SLIPSHOD LEGISLATION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9350, 20 January 1909, Page 6

SLIPSHOD LEGISLATION.

SOME REMARKS- BY MR JAMES' ALLEN.

Dunedin, Janaary 16. Referring to the provision in the; Workers’ Compensation Act which is at present the cause of nnrest, Mr James Allen, M.P.,. said :—“This.is an other illustraton of work being rnshed through the House in the last, stages of the session, without proper examination. It tis full time that. Parliament, as a Parliament, again asserted its rights and insisted on. these Bills being brought down earlier from Committee, so that Parliament, too, may have an opportunity of examining into them. Even the Committees are becomings chary of honest criticism. 1 have found it out myself on the 1 Public Accounts. Committee, and if yon attempt, single-handed, or even with another member to help yon, to criticise on that Committee certain measures sent to it for examination, there is a tendency, by mere force of numbers, to try to swamp yon* It is full time that people recognised the value of listening to honest criticism, instead of trying to swamp it. Honest criticism is of as much value to the worker as to the employer. The worker is suffering now, *bnt if, we had been able to do all we wanted to do in the way of our duty, he might have been protected from the present trouble. The Opposition are satisfied to be judged by the public. We are only there in the interests of our country. We are trying, to ensure equal opportunities to all and to make New Zealand a great country. We are thankful for the increase of confidence in us, and all we can hope is that the work we shall do during the next three years will justify a still further increase in that confidence. ’ ’