The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET, AUCKLAND TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1928 PARLIAMENT PASSES BY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 480, 9 October 1928, Page 8

The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET, AUCKLAND TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1928 PARLIAMENT PASSES BY

TO-DAY, like Mr. Pirn, the dear old doddering foolish man, New Zealand’s Twenty-Second Parliament passes by. There will be no mourning over its technical death- On the contrary, the taxpayer may be more inclined to say of it, as a self-indulgent English king once said of himself: it has been “an unconscionably long time a-dying.” The country certainly will look askance at the expensive funeral. But it is all over at last, thank God! Let’s “turn down ail empty glass.” .

For all the solid and serviceable work that this Parliament has done, it could have passed by six weeks ago without any serious loss to its records of real achievement, but with an appreciable gain to the country. Still, the mills of Parliament grind slowly and grind exceeding small. The session which came to a welcome end to-day began on June 28 in circumstances that presaged a dull season for national politics. The text of the initial arid Speech from the Throne was a piece of political wisdom: “Blessed are they who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed.” And it was so; no, not quite so, for the subsequent programme of legislation really proved to be much better than its thin outline. Time, much talk, and the pressing influence of exasperated public opinion on vital affairs managed to get some things done reasonably well, and also succeeded in getting other things not so good left alone for reflection and constructive consideration by a new and, let it be hoped, a better Parliament. From the outset of the session, however, the narrow interests of party transcended the broader interests of the people. This was to ’be expected in a pre-election period, but the rival parties abused their opportunities and privileges, wasted days and many weeks on vapid, and frequently stupid, debate, and throughout their ploughing of the sands did nothing at all to advance the policy pledge of the Government, which, as everybody should know, is “to make New Zealand an example of what a healthy and an industrious democracy can be.” As an inevitable result of that extravagant waste of time, energy and public money, Parliament, when in a moribund state, had to drive its legislative machinery at top speed toward the end of the session. Hence the tearful talk ncnv about overwork, rapid-fire legislation and a toil-worn Parliament. No sane citizen need waste any sympathy on that sort of pretentious nonsense. There was at no time any necessity for overwork, and if the rival parties had concentrated their attention and collective wisdom on the tasks before them, instead of ranting interminably on selfish interests, the whole country to-day would have raised its hat in profound respect as Parliament passed by. Whatever the success of the latest Parliament may have been—a partisan could make an impressive story of legislative performance and administrative achievement —-there can be no doubt about its failure. The session was by far the worst on record for sheer dullness, lack of inspiration, and the dearth of outstanding political ability. In the beginning of sessional work Parliament was confronted with two supreme tests: (1) Reduction of taxation, and (2) the cure of unemployment. The first test was simply ignored. Nothing was done to lighten the excessive load on taxpayers. New Zealand, according to Mr. Winston Churchill’s evidence in the House of Commons, is still the second highest-taxed country' in the world. As regards unemployment a palliative was provided in the form of generous grants for relief works. But there was no attempt at effecting a cure. So to-day unemployment in Auckland is actually worse than it was in mid-winter. Not yet has Parliament made New Zealand an example of what a healthy and an industrious democracy can be.