The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1920. THE NEW PARLIAMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3517, 1 July 1920, Page 6

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1920. THE NEW PARLIAMENT.

With which is incorporated "The Taihape Post and Waimarino News."

From Prime Minister dow:i, Members of the new Parliament cannot claim to be making - much headway with the session which they have stated is to be the most consequential, momentous, and fraught with deeper gravity than any of its predecessors. If that dolorous document read by His Excellency the Governor only partially represents the true political and. financial state of the country the ! trivialities the House are indulging in reflect an indifference to the welfare of the people which is not creditable. The want of confidence motion proposed by Mi' Holland was a ' pure waste of the time of the House for it could serve no good Or honourable purpose, and it seems that it was ! merely a childish act of piqufe because he was forestalled in moving in a way that would indicate the strict party divisions. This stage of the people's difficulty warrants something more than mere trifling from men who claim to have sought parliamentary honours for the sole purpose of improving the condition of life of the masses. Mr Holland knew that how- i ever Independent and sane Labour Members might vote on such a motion it would not convey even a shadow of suspicion that they would necessarily ever vote with the coterie of extremists again_ If Mr Holland pretends that his motion was for (he purpose of putting Members on Bide he is not sincere; his aim doubtlessly was rather to throw support into the Reform ranks for his own ulterior purposes titan to effect anything h] the best interests of anybody or anything but himself personally first and his few confreres in disloyalty to his country second. Jt was a s clearly obvious lo Mr Holland as to any man in Parliament that the notice of motio,, tabled by the lion. W. D. S. Maedonald was the only effective ;ui(] certain means of dividing

the House tip into the various factions as foreshadowed in pro-election speeches, and while Mr Holland was fully conscious of the enormous cost to' the country every minute of Parliament in session is, his silly act was unpardonable. The country has no need for men in Parliament who are likely to waste time in demonstrating how superlatively clever they are. The conditio,, of the country, of industry and society calls for the most earnest and deeply concerned men with legislative ability, not for pointers, and players to the gallery of workers who they think can he cajoled and hoodwinked with aimless nonsensical motions which, while giving the mover opportunity to showhow clever he is, is a distinct loss to the prestige of the parTy he allegedly

represents. If Mr Holland was cf the opinion that his procedure was calculated to wipe any third party oul of existence lie declares himself an ' unsafe political optimist, and is missing the short cut to the accomplishment of his desires that seems to be i n sight. If this Parliament is doomed by Mr Holland and his half-a-dozen lite thinkers to become a politicai struggle, a fight that should only bell conducted on election hustings, the I worst conditions of life in New Zea- | land have not yet been tasted. If _ Mr Holland really desires to put ocnditions of life on a higher plane for the people, his supporters in the country should urge him to realise that he has made a bad beginning. His want of confidence was ignominiously defeated, and that given notice of by Mr Macdonald will also be defeated, but. its sole purpose was to enr"the House to ascertain just where the sympathy of the many Independent Members, lies. Mr Massey is not displaying any disinterested politicalism in deciding to regard Mr Statham's motion for securing, in the opinion of the House, the best Government selectable from present members. Mr Massey will not have the old, deplorable party system interfered with, and he does not hesitate to declare a trusty henchman like Mr Statham a renegrade and an opponent when he thinks he discovers any menace to a system whereby he is enabled to rule the country on a miserable minority vote of the electors. Of what moral ..worth is the confidence of a House that represents only a third of the people? It is true that it has enabled Mr Massey to set the constitution of the country at defiance h creating means whereby a just expression of the people's desires is impossible. Wittingly or unwittingly the present conservative regime is outrivalling the' old National Ass and all previous Conservative systems, and is paving the way to a revolution of sentiment that will for ever wipe Conservatism right off the political slate. Mr Holland and his party of extremists owe their successes, more to the Conservative party's political ineptitude and selfishness than to anything accomplished or | evolved by themselves, and the .whole country knows this to be true, and there is widespread concern in consequence. There are several independent members whose real sympathies have not yet f been fathomed, one of. the most elusive being Mr Mitchell. ' who captured the Wellington South < seat from the noted Robert Semple. If Mr Mitchell has not been persistently, subtly angling for conservative favour'we are doing him an injustice. Still, that is Mr Mitchell's fault and not ours, or of those who are impressed similarly to ourselves. Those who follow Mr Mitchell's political attitude from his first pre-election speech right up to the present time will have no doubt or misunderstanding about, what is discoverable in his political progress. His first vote has been recorded in the Reform camp, and there are not wanting indications that if (he does not become a consort of Reform it will not be'his fault; so many j people like to range themselves on [what they think is the strongest side. 'lt is not infrequent that voluble talkers are found to be lacking in depth, of such was the erstwhile political chamelion, Mr F. M. B. Fisher, who warpromptly relegated by another Wellington constituency to political ob- | scurity. Other Independents who disclosed their sympathies with the Government were Mr Statham and Mr W. D Lysnar, the new Member for Gisborne. But the former is unquestionably one of the most capable men in Hie House who has hitherto been a consistent supporter of the Govern men), while the latter is noted as a strong, energetic and able battler for the best that is possible in marketing this country's primary products. Tlv Poverty Bay Freezing Company, of j which Mr Lysnar is chairman, has set j the Government an example that the Government, with immense advantage to the country's primary industries might veil follow, but it seems. thPt Mr Massey is too • strongly covered with the shadow of shipping combines and meat trusts to be able to give that legislative attention + o this country's most, vital interests it is essential Ihev should have. The Hon. Mr

Macdonald's want of confidence mo- ! tion, of which notice lias been given, j will come ori in due course, and up! Iheu party frontiers aro no) '' ' decipherable. If is not correct to assume, however, that the want of confidence move has nvy other significance than that of putting Member:; with {Questionable leanings on the side to which tbey plect to give their support. The one great qeation is whether the party in power is not assisting to limit opposition to one party, and that the party of extremists; whether a fatal course is not being followed on the assumption that the country will never vote labour, if so, the very next general election i' : likely to disabuse many minds, for the regime c*f trusts, rings, combir.and syndicates i s anathema in the hearts the people.