV douiiuiou has a bulwark of safety for the rights of every citizen. To our mind il wins a mere truism to say that ves-

ten interest® that arc prepared t( Npontl money freely to buttress am Parliamentary party in power will b< botler able to ensure their ends if th( need, lor spending come only once ir tire years or seven yearn. The partj that ha.s most money to disburse on electioneering starts with a great advantage over its opponent, and it it only when the political sonl ol' the peoj p'o has been disturbed deeply that the ■triumph of broad over mercenary or place-seeking interests can be assured. It should be the resolve of every thinking man and' woman who values the fnuncliiso at its true potential power for oither goodi or ill that he and she wouhl endeavour to the utmost extent to discountenance any attempt to prolong the life of Parliament beyond the statutory term of three years. To the Member of I'arl:«iu;out who sees the prospect of two' years' extra term of office there is an inducement to vote ,l Yes" that may become greater when -a thought occurs that election expenses will lie deferred, and those members who decide such uncut-ions on broader grounds mu.st lie Tooked to to offset- such ulterior ends by publicly stating the weak points of the proposal. The contention thot a General Election would interfere with New Ze.iVind's ability to support the Mother Country in the great war is political claptrap; had a general election come before the policy and the

machinery for it had been sanctioned) and approved by Parliament there "could" have been dislocation occasioned; but that stage is passed. The only degree of dislocation that ceuld be occasioned would be found in a possible change of Ministry insofar as it would necessitate the substitution of a new Minister of Defence; but surely those members on both .side of tho House who dread such a change could lind mean* of obviating that porticuXir change without having to prolong the life of Parliment? If a Parliament's life can be prolonged by vote, surely the tenure of office by a Defence Minister «ould bo arranged by the two [initios mutually agreeing thereto? And if a majority of the members oil both s;d; s could view a. change in the occupancy of that office without perturbation, the last word against dissolving Parliament next year hos been said. Tho turmoil of a General Election is nothing to be dreaded, either

in war time or peace: it is a troubVng of the political waters that gives indication of, remedy for many a concealed trouble in the body politic. There i«s an historical aspect of the < .ise for aucT against, the prolongation «f 'Parliamentary life to be found fn scleral periods of Rnglish history, but ■space to-day will not permit of our touching upon it. Wo may return to this phase of tho matter in an article next week.