The Daily News. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29. LAST SESSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 29 November 1907, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29. LAST SESSION.

It would be unfair to deny to the Ward Administration credit for a very large measure of legislative success if, as is no doubt proper, success is to be gauged by the carrying into law of their policy bills. At'the opening of the third session of the present Parliament the. leading policy measures of the Government, as announced in the Governor's Speech, were shown to be the tariff, the native land question, the land laws generally, and the amendment of the labour laws. Parliament has dealt with all these questions, but the labour laws remain unaltered. In the Minister for Labour the Ward Administration possesses a gentleman who has all his life been associated with labour unions and labour questions, yet, notwithstanding his well-known sympathies oi.'U proclivities, the Industrial and Conciliation | and Arbitration Act Amendment "Bill submitted by the Government at once called into being the most active hostility in regions where it was expected to be welcomed with enthusiasm. The Labor Hills Committee of the House spent a large amount of time taking 1 evidence upon it; its progress was not pushed, and at last it was conveniently dropped. This cannot be esteemed a success.

The Ward Administration contains four members of the late Seddon Government, amongst their numba- being Sir Joseph Ward himself. More than t wo years ago, at a mass meeting held in the Opera House, Wellington. Sir Joseph Ward taking part in the proceedings, the late Premier sketched the I policy of his Gover'ruc.it for llie consideration of the people, the general election being imminent. He announced that, if supported by the return of a majprity, it was intended to amend the tariff in the direction of removing the duties on the necessaries of life; also to amend the land laws, and to deal with

the native laud question. There can scarcely be a doubt that from that period up to the time of bis death, the late Premier was gathering information, considering, and collaborating with his colleagues in regard to these questions of policy. Sir Joseph Ward, not only by inheritance eamc into possession of the leadership of a party comprising three-fourths of the members of the Lower House, the right to nominate some twenty members of the upper chamber, the right to dispense with the presence of those of his colleagues he deemed too weak to prove of assistance to hiin, and to select stronger men, but he was given a policy mature for presentation. As the chief lieutenant of the late Premier, Sir Joseph Ward must have been pretty familiar with the body of information which had been compiled in connection with measures to be submitted to the new Parliaulent; he must have had all the salient features regarding these a measures in his mind.

Last session the Land Bill reappeared, cut up into three fragments, and shorn of its ugly head. The fragments have been passed, and are now law, but there is not a soul that regards them as last words. There is no finality anywhere. The Native Lands Settlement Act practically sweeps out of existence all previous Acts dealing with the native laud question, and makes a fresh start. The board is cleared, and now people can begin to understand. This no one seems to notice, its importance has failed to attract attention, but it really seems to be the best of all the achievements of last session. The most sensational achievement was the passing of the Gambling Amendment Bill. It is an extraordinary piece of work. Few of our legislators seemed to bother their heads over it very much. We will say this, though, the House was perfectly honest in its intentions, and did what it thought was its duly. The idea of the legislators seems to have been to confine belting absolutely to the racecouise. If the operation of the law will bring this about, substantial headway will have been made. There is no gainsaying the fact that the betting and gambling spirit lias too great a hold in tins country, but whether the new law will bring about a better condition of affairs remains to be seen. Anyway, we sincerely hope it will.