THAT TIRED FEELING.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 65, 28 September 1901, Page 8

THAT TIRED FEELING.

Even Politicians Share It,

THE present session of Paihament is alleged to be diawing

to a close, and members, one by one, are anticipating its expnation 111 vanous ways. Some have ahea-dy protested, by leaving foi home, that they have done a sufficient quantity of woik foi their icniunci ation, and others are wearily hanging on m discontent at being icquned to do what they weie so veiy anxious to pel foi ni befoie election Visitois to the House may have noticed the* absence of occupants from most of the benches almost at any time during any debate lecently Possibly the country pays its representatives to remain outside Parliament Buildings as much as possible, to loiter m the lobby, 01 scour the country as their lespective fancies direct * * « Most members complain of too much work, too* long hours, and too little pay When wooing their constituents, the mcmbeis laiely intimate that they will use their best endeavours and their brightest intellect to be absent as much as possible during the debates on matters of moment; they do not make special effoits to inform the country that the whips will be kept fully employed in lounding them up *to form quorums, and they certainly forget to mention that they wish to diaw an enlarged salary for discussing everything in the universe other than the subjects for which they aie paid their salary The House of Representatives as a body believes that the woiker should do a fair day's work for-a fair days pay It does not lecommend that the woiking-man should absent himself whenever he likes from his task, and turn-up on pay day to leceive the earnings of his apathy

No lepiesentative who is an employer of laboui will pay his men then wages dm ing pcnods of idleness, and he expects them to be alcit and punctual. The membeis aie in the position of the membeis' men, and the country is in the position of the employei Neither the employer of men 01 of members should continue to employ and pay poisons whose mtciest m then woik wanes 01 who continually absent themselves * * * The members who have the interests of the countiy most at heait aie the membeis who aie most fiequcntly in then seats Possibly, the absent ones do not matter. If the business is of so little importance as to justify their absence, their opinion is of so little importance as to justify then withdiawal from the aiena of politics If an oidmaiy man woiks foi an oidmaiy employei for ten days the employei does not pay him foi twenty, and he does not beg him to accept his usual remuner-

ation as a mark of personal gratitude for duties unperformed

Exigencies of business preclude the idea of many members sitting out a complete session The business that is of greater importance to the member than the business of his country should claim his undivided attention. He has no right to draw his Parliamentary salary during session if he is not doing Parliamentary work. It is not fair to his employers, but, unfortunately, the said employers do not know the extent of the remissness, and moie or less cheerfully put then hands m their pocket to pay for the-''luxury

It is also not fair for raembeis to regard the possession of a seat in the House as one they may use or not as the spirit moves them Some day the people may probably ask that the members (not the conscientious few, but the whole) shall-do a good day's work for a good day's pay The man who makes that a plank m his political platform, and sticks to it, should continue to fill a seat when the country is next called upon to find occupants for those benches