The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1927. THE SESSION.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 June 1927, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1927. THE SESSION.

The session of Parliament, which opens ; this week is being awaited with a - good deal of interest by all sections of the community. In- a pre-sessional address the other evening Mr Holland, the Leader of the Opposition, indicated that the party he leads is going, to be very active. It is the duty of the Opposition to criticise and endeavour to correct, and Mr Holland has not lost any opportunity of lecturing the Government about its sins of omission and commission. There are plenty of pegs upon which to bang adverse motions traversing the policy of the Government from the Labor viewpoint, and Mr Holland has indicated he will be on deck at tbe first opportunity to challenge the Government policy. Mr Holland proposes to test the House on three main points, (1) control of dairy produce; (2) employment; (3) the contribution to the Singapore base. The Opposition is not likely to get very far on those issues, and some better judgment should have been shown in the selection of subjects on which tlier was reason to believe there would be more ground for common action. The question of dairy control was settled last week virtually by the dairy farmers, and it would be presumption for the House to step in and seek to impose any change of will on those most concerned—the folk whose brer! and butter is at stake. Still “control” is the first plank of tbe Labor policy, not only of dairy produce, but all other products, so that in reality this first test of the Government policy is a test of the Socialist leanings of the Labor party in tbe policy with which it would seek to enslave New Zealand ns a whole. The second test is in regard to unemployment. There, die Government has acted and offered work, hut Labor of the agitator olass is crying out about the rate of wages. It is manifest no sane administration would pay attractive wages for relief works. The third party must be considered, in that legi- ( timnte work of the country must go on the usual way. hut those special relief works are just something to tide over 1 difficult period, and in that regard 1 the Government has not shirked its ! responsrblities. To remove the problem *

entirely, is another matter. That means bringing in again a reign of prosperity. So far the Government has not succeeded in that direction, and we are satisfied no proposals Labour has put forward yet will achieve such a purpose. Respecting the third issue, the Singapore base. Labor will have no real following in the Dominion to question the maritime defence of New Zealand in particular, and the Pacific at large. An open highway to the markets of the world is the liist, need of the Dominion to assure any measure of prosperity. Nothing will be secure without it, and lacking it. all trade and development will he without stability. The Singapore base is part of a whole—the effective strength of the British Navy—the bulwark of our defence.' Air Holland will therefore ihe leading a forlorn hope in the challenges he proposes to make, and it seems a pity the time and money of the country are again to he wasted in these barren fulihinations for which Afr Holland must surely hold the record in the New Zealand Parliament. Of course the Labor party will hold on its way in the proposed efforts as it has done in former years, but the action will not be of any positive value, the usual negative will ho affirmed. It is a pity the opening of the session lias such poor prospects, but all the same by his line of action, Afr Holland appears to he lient on playing right into the hands of the Government, which must achieve victories on the three i ssues ill vol ved.