ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 198, 30 November 1910, Page 3

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT

(From our Parliamentary Correspondent) Wellington. November 2!!. The blgucst part of the Essence is labelled "Hine,'' but more of that anon. For the present enough tliat Mr Mine kept us all on the tenter hooks for the first days of the week. During those days the most prominent figure was Mr. Kaihau. What a pleasant, big. easy-going type of an ancient race of unsuspected force! To look at him as he floats down t'he lobby or takes a majestic, unconscious seat in the House, or smiles approval on all and sundry in the precincts of Bellamy's, is to be reminded of the saying of 'the devout Frenchman of the ''old regime" who settled a controversy about the spiritual merits of a noted man of fashion by solemnly declaring that "the Bon Dieu will never damn a person of his quality." In like manner no committee, one feels instinctively on looking at the ample form and easy manners of Henare Kaihau, could ever pronounce him guiltv of anvthing at all.

The water question has precedence still in some newspapers. But the enemy hns discovered a mare's nest as usual. He insists now that the Government has abandoned the greater part of the original scheme in deference to hostile criticism. Now considering that the Government never had anything to abandon, that it never did more than state there was reason," prima facie, for believing that certain schemes could be profitably constructed and operated, and that the Hutt and Coleridge scheme would be probably the first to get into the going stage. It is manifest that the position now is exactly as the Government said it would be when the scheme was first announced. The fact that they have announced a preference for the two schemes they predicted they probably would prefer, is not a justification for the statement that they have abandoned all the rest in deference to hostile criticism. The rest is in exactly the same state it was in when the Government announced the scheme. One would imagine that these critics intend to prove to the public by easy process of insinuation that the Government originally intended to get the whole scheme costing two and a-half millions started at once, irrespective of facts, figures and finance. That indeed is what "is meant by the statement that they have abandoned their scheme as originally brought down.

What use is there in further noting criticism of this transparently bad sort"? I will only add that the strong point of the scheme as a whole has been entirely ignored by the critics. It is that there is enough in the way of by-products-nitrate and other industries—to absorb all the power that fails to find a market in the Dominion. In the fact of that factor of safety there is no use in talking about discrepancies of calculations of load factors. The scheme is felt to be sure to see these critics through without any trouble at all.

The time-marking necessitated by the Hine proceedings served to introduce and pass some very.important solid measures —of the third class, perhaps, but good for all that in the world which docs not live in the products of •hysteria. The moderate measures look big. sir. and a very good thing, too!

There is the State Bank report of the ■committee of the Legislative Council, but this savors of comic opera. They called many witnesses, and the witnesses all differed one from the other. Of all sorts were they, bankers, commission brokers, accountants, gentlemen at larsre, and of several other professions. At any rate, thev all professed to know the very soul of banking. Well, the soul of banking turns out. after their versions to be something divided a°Min 5 t itself bv the number of advisers: that is. each man has his own scheme and regards the others as systems to be relegated to mental hospitals for the cure by contrast of the patients. These would get well—l mean in the presence of something so very much worse than anything associated with their names.

But this very contrariety of evidence inspired the committee to report advising the establishment of a State bank by taking over the Bank of Xcw Zealand at a fair price. Xow one of the proposals before the committee was that,;', evervthing belonging; to the Bank should be confiscated and everything belonging to the other banks so loaded and harassed that it would be impossible to compete against the Government institution. Add to issue-notes not redeemable by any known process every time the manager thinks there is a panic, and you haveine scheme complete. He need not keep any gold against these notes, and if any holder of these ever is misguided enough to ask for gold in exchange, 'he will find out in one. act that he is of the tribe of those who, having long preyed upon a confiding people, have at last arrived at Point' Retribution, where there is a dwelling place with something lingering. *~.

Another of these children of genius proposed the issue of notes unbacked by gold in any measure for payment to public works, contractors —here the democracy begins to see a use for the hated contractor —until such time as the amount totals forty millions. But what is to happen when that forty goal is reached we are not informed. I rather think it must be a recommendation to the holders to whistle, but that is not in the bond.

How the committee came to report at all in the face of these wild calls as from a famished menagerie is the mystery. The menagerie howled, the controversy raged, the ashes of the controversy presently represented all that was left, and out of that residue the committee has fished a recommendation. More than that, they have told us that Messrs John Yourer, F. T. Moore, Dawson, B.A. or K.C.8., or something, and others are the very first financial authorities in the world, who gave their evidence in a manner wo.'thy of their high reputations. To complete the delicious picture, the chairman of the committee stated to the Council that lie'had carefully studied the whole question of banking and money, and it was not until lie had—well, not to put too fine a point on it, though he did not put it in that way—been a past-master had he ventured to touch the subject. After that, of course, there was not a spot in banking capable of escaping from his easie eye, and. as a matter of fact, none did. I think it probable that it will be ten years before we hear of the State Bank again.

