THE Kaipara Advertiser, AND WAITEMATA CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY, NOV 13, 1912.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 13 November 1912, Page 2

THE Kaipara Advertiser, AND WAITEMATA CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY, NOV 13, 1912.

THE SESSION. Tiie session of 1912 will be ever memorable as the one in which the Oppositiou oil twenty one years took possession of the Treasury benches It will also be remarkable as showing that the new Government, though given but three weeks to prepare, made a good showing of work. No one will regret tho failure of the Bill ior the constitutional change implied by its terms of election. It is another way of saying that no one can regret that the second chamber was not made more truly representative than the first —that the subordinate character of the second chamber was not lost sight of. Of the Laud Bill it is clear that when so high an authority as J. D, Ormond declares that its appeal to owners to subdivide will fail, as they have better methods of their own* of subdividing if they like, that the own-

ers have no stomach for subdividing just now. But as the Government has distinctly promised to use a turn or two of the graduated screw for the purpose of compulsion, it is probable that nest year or sooner— if the owners are wise—will see large subdivisions on the better method alluded to by Mr Ormond. No mntter so long as subdivision comes, what shape it may take; and that is all the couutry is likely, we believe, to say to the matter, The graduated tax has been, all candid men must admit, much better in its incidence. In this matter the Liberals and their organs are unjust. As they are also m their criticism of of the new Valuation Act and the extension of the system of superannuation, even to the local governing bodies of the Dominion. That the Civil Service Commission, is to bo recognised as a performance of promise. Whether it will succeed or not remains of course for the future to decide. But for the present it ought to be enough for all to remember that in this matter the Govern nent has proved as good as its word. On the other hand democrats who object on democratic principles to taking the control of the people's service .out of the hands of the people's representatives may well salve their consciences with the reflection that other democracies have established the principle. Defence has been put on a better footing before the people compelled to serve. In this connection one wonders at the shortsightedness of the Government in asking the House to pass so miserable an Act for pensioning the old veterans of Maori warfare. An extra £10 on the old age pension with restrictions of the straightest applicable to criminals, is not au encouragement for young men compelled to take to military service. Few seem to have noted the taperiug off established in the matter of borrowing by the Government, The leader of the Council distinctly announced that there would be no more borrowing than the million and three quarters authorised by the Loan Act of the year; -which means that the statutory authorities for borrowing up to two millions and over (for advances to settleis, workers, local bodies, and lands for settlement) will not be exer« cised. That will be a cause of unpopularity because the tinies are too good for pernickety curtailments. That matters little, because the old Liberal party is broken up into irreconcilable fragments, and the labour men are scattered into three parties without hope of cohesion. Therefore the Government may be said to emei'ge from the session with its rule assured with a substantial time; a position which will be helped by its fair record of work and its performance of main promises.