PRESS COMMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1927, Page 4

PRESS COMMENT

One thing, we think, the Government could fix during the coming recess; it could seo that a. larger part of its legislative programme is drafted and ready for submission when the House meets. There were one or two dcjlays in the early part of the session, which increased the length of the later sittings, and while the Opposition made overmuch of tnis fault, ue think there is room for improvement if some of the Ministers "ill avoid procrastination during the recess. There have been suggestions that the fear of leakage of information holds some of the preliminnij work back, and certainly there lui\e been occasions when the Government lias had good reasons Tor believing rtofalE nf annroaching measures

were given to the Opposition stitreptitiouslv. That certainly is enough to justify caution, but the delays were not always due to care.-“SouUiln»d Times.” Is it possible to base, not some wages, but all wages, upon standards of production, and so make the jnoeess of distribution, in tlic extent to which |it is influenced by wage regulation, just and equitable to all c <tllt ' e '' n ' ed, the farmer included? Should the conference decide that this is not possible. then the farmer will have an obvious incentive to demand the abolition of arbitrary wage-fixing, not only in farming and related industries, but in all New Zealand industries. Ihe

farmer, at least, is nniuici a. that lie is entitled to fare on level terms with others interested m the process of distribution. He might well contend, in addition, that any system of wage-regulation which inevitably penalises tin* farming industry is not only unfair, but since the penalty falls on the siaple industry on which we all depend, is flatly opposed to the national interests of the Dominion.— ‘•Wairrnra.pn Age.”

In one sense, the Arbitration Bill must also be regarded as a ‘‘slaughtered innocent.” Certainly a Bill of that name was passed, but if was a very different measure from that originally tajble. In fact, the original Bill was practically abandoned, and matters are now simply “as you were,” except that no award can be made affecting the farming industry or dairy factories before September next. Meanwhile a conference is to be held to find out what will he acceptable to all parties, a rather difficult job, notwithstanding the pious hopes expressed concerning it. The interim will have this much va,luo, however, that it will enable the Government to lay its plans a little more earcfullly than it appears to hate done with this session’s Bill. A\ lion rVI is said and done, however, the fact remains that the work done by Barliamont this year could have been put through in half, if not a third, of the lime, and probably would have been it the party game bad not blinded members to what constitutes business-like methods.— Wanganui “Chronicle.

Upon the whole the session has been one of unusual interest by reason not merely of the variety of subjects thathad to be considered, but also ol the development to which the consideration of them led. I pan purely party questions the (Icvernment lias retained its position of unclin! Vngablc strength, but the altitude of the majority of the members of the Reform Party towards the Prime Minister on the licensing question issue lias raised a question, to which (lie answer lias not yet been given, whet tier Hie members of a political parly can reconcile their loyalty to their leader with loyalty to a qiutsi-p lit ical. erganisat ion that aims at legislation that is not regarded by their loader as sound or reasonable. “Otago Daily Times.” It is possible that there are in New Zealand men well enough endowed I' l act as Governors; but all of them belong metre or less whole-heartedly t cue political party or • another, and ncitbei be elected except as party candidates nor. if elected, throw off overnight their political partiality. Inc dignity and use of the Gnveinor-Gcn-eral’s office cannot be .separated from its political detachment. We have had Governors of various degrees of merit one nircit of all lias been-their ability to stand clear of party battles and parly influences. Mr Holland would l'each out with bis theory and poke the office down into the wrangling arena, and there would perish till that- is worth preserving in it.—'‘Christchurch Sun.”

There is no doubt that .nothing affects the popularity of a .Ministry more than a shortage of cash.' Another aspect of the same trouble was the prevalence of unemployment during the last winter. It is natural to ask why the Government could not prevent, or at least provide some remedy for it. Fortunately the prospects are for the present considerably improved and we may hope that this particular difficulty in the Ministry’s way will be removed. Another point much criticised was the .Ministry's determination to protect the railways from the competition oi motor vehicles. This was not a popular policy, but it. is clearly a good business policy. We should soon find out wlmt the country thought of it if the electorate was asked to find the money to make good the railways’ losses, as they have been asked in Queensland and X’ew South Wales. We have not got to that point yet hut Air Coates is right in thinking that prevention is better than cure. His attempt t:> secure co-operation between the Government and private services is surely an attempt in the right direction.—‘'Hawke’s Day Herald.”

The prohibitionists limy endeavour to make the licensing issue more than ever a decisive factor at the polls, hut if they assume that the whole body of those who have voted for prohibition is going to fall in with that view, and help to gives this question dominance over all others, they are likely to be disappointed. All of those who favour prohibition are not obsessed with an exaggerated notion of the national importance of this question. Alauy who vote for prohibition out of conviction are not likely to agree that it is the issue that affords the mo>t conclusive test of the suitability of candidates for return as member of Parliament. The attempt to make prohibition a vital election issue to the neglect of matters of great national and political importance will he calculated to detent its own ends if it creates resentment and a reaction in the minds of people who, though they favour the prohibition cause, yet retain their sense of proportion.—“Otago Daily Times.”