The useful measures that give aroma to the Parliamentary essence of the week are legioi. Pity it is they have such little tinis allmtted for discussion. The House that discussed shoe strings and boot laces or things of like manner, at indefinite length is almost silent about measures that matter to the welfare of the public. One is an exception.

The Legislature Amendment Bill, which is an amendment of the electoral machinery, makes a new departure. It provides for the appointment of enrolment officers whose dutv it shall be to put nil .and sundry on the roll who ha ye any I. IM l ■ . ,T... t -*1 V^AJa-^O?^

entitled to 'have provided for him com'plete all the rights 'he is granted under the constitution. On th > oilier hand, it is held that a man ouuht to be left to 'his unaided intelligence to secure privileges whi;'h if tliev are worth anyihiug ought to be sought with some trouble. The argument that trouble must be imposed is very funny. But principle does rot stind alone for the measure. There is the present practice, which is to send round not one but four canvassers at least, badgering and pestering the electors as touts. These men the more they break the spirit of the law the more wages do they get, and the. more certainty of employment. On the other hand, no enrolment officer under the Government is either to pesteY or to violate the secrecy of the ballot in any way.

The Bill will be a great boon to the public which it will save from the fangs of the professional canvasser to the candidates who will have a straight law freeing them from expensive and doubtful practices; and to the officers whom it will shelter with scientific accuracy.

Another measure is the Public Holidays, which provides for certain days falling on Sunday to be kept on the following Monday. Christmas is one of these, and to make assurance double sure someone moved that in such cases Boxing Day shall be postponed likewise the same distance. That was carried. So that, wherever Christmas Day falls on a Sunda}' the usual carnival will be uninterrupted: nay, will be one day longer than usual.

I come to the Hine business at last, because it was the last except the Imprest Supply. The report is out and, lo! there is not a word of "Tammany.'' Xo one is surprised, because the publication of tile evidence from day to day hai established the fact that no one even remotely ever attempted to insinuate that the Government was in any way implicated. It had resolved itself long ago into a question of whether the accused members had or had not made breaches of propriety. That they had broken the law no one could imagine in face of the evidence. That every vestige of Tamraanyism is swept out of existence, ilr. Major is held to have contravened a resolution of the House of July, 18S8. This carries us back a long way. It was when the district railways were brought by the Government and the cry of Tammany was raised. After the excitement of the committee proceedings and report the House, while declaring the probity oi all concerned, went on to express '"its opinion that members of the Legislature should not act as agents in negotiations or in any transactions in which the Government is directly or indirectly a party either as buyer or seller." hi tlie same spirit Hr. Symes is held- to have done wrong in receiving the £3OO (P.X. duly met at maturity) from a seller of property' to the Government who wanted to show his gratitude.

In the matter of the famous letter, the committee finds that it is not a proof. of any desire to threaten Mr: Symis' political opponent, and that the man who devolved it in spite of the fact that it was marked "confidential" is no hotter than he to be. This man, in fact, gets the severest .rating of all, and against him no charge was brought bv anyone. This is humorous distinctly, j't will be tieatei from another side en Tuesday.

As for Mr. Kaihau, that honorable and broadly built gentleman is held not to have dona anything wrong in the mattei: of the Te Akau block, where the Government refused to collect his commission. But inasmuch as he charged apparently for doing Parliamentary business which he ought to have done'ior nothing, he is held to have been wrong . ••improper" is the word, and the committee leaves it at that. Poor Mr. Kaihau! His committee divinity did not condemn 'him in spite of this quality. Alas!

As for the AYilson-AWDonald Flaxbourne_ transaction, it is held that nobody did anything wrong at all in any way except Mr. ITine, who made a fuss about a "mare's nest." But the exception is not mentioned. One the whole, the old files declare that it is a good thin-'' the matter was investigated on all accounts because it has brought into strong liVht immaciilateness of the (Government°in the face of enormously absurd criticism Mr. Massey 'has intimated that the report was not unanimous, so there wi'l be a shindy when the House discusses it on Tuesday. The upshot is that there will be-legislation on t}ie lines of tie resolution of 1886 as the committee recommends. But whether this year or next remains to be seen. This legislation ought to have been passed in 1886. Mr. Hine's position is what may be termed mixed. He -has'not proved or attempted to prove Tammany ism in any sense of the word, and he has proved that certain improprieties . have been committed. These are not denied, and if the law is altered to make them illegal they will not reeur. For the final Air Hme ought to apologise to the Government and the Government ouoht to -thank Mr. Hine for his action. °