The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1927. A POLITICAL CATALOGUE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 79, 24 June 1927, Page 8

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1927. A POLITICAL CATALOGUE

PARLIAMENT reassembled yesterday and received the “Speech from the Throne” with becoming dignity. It says a great deal for the good manners of members that they did not guffaw at the shallow pretence of the traditional oration. It was almost as inspiring as a wool sales catalogue. Let those who do not know the ways and wiles in politics understand without any doubt whatever that the GovernorGeneral did not prepare the dull document, but merely read it for the glory of its Ministerial authors. Again, as in far-off days, “the voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” Even the most admiring journalistic friends of the Government are shrill in protest against the political sham of the Speech as a forecast of legislative measures, and editorially assert that, on this occasion and in that respect, the ceremonial harangue surely reached low-water mark for scantiness. Whatever else may be said for and against the miserable effort imposed upon a scholar who, in this city, only a week or so back, proved his ability to make an eloquent speech on things that count in life, and to inspire an audience, it should be declared that the Ministerial record is not worth the trouble of legislators donning full-dress clothes every night for a parliamentary month for the purpose of impressively talking about it. There is nothing really impressive in a farce. Since tradition would be none the worse for a corrective shock, the Labour Opposition, with easy initiative, might return to familiar ways, and appropriately 4on denim as evidence of intention to earn its’ parliamentary wages. Those whose interest in national politics was equal to the wearisome task of reading the full text of the Speech, will have noticed with astonishment that no reference to unemployment was made at all. Has the Government decided to unload on to local bodies and charitable organisations its clear and serious responsibility for devising remedial measures? It is indicated that the Government means to effect “rigid economy.” Does the official use of the -word “rigid” mean that the practice of economy is to move as little toward a decrease in extravagance this financial year as the Reform Administration moved last year ? The burdened taxpayers who again have been ignored, want and demand rigorous economy, particularly in the overstaffed and highly-expensive State departments. Many of these have admitted that business has been slack, hut their staffing scale has not been altered. Eighty thousand workers still draw over £18,000,000 a year in salaries and wages for attending to the work of the State and local bodies. A great saving could he effected by reducing the number ot Ministers by four at least, without any loss to the business of the Government. And the huge expenditure on administrators and departmental officers continually gallivanting and galumphing up and down the country should be lopped with a sharp axn Unless these reforms be practised soon the whole record of the Administration will be as barren as the shallow Speech from the Throne.