The Daily News. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15. LAW AND THE PEOPLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 211, 15 December 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15. LAW AND THE PEOPLE.

The average citizen knows that a mass of laws have been passed during the past session and that some existing laws liave been amended. As ignorance of a law is no excuse for people breaking it, it w»uld be interesting to examine even the most intelligent members of the community as to their knowledge of the statutes of New Zealand. Consolidation j of statutes takes place now and again, but no citizen of moderate means is either able to afford a copy or to spare the time to become conversant with it. Tie kaleidoscopic changes dn our laws is not only confusing to the makers of them, but to those gentlemen who administer them, otherwise our judges would not so frequently reserve decisions on so many points. As far as political parties are concerned, it is only necessary for the Opposition tp sweep its eagle eye over the work of the past session and to pronounce it very bad* As far as the Government party is concerned, it finds comfort in mentioning that the session was a "record" one. The public, as well as the majority of the members of Parliament, "will probably be quite ignorant of thie effects of new laws until judges, magistrates and. the Bar find it necessary .to interpret bhem. The Auckland. Herald makes an excellent suggestion to the effect that the Government should publish a complete summary of the laws passed and amended and'tlhe effect they will have, in order that the average citizen may have information that will help him to avoid the many pitfalls that lie in his path. The State deluges the country with unnecessary Hansards, but does not simplify the process by which the public for whom, and against whom, the laws' are made, may know what they are about. The Herald makes a quaint point when it states that the need for a good summary could be proved by an examination of Ministers or members in relation to what laws have been passed during the session and their effect. Such an examination would throw a too pathetic light on' the limitations of the political mind. This revives the old contention that no training is necessary either to become a. member of Parliament or to become a Minis/ter, the chief business of Parliament obviously being to swell the Statute Book and to make it as incomprehensible as possible to itself and the people alike. Candidates for the next election by their appeals to the electors will claim "ability as law-makers, but it would be interesting and instructive to hear from all candidates a summary of the laws and their meaning of this past session or of any previous session. Politicians are so vague, almost as vague as the usual Ministerial reply to a deputation that "I will keep the matter steadily in view." For instance, Mr. Massey was interviewed in Auckland as to the session. He nobly admitted that some of the amendments made during the 'past session were useful, but he did not say how or why, what they were, how they would affeot the people or whether they I were capable of distortion, by an able lawyer. There is repeated evidence that Parliament does not consider Bills carefully, and that the majority of the supporters of any measure are supporters merely as adherents of a party. That is to say, a mob of men might easily troop into a ldbby to vote "aye" without in the least understanding what they were voting about, and unable to tell the public raeXt day the effect of the Act they had performed. Necessarily, we suppose laws must be machine-made, seeing that so small a percentage of Parliamentarions are capable of initiating new measures or of paitching old ones. It is all very well for a man of Mr. Masaey's commanding intellect to sum up the session by saying there was "a ha'pennyworth of bread to an intolerable deal of sack," but the public wants to be led. It wants to know wihat was bread and what was beer, and mostly it would be glad to find out if there is any chance of a better if not bigger loaf in the future, and a smaller proportion of "sack." Compulsion is not unknown in New Zealand — every law is compulsion—and if a person is compelled to observe the law, he might with justice be compelled to know what the law is. Parliamentarians, of course, represent the highest intelligence of the country, or else the people would not send them to Parliament. Every politician's supporters should be every politician's care, and at should devolve on our representatives to give us a lucid precis of existing legislation. Experts like the Hon. R. McKenzie, Messrs Poland, Grcenslade and Fishier, with the help of the Attorney-General, might draft the precis for /the information of members who are not so skilled, but who could pass on their knowledge to the constituencies. We deprecate generalisations that the work of the session has been partially bad or wholly, good, and would be glad to see absolute proof of either declaration. The examination of sitting members is a fine idea, but hardly so good as the idea once put forward that every candidate for political honors should be examined as to his fitness, before he goes to the people. Politics is becoming more and more a business, and every business wants experts. In every calling, except that of politics, preliminary examination is 'deemed necessary. If it were deemed necessary in politics, Mr. Massev would be unable to allege tftat much of the session was a waste of precious time, and the earnest searcher after truth in the statutes might be able to find it under the one head. The everyday accountant does not experiment with a column of figures by setting down a | wrong total, nor does he mention that it | can be set right next year if anybody growls, but a bunch of politicians can experiment with a law affecting a million people, comforting themselves with the reflection that if it is harsh or unworkable it can be amended after the damage has been done. Some of these days, maybe, there will be Masters and 'Bachelors of Politics, just as there are degress in "Art," and if it were necessary .

for nil our politicians to qualify before they faced rtib.e people—some wouldn't face the people.