The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1918. REVITALISING PARLIAMENT.
Tiie recent cable from London re-; furring to the forthcoming general election in Britain states that tliere is a belief in political circles that Mr. Lloyd George's election programme is so confined to winning the war that it virtually disregards all other issues. Any allusion to a general election must draw attention to the fact of the 'prolonged existence of the Parliaments both in the Motherland and in New Zealand, and to the way in which both Parliaments have become mere machines to execute the will of the respective Cabinets, and have thus become the fifth wheel in the overladen Ministerial coach. Government by the people, through their representatives, has become a farce. "While every other organ of the body politic has liad to redouble its vigor during the war, the Parliaments of Britain and New Zealand (possibly some others) have become more and more supine and unimportant, until they have merely performed the function of giving sanction to Ministerial demands, the result being the creation for the succeeding Parliaments of a very serious prospect, Parliament should be the prime source of constructive energy in the State, but we have allowed all national affairs to drift into, and remain in, the hands of the Government, just as in the Dominion we have drifted into government by regulation instead of by legislation. Apparently the British Premier contemplates the continuance of the policy of the immediate past, and concentrating on winning the war. That should undoubtedly be the first and main plank, but the task of preparing for peace is one that demands a very full measure of attention, while the many fiscal, economic and domestic problems that urgently ne'ed solution should certainly no longer be postponed. Both Britain and New Zealand are in need of a new legislature that will pump new blood, vigor and initiative into every vein and fibre of' public organisation, as well as to restore the living power of Parliamentary institutions, which are the only soul of what we call British freedom. One of the urgent matters to be dealt with is the colossal problem of finance. Connected therewith is the very vexed question of free trade, which the British Liberal Federation has made one of its planks. There is every prospect of a battle royal over this fetish, especially as the British Labor Party has decided to uphold the principle. Labor has always regarded free trade as the bulwark of cheap bread, and the high cost of living will certainly tend to strengthen the demand lor duty-free importation of the necessaries of life. The fact that the Economic Conference at Paris practically pledge the Allies to; preference will have no Aveight .with the Laborites, and the present yeasty state of the Avage-earn-ers in Britain—as well as in the; Dominion—indicates that they are prepared to fight this question to the bitter end, despite the fact that it has been proved that British free trade very largely helped Germany to prepare for the Avar. Moreover, the question of national revenue must take a very prominent place in the scheme of afterwar reconstruction, as well as in meeting the enormous liabilities, contingent on Avar expenditure. It j is possible that free trade Avould relieve the masses from contributing towards discharging these liabilities, but as it is quite just that they should pay their share, the only Avay in which this can be brought about is by indirect taxation. Any parliament elected in the Empire before the close of the War, or in the early days of peace, Avill have to face many problems inextricably interwoven Avith the war itself, and now is the time to study these problems in earnest. The Empire Avas not prepared for war, in spite of the plainest Avarnings. Surely it must profit by that momentous lesson, and be prepared for peace. Moreover, the war has brought about a marvellous development of industrial possibilities. Scientific research and its practical application have been mightily stimulated. The vast, insidious groAvth of German influence and control in finance and industry has been utterly exposed, and to a large extent has been already got up by the roots. We have learned how railways, canals, motor services and aerial services can be best operated. Greater strides have been made than in all (lie past centuries. The colossal national debts that have been piled up will need to be liquidated, without exhausting the people and ruining financial stability, but on all questions where movement has not been compelled statesmanship has become lethargic. There has been talk, but no action. Under fiixc®stances reyitalk-
:.ing of llio Empire's parliaments "has become an urgent necessity. The number, magnitude and variety of national, international, Imperial, social and domestic questions to be dealt with almost 'passes comprehension. It will be to the lasting shame of the Empire if these reconstruction demands are not met and solved, and tliis consummation can only be obtained by ensuring that the legislature shall consist of men of the highest intelligence, breadth of vision and administrative ability; otherwise we may have to pay very dearly for working out our owu salvation.
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Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1918, Page 4
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859The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1918. REVITALISING PARLIAMENT. Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1918, Page 4
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