Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, JULY 24th, 1917. WASTED EFFORT.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, JULY 24th, 1917. WASTED EFFORT.

In these days of clamourings for economies imd greater efficiency, the wasteu effort which goes forward year by year tin Parliament over the tAddresa-m. Reply becomes specially marked. The people’s representatives have been in session now for nearly a month, and Punch’s essence of Parliament- —business done, nil—seems t° accurately sum up the work of the four weeks. The. Government appear to bo encouraging the waste of effort, bweauoc the policy measures, whatever they might he, aro not ready for presentation- Probably the only use of the debate is to sift out opinions to help the Government to construct a policy 1 It is a traversi'ty of the corn so of events in war time to find the Houses assembling after a record vacation, and yet there is not any business to go on with. The member who said last week that the National Government lacked the spur of an organised Opposition seemed to hit, the nail on the head. While there need not he Party, politics, there should surely be National politics, and there, as »u Party colours, can well be Varying degrees of Radicalism. Events appear to bo pointing to somo Opposition alliance of a non-Party but, a National character.' The scope of legislation these times is naturally limited to war subjects, and this restrictioti should tond to improve the worth of the work dealt with. It should bo possible to take up important subject under this limitation, ajud devoting greater time to them, secure a high degree of perfection. Many, in fact most, of the speeches traversing w.-Address-in-Reply could be delivered in connection with legislation directly affecting tho subjects referred to, and this otherwise vain repetition shows the palpable waste of effort the present license is to roam the whole political field in search of subjects on which to air eloquence which it were better to. reserve in tabloid quantities when dealing with special subjects in a legislative way on tho floor of the House. Tho wiping out of th° Speech from tho 'Throne, except so far as supplying the policy of tho Government, as an index of contents might do for a book, would be a National reform of great valueIf followed by the extinguishment of the long-drawn out Address-in-Reply debate, a further step of great value to the public would be achieved, and New Zealand would again load tho .way in a very important,, and useful parliamentary reform. If this is not realisable just now, we> hope Government's will hasten to conclude this tme-niuud debate without further loss of time, and will settle down to the general business of the country with some determination to discharge the obvious duties which are presenting themselves at this juncture. There is much to dp, ajn4 it piust ba done well.

The fix o’clock closing question still; shadows the Address-in-Reply den*. | which was not galvanising into special j interest evqn tyy rthe nio-con&denicp motion brought down by Mr McCombs. ■ Indications point to the inevitable compromise on the early closing movement, pnd the fact that the keepers are themselves promulgating proposals to meet public opinion on the matter shows that something will be inevitably achieved. It does not seem likely that six o’clock closing will find favour with the soldiers unless they are granted wet canteens. To them six o’clock closing means prohibition, and while the soldier is prepared v» fight for either people’s rights, he naturally has some desire to maintain hi 6 own rights. The soldiers’, voice though unheard in public print *’*' from (the platform, is still to be hoard something above a wliispei’ where soldiers most do congregate, and for that reason a fairly sure veto is already set j on tlie six o’clock issue- But there will ho some concession to win*# is euphoniously described as public opinion, and so one or 'two hours will be lopped off the legitimate trading bout«. How far this will tend to help win the war remains to be seen, but if it does no better than the anti-shouting legislation we shall have again arniveci at the starting point, with the conviction that for much crying there has 1-HJon very littlo wool. The local branch of the Efficient,, Board yesterday again discussed the question of food supplies, and particularly in regard to growing potatoes. It was resolved to urge the people of the district to grow these staple supplies to the fullest extent. The local committee will issue a - leaflet shortly on tho matter, und it is proposed also tb ask the A. and P. Association to institute a district competition among the farmers as a special auxiliary aid to increase the supplies for local consumption. The wisdom of this course is undoubted, and tho people should take the matter up readily. 3nero are many waste places which could be turned to use, and the small section holder,- as well as the farmer, would find it profitable to turn attention t<» the cultivation of the useful tuber. To those in this neighbourhood who have not the area available, Mr McIntosh’s offer of five acres across the river is open. In this case the product's to be sold for the benefit of the Patriotic Fund.sothat. the work putin can be put to a specially useful purpose, If a local working bee were organised, the available area could be cut up into suitable plots, nnd a very useful competition could be organised among the workers. Tho food question is of such prime importance that all efforts to meet requirements should bo gladly made in the public interests.