POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 October 1919, Page 7

POLITICAL.

CHALMERS SEAT. It was reported to a meeting of the Labor Representation Committee that Mr Smith, previously announced aa the Labor candidate for the Chalmers seat, had withdrawn, and that another Labor candidate for Chalmers would probiibly be announced in a few days. MR HUGHES AT MANGATOKI. "REMODELLING PARLIAMENT." "The remodelling of Parliament, its ancient precedents, and its whole constitution is a hefty subject to tackle," said Mr. Hughes at Mangatoki. "I know full well that I am treading on old pet corns in trying to advocate something: mora businesslike and something more modern than our Parliamentary procedure is at present. A great many of its ways of doing the work of the country are hedged around with obsolete customs and autocratic rules which ought to be scrapped and more sensible methods put into effect. Parliamentary procedure as ,it is teems with many ridiculous laws laid down in ancient days, tantamount to the old saying that 'the King can do. no wrong.' For instance, private members, if they want to bring in a BiU, are dominated by the Cabinet, and autocracy is supreme. Whips for the party in power, quite irrespective of their ability, have precedence if new Ministers are wanted. The drawing up of the Acts passed are unreadable to the average person, and couched in lawyer's phraseology that often would puzzle a Philadelphia lawyer. I would like to see a remodelling take place and a lot of obsolete laws put in the waste-paper basket. This can only be brought about (>y overcoming the cursed syftem we have and the removal of the old type of man, who sits there to-day. Why should a man sit' up night after night doing what is called the business of the country? God made night for man to sleep and recuperate his frame and brain, not to wreck his health by going dead against one of Nature's fundamental laws. Twenty good, sensible men inbibed with national sentiment for the country's betterment would do more good in a month than the eight membeTS do in a whole year under present Parliamentary procedure with the party wrangling way we now have."