ANOTHER COMMISSION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8355, 15 February 1913, Page 4

ANOTHER COMMISSION

Tho Government has appointed a Commission to advise Parliament as to requirements in respect of forestry. Tho order of reference is a wide one, and clearly asks the Commissioners to provide the self-styled Reformers with a policy. This may be deemed necessary. The Government probably knows its limitations. But wo feel bound to say that it is strictly in conflict with tho opinions expressed by the Hon. W. I l ’. Massey seven short months ago. Gu July 2nd of last year the gentleman who is now Prime Minister but was then leader of the Opposition, couki not stand Royal commissions at any price. In attacking tho Mackenzie ministry and former Liberal Administrations for tne inquiries they had instituted by commission, Mr massey said wo had nad in tne last ten years quite a number of Commissions travelling round tho country, ana it had been an exception wnon they had proved worth tho money they had cost. If ministers could not find ideas of their own. they must Und tnem sonic other way, and they had adopted the method of finding them by Royal Commissions. Mr massey quoted Todd with infinite relish and approval, and told the House that Todd said this: "No Commission should be invited to enter upon any question of policy, lest it should trench upon the proper limits of Ministerial responsibility and upon ground which belongs to Parliament.” Now, seriously, what are wo to think of Mr Massey ? Only seven months after this melodramatic show of righteous indignation the - leader of Reform appoints a Commission to say what forest lands should be retained, and what not retained for certain specified purposes; how the forests should be dealt with in thq public interest; whether or not tho exportation of white pine should be restricted or prohibited; whether tho existing State plantations should be expanded, and if so how and where and why; and, all Softs of similar things. The chief work of this Commission, let it bo carefully (observed, is not to supply facts, but opinions. Wo wonder what Mr Massey’s authority, Todd, would have said about this. Further, we are curious to know what tho taxpayers will think when they are reminded that there are among quite recent official papers (1909) voluminous reports dealing with the identical matters now referred by tho Reformers to a Commission. Ministers profess to be very wise, industrious, and economical. Yet they have not tho wit or the will to turn up the report of tho Royal Commission on Timber and Timber-building Industries (obtained at a cost of thousands of pounds, as Mr Massey himself complained), or the special work on “Forestry in New Zealand,” prepared by Mr W. C. Kensington, 1.5.0.; but prefer to waste public money by sending a fresh Commission perambulating over tho ground so exhaustively coveted already. The two reports we have mentioned comprise nearly a thousand printed pages, together with maps. For all practical purposes they supply, ready to hand, precisely tho information and advice the Government is sending out a fresh search party to look for. And this is careful administration. This is Reform 1