ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 180, 9 November 1910, Page 3

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT

I (Fnmi our Parliamentary Correspondent) Wellington, November o. TI'KMNU UN THE WATEPi. "Water, water everywhere, and too many drops to drink." It is a vile parody, but it serves for the situation. On Wednesday afternoon the Prime Minister turned on the water with his explanation of National Option. As he spoke of the logical position. National Option being the legitimate child of No-License, a hush descended on the House. The idea that prohibition of liquor in every form is absolutely at hand —not a thing for posterity, for whom we have the feeling that they have done nothing for us, but for ourselves in our easy, every-day hour, the idea that the harmless necessary glass of beer ive like with our dinner and the night-cap without which hospitality falls short of the ideal in our intercourse one with the other. This idea of such complexity fell like a cold shower oil the shivering, silent House. So cold was it that tile springs of the biggest river of talk in all the Dominion were frozen hard. There was not one speech after the two leaders had exhausted their oratory during the second reading. Second reading is always supposed to allirm the principle of a measure. Lo! the principle of Prohibition total and complete and thrusting the moderate drinker into the ranks of the criminal population is affirmed! Tlu House that did this seemed stupefied. * * * * LAMENTATION IN THE LOBBIES. In the lobbies afterwards there was 'lamentation, many members audibly wondering why the Government is looking for trouble. "Never saw so many search parties out after trouble," said one man, and ho was applauded, if the strange dead croak that greeted him could be caiied applause. There was also jubilation. One prominent temperance authority, not a member, was a prominent figure in the lobby where he had no hu-ii;ess to be. But who was going to raise the question of his right to be there, when in a few short years he would be the master of all the House? Round about him were the exultant temperance members with gleaming eyes and heads thrust together in earnest converse, the tall form of tile unauthorised but welcome and dreaded guest rising up like an island from the pool of bobbing members with gleaming eyes aiul heads thrust together in earnest converhe, the ' tall form of the unauthorised but welcome and dreaded guest rising up like an is!:' ; : from the pool of bobbing craniums, The Trade was there also, and the Trade was wearing the expression of a gambler who lias made a sporting bet to back his fancy, and is more excited than certain about the probable result. The moderate men were the disconsolate ones. But they were the majority. The House affirmed the principle, it is true. But the majority don't like the principle. What they will do wo shall know after they have pulled themselves together.

" TAMMAXYISXL" '■Tammany" divided the honors with frozen water. Tnmmanj", however, did not freeze the floodgates of talk. It only keeps the stream out of the House, iin the lobbies they said things which if they were to appear in this column would make interesting debate (and more ) on the question of breach of pvlvflege. Charges major and minor phase one another through the mazes of comment and the comment is of all the colors of ilie political rainbow. Whether Major is major, and s?vines is minor, and whether the Hon. T. K. Mac Donald occupies an independent portion on the roll of fame—thei-jo are questions on which the epmniittejs will pronounce shortly. The Council men have taken their evidence and are waiting to read it over before reporting. The other committee is* still in the throes of assimilation. As for the newspaper.;, they are in all the glory of the scare head-lines, for all the world like ships 011 a gala day. As for their space, they are prodigal, devoting onoutrh to accommodate every word that is said. In tlis proceedings the question insinutory occupies a large place, and the lawyers are the keen-witted regulators of tiie show. Heads of departments are squeezed bv the hour through their own files, members unaccustomed to crossexamination spread themselves over the country of speculation; there is not a stone iu the whole field of enauiry that has not been turned over many times. Even the dust of the contest is blown largely away so that one sees fairly clearly what the outcome may be. The air is full of a voluble contentious curiosity which will only be at rest when the committees have reported. Even then there may oc much bickering.

ELECTRICITY GENERATION. Tin; water-power scheme is practically 011 the Statute Rook, having now passed both Houses. The Hon. Mr. Wisram has a motion before the Council for confining the operations to one scheme, probably Co!cvidg», and there will be much talk in the sedate chamber. But cui bono? At all events it is impossible for the Government to do more than put two of the schemes forward at the start, for £OO,OOO has to be spent on further sui veys. I!y the way, it may be noted that tile second reading debate in the Council was worthy of an Institute of Engineers. Many of the speakers handled the figures with mastery and -waltzed easily with load factors and went red anions kilowatts, units, brake-horse-powers. high and low pressures, and what not. with becoming regard for accuracy. It "was a debate of high level. One member only attacked the scheme and him the Attorney-General in his reply made a show of with a forbearing humor that did him credit. But regard for truth compels me to say that the show was not so much read as rhetorical. The Hon. Mr. Jenkinson made a very good and very technical speech, but gav! himself away a good deal on side issues whieh a better sense of humor would have saved him from. The water of this side of the Government programme is far more pupular than the water of the other.

BRISTLING WITH IMPORTANCE, 'i'lif weekly work bristled with importance in other respects. For example, the pro-audit system got to the second reading with demonstration of llil- »>.eat liilliculty of tli;* subject, and a compromise 'between two classes of expenditure. One wonders wliv the politicians admire an.! insist on this thing. One thing will strike the local men: the Auditor-Gen-eral, their special bug-bear, is to be empowered to sue for his sur-charges. These will be from henceforth a reality. * * * * THE COMBINES BILL. Thi' Combines Bill has got to s..tety at last. The measure steers a middle course between tne rashness of attacking indiscriminately and the danger of destroyiinr valuable institutions. The penal:ies for combining illegally are tremendous—a fine of ,£.IOO. all contracts declared illegal, so that there will bp no recovery of the values of '.roods supplied, and the power of injunction which no one ran gel over. Tha main difficulty

will be of getting evidence enough to convict. But it by no means follows that an anti-trust law must fail here because it failid in America. There the law has to run the gauntlet of fortv States all fanatically watchful of {heir rights, while here tlie King's Writ runs everywhere without distinction, let or hindrance. If the practical effect is as good as the intention the Anti-Trust Bill | will be a power :n the land. Several members wished to add a clause supi pressing the practice of cutting prices. But as this is done for the purpose of clearing the field so that monopoly may raise the prices again to any height it pleases, the effectiveness of the clause prohibiting illegal rises of price will kill cutting; for if the fruit of cutting is prevented there will be no cutting. NATIONAL ANNUITIES. National Annuities is also safe. We shall soon be able between the ages of sixteen and forty-five to make annual payments, more or less reasonable —extravagantly reasonal ''\ some men insist —by which after six.y we shall draw pensions of from ten to forty shillings a week, by which any children that may be born to us will give us a grant from the Treasury of £O, and every child of ours, in case we die before it is fourteen, will have seven and sixpence till it reaches the age of fourteen, and so will its mother. After that age the children must do something for the mother, if she be destitute. But that is understood and is. besides, quite proper and right. * # * * THE (I AMINO BILL. The darning Bill has emerged without the much alleged blot by which the bookie was to have got in after all. Another mare's nest, sirs, and so good-bye ■ for another week, at the end of which the Public Works Statement will, it is I thought, be in evidence. After which I the end comes always swiftly.