THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8271, 26 October 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1906.

The Pare Poods Bill Is in itself a most commeudaolo measure, but no less oorumflndable] is the action of the Minister for Publio Health in circulating it now for the purpose of information eo that when it is brought ou next session members will havo haa ample opportunity to study it and to obtain the opinions of their constituents upon its various clauses. It is not to be supposed that any Bill is altogether perfect even to reach the end expressly infeuded, so that even a measure upon the desirability of which honest men eanuot possibly differ should not be rushed into law. Where fhere are honest differences as to the very desirability of a measure—as in the Laud Bill—there is no excuse whatever for foromg it through before fair opportunity f<u' consideration has been given to the publio, as well as to members. Sir Joseph Ward recognised this in adjourning the attempt to pass the Land Bill, says a contemporary, but we should be better able to compliment him had be set with it the example now set by Mr Fowlds, and avowedly introduced it for consideration only by the present session of Parliament. For apart from the exceedingly rare measures for which extreme urgency may be pleaded—-

saoh as that for the exclusion of criminal immgraote now before Parliament— there are no proposals which would not be improved .by reasonable delay. There would be no reason whoever for a Second Chamber if tbe undue haste which bhs become customary in our colonial legislation were Barupulously and customarily avoided; and, speaking of the Second Chamber as a theoretic check upon hasty legislation, we all know that experience has shown it to be quite incapable of checking ill-considered haste when it is itself afflicted by the same bad habit. As far as it is possible to make out a good case for any legislative measure a good case can be made out for tbe Pure Foods Bill. The adulteration of food is as indefensible as tbe picking of a pocket or the robbing of a house. Yet it is wise, since all legislation is more or less complex, to consider the suppression of this social crime in all its bearings oo that a useful, practical, and satisfactory Act will result.