The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 1915. GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 238, 29 June 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 1915. GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

(With which is incorporated The TaJhape Post una Waimarino Newg.)

The customary Speech from the Throne on the opening of Parliament was duly published in .these columns yesterday. Notwithstanding the seriousness of times and circumstances, w<heu nothing should take the individuals' and the country's attention from she one main object—-thergreat 'struggle for individual rfreedom and national Ifife—one is strongly, very ; strongly, ttempted to discuss rfchis gathering of Virords and sentences, the-like of which np previous Governor has been asked to' utter on such an occasion by his confidential advisors. It is most unsatisfactorily satisfying; it is largely a mixture of reiteration and apology. ;Tho«e who waited inexgectation of th e ■customary foreshadowing, of policy are disappointed; it is what might have i &een anticipated from ■& : foody w-hio*: h&s relegated its policy <tG; royal coj£anjssions. It is largely a hark back upon what everyone already knows - in co-nnecti'pn with the war, and about th e ..only new ground it does break is to 'fee removed from Government responsibility and put into the hands of a •-'Secret Committee, consisting of the leaders of both sides of the House. Wilhtiste re.*.gn of committees and royal never cea&e #nd .a. rreiurft be made to t'hat process of legislation for which the 3 Government,of the day should .shouldor full responsibility? si' is belittling to (every government sup-j porter to rtse forced into the position of being unable to deny the taunt that all Legislative proposals enshrouded with ever so igttle mor e than ordinary ■ difficulty and responsibility are shifted on te the shoulf&rs of a commission. It j was said that the fete Government was j ruling 4he country ®;ith inspectors, hst' it is imtneasurably «*"orse to have to submit to government h\Y irresponsible commissions. Government was responsible for what their inspectors did, but with the new regime neither government nor eommision se;am to be answerable to th e people for the results of their actions. No one can Help ad- ! miring a commendable act, evei*. if it is: performed by an enemy, and ho,* tne will;fail <t£; the, 'C^nposi^ioii;>\yifeeii '." ; tfce. s vGovefn' imprest-. Supply: ; Bill . bled; Although such ail occasion is- 1 for. long' ert Acjai speeches, the Oppositioii,*vvithoul a word, allowed the Bill- to go -tlirough at the one sitting. The Speech from !: ~ 0 Thrcr.,3 rromise» just, two things,..

one is t&xation, the other is the sett ing up of a Secret Committee to consider matters in connection with defence and the war. We hoped that a more honourable and effective course would have bean followed, and that the Mother Country's lead would have been taken in the formation of a National Government. Everyone will be grateful for the Committee, however, in the hope that it will prevent distraction from the one all-important object. If nothing more, it is evidence of the Government's .realisation that all parties have a real and definite right to participate in the evolution and framing of war legislation. The Setting up of a Secret Committee may be the outcome of conference between leaders, but it is not easy to realise how members of the Opposition are go. ing to render useful service with information short of that possessed by the Government. To enter into farreaching financial legislative proposals involves knowing all that is to be known of th e country's financial position, and if anything is to be withheld in this, or in any other respect, the deliberations of the new Secret Committee cannot continue. The setting up of a committee when there should have been complete sharing of responsibility will appeal to many as an. unnecessarily mean procedure, and something far short of what the Government could honourably and in the best interests of tihe Dominion and the Empire, have proposed. It "is certainly % steo in the right direction, Tmt it is far short of harmonious finality, and ■no one need feci any surprise if the . Government's truncated proposal results in that contention it seems their wish to avoid. We venture to say that nothing fihort of a Coalition War Government can result in that harmony that should now prevail.