MEETING OF PARLIAMENT

Taihape Daily Times, 10 April 1918, Page 4

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT

The Governor's Speech, delivered at the opening of Parliament yesterday, is the funniest little rthing of its kind we have yet had any experience of. No doubt it is all the occasion called for and, therefore, we have xiothing to say against it. His Excellency had nothing put into his mouth whereby he could seriously commit himself, the only matters 01 urgency being disposed of in one ordinary sentence. Legislation to be proposed, His Excellency tells us, will he limited to financial exigencies and to matters in connection with the War which demand immediate attention. We sincerely trust that the short legislative statement will not prove the small cloud of a considerable storm. There are those in Parliament who may not view War needs quite as His Excellency and his Advisers do. As possible recalcitrants and cavillers are promised a second session they may decide to allow the present legislative infliction to be a short one. The Session commencing yesterday, although of- an unusual character, will evoke very little public interest... Whatever it may do will not result from Parlia T mentary deliberation. Members are at present mere .automatoms, with a few unimportant .exceptions. In fact the whole session is a costly farce, for it seems that for a Member to question anything a National Government does or proposes is regarded as disloyalty and something done against winning the war. ■ Therefore, the wishes of the National Cabinet will i reign supreme despite what a few, dissentient Members may say or do. ; We do not say this session was avoidable and if it is really essential that Cabinet should' have authority for raising further War Loans, but the question of reinforcements, of ordinary finance, and the visit of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward to England to attend meetings' of the Empire War Cabinet, could very well have been arranged without holding two sessions of Parliament in one year, but then, honorarium is payable per session and not per year as many think. Because they serve no good or useful purpose, it is extremely desirable that the few disgruntled Members, and that small noisy section that is opposed to everything, should be philosophic for this one occasion and so allow the session to come to an end at the earliest possible moment; they need have no fear of the country complaining about their honorariums not being earned, as there would be general satisfaction at the expense being kept as low as practicable with holding a session at all. The country could also dispense with any little diversion that might result from unessary display of anything of a perl*vicacious, character. It has been! termed a short session because it is j realised that "the Ayes will have it" on every question. It is for that reason we think the expense of a second session during war time might well have been avoided. !