The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1926. THE END IN SIGHT.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1926. THE END IN SIGHT.

Parliament which was galloping all last week to a finish, Vill now close this week. The end is said to be in sight definitely. Bat though the end of the session will come, Parliament will not have achieved all that it set out to <Io this session. Much that lias been attempted will not be completed for the present. There will be the slaughter of the innocents annoifnced very soon, bills of more or less importance which will not-be proceeded with. Parliament has been sitting long and late, but several controversial measures are going to be dropped, and in the main the costly time devoted to them so far will be lost, and the preliminary procedure will all have to be enacted over again. The Legislative Council has been more in the limelight than usual this session, and the present week should he a busy one for it. Some of the recent- appointments have brought vigorous minds to play within the presincts of the Upper House. It was good to read of Sir Robert Stout's plea last week for the leasehold, and though he stood almost alone on the question, the force and earnestness of his contentions could not he discarded. The people on the land would have been far

better off to-day developing their farms under leasehold conditions than struggling so desperately to make them freehold—and in the end find they were paying interest to the mortgagee for the title of freehold. We know of course that the leaseholders are hopelessly in the minority in Parliament, if not in the country, hut the position isnot altered that the cry for the freehold lias been a fetish which gave no greater possession of the land than tile sound terms of a liberal lease which asked for reasonable rent Instead of exacting interest of a volume which fluctuated with prices for commodities. The present Parliament continues to raid the leasehold lands of the country, a practice most disastrous for the future of New Zealand. As to the work of Parliament generally, the effort to borrow more has been maintained. More money has been borrowed, and powers are taken to borrow still more. The (log is chasing its tail as usual, borrowing that it may repay something gone before. There lias been little evidence of a well directed effort to rehabilitate the finances by balancing tile budget, excepting with borrowed funds. The finances of the country are not being studied as closely as they should. More liability is l>eing thrown on the public funds, and there was evidence of the indecent haste with the legislation last week, when hills had to he remodelled fieeau.se of inequities which were discovered in time in the proposed legislation with the galloping tactics liow being adopted. N’o doubt other.defects will creep in not to he discovered until the session doses, and there will he more tinkering again next session. There are still several important hills on the Order Paper, and of these such contentious subjects as licensing, gaming etc., are sure to go by the board, ft is a great pity instead of being a recurring and disturbing factor year after year, such measures are not dealt with and done with, leaving the way dear for other domestic matters to have attention. The occasion for the baste in dosing this week is due to the Prime Minister's early departure. But Mr Coates lias such support, and so much unanimity was shown on his mission to London (when ho outlined his views) that Parliament could easily permit him to depart and agree to pass the business before the House without imperilling the Government. However, this will not he acceptable. The Government has laid its plans and is proceeding according to plan. Such being the ea.se the position must be accepted for the Government is complete master of the political situation.