POLITICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8546, 2 October 1907, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(From Our Parliamentary Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. THE TRAPPINGS OF GLORY. When the question of altering the status of the colony to that of a "Dominion" first came up this session, Mr Hornsby asked the Premier if it would involve the alteration of the designation of the Houses of Parliament and members thereof, and the reply was that there would be no alteration in those respects, nor would there be any proposed increase in the payment of members. Since then Sir Joseph Ward has several times hinted that an improved status for Parliament and its members is the. natural carollary of the altered designation of the colony, and during a Press interview on Wednesday last he gave definite expression to his views on the subject. He said: — "Necessarily there will be minor changes. The designation of 'Colonial Treasurer' and 'Colonial Secretary', for instance, will be altered — in the first case, the Minister holding the office will become 'Minister of Finance,' and in the latter 'Minister of Internal Affairs.' In all probability, the term 'M.H.R.' applied to members of the Lower House will become'M.P.'and that of'M.L.C.' applied to members of the Legislative Council / Senator.''' It is probable that at an early date a Ministerial statement will be made in respect to the Government's decision, and it is generally believed that that statement will announce the proposed alteration of the titles "House of Representatives" and "Legislative Council" to "House of Commons" and "Senate" respectively, members of the former being designated "M.P.'s" and of the latter "Senators." The Premier has emphatically stated throughout that "the change means no increase whatever in the cost of running the State or Parliamentary institutions of the country;" but who can say what the ultimate consequences of a movement of the kind just inaugurated may be? The probability is that before long there will be a demand for increased pay to members.that the Government will be powerless to resist, and it will then follow "as the night the day" that the great Ministers, such as the Minister of Finance and the Minister for the Interior, having emerged from their chrysalis states of Colonial Treasurer and Colonial Secretary into the final butterfly stage of political glory, will hanker after, and in course of time obtain, an additional share of the honey that is to be found in the Dominion's golden Treasury. SUPPORTING THE NEW DIGNITY.

Investigating the position to-day, I find that not only will the projected gilded trappings of the new glory that has been achieved by New Zealand b? approved by the majority of the prospective "House of Commons," but that members are by no means averse to being furnished for the added dignity they will be called upon to sustain by a considerable addition to their present rate of pay. They have the recent precedent of the Commonwealth to go by, and it is by no means improbable that the political btrings will be so pulled that before long—though possibly not -during this session—the example set by the Commonwealth Parliament will—in'a modified form —be adopted by the Parliament of the new Dominion. Here are the views of a representative "Representative":—"The members of the House should be paid a higher sum than they now receive. They give up their business for the greater part of the year in the service of the country, and thus suffer considerable loss. If," continued the member, "a substantial increase in the honorarium of members from abroad were proposed, it would be carried; but I think it would be as well to allow the matter to be in abeyance until the next general election, when the proposition could be submitted to the elect- : ors. My own opinion is that a bonus should be given to members outside !of Wellington in addition to the recognised honorarium."

Another member said that if an increase was proposed he would vote for it.

i asked if he thought it would be quite moral or dignified to do so. "Why not?" he replied; "we vote increases for others, why not for ourselves, seting that our services are not sufficiently remunerated?" "But," said I, "in the case of others you are the judges; in your own case you would be appellant and judge rolled "into one. "That is no argument," he retorted, "Parliament is above all." "But the Disqualification Act prevents members from voting upon questions that personally concern themselves, does it not?" I asked. "Yes," said he, "in other matters, but not in this." Then, as he walked I away, he cited the trite, but not I always tru3, aphorism "The j labourer is worthy of his hire." Cogitating upon this last observa-, tion 1 noted" the fallacy which this, in common with most other proverbs, contained. The labourer is, in this country', at any rate, not always worthy of his hire. Every employer can give instances; and as regards members of Parliament there are not a few whose services are in the opinion of many outsiders, excessively remunerated at the sum of £3OO a >ear; and some who, it is feared, would find it difficult outside the charmed political circle into which they have found admission, to obtain the same amount in the same space of time outside that charmed circle. They certainly would not get railway free passes over the dominion, refreshment rooms provided for them, hot and cold water plunge and, shower baths for their use at all hours of the clay and night, and a multitude of liveried waiters «nd attendants to promptly answer the tinkle of equally multitudinous electric bells. Neither would they get free postage for their correspondence and frequent pleasant outings free of (cost. These are some of the little considerations which are ignored by members who complain that they should be better paid, and aver that "the labourer is worthy of his hire." ABOUT BILLS AND DEPUTATIONS. There are many features about political procedure in connection with

proposed enactments which Ministers and members of Parliament seem to entirely overlook. In the present instance I will allude to one matter only —and, to my mind, a very important one. Whenever a Bill it, proposed to be introduced into Parliament for the purpose of benefiting what for want of a more euphonious term, is ca T .led "the masses," the tradesmen and other bodies, who think that their exploitation and other privileges may be affected thereby, at once, combine- if not already combined —to lay their side of the case before the Minister in charge of the measure. They meet the Minister and place before him many reasons for setting the Bill on one side, or of amending it so as to neutralise its effect so far as the said tradesmen or other bodies are concerned. Generally speaking, they succeed to a greater or less extent in their advocacy. This is due to the fact that organised and easily organisable bodies are in a position to appoint secretaries, advocates, Parliamentary lobbyists, etc., and can provide the ways and means for any particular campaign tbey are interested in opening up. Their position gives them an immense advantage over the unorganised and unorganisable "many-headed multitude," who have no means of placing their side of the case before the Government. They are consequently unrepresented - at the preliminary proceedings, andpractically unrepresented in theHouse, so that judgment is given bydefault in the first instance, and by x weight of evidence in favour of the plaintiffs, in the final hearing before the high court of Parliament, the witnesses for the "masses." being in a minority. At the outset the Minister framing the Bill has doubtlessthe good of the community in view, but the community does not utter a complaint, except in a desultory way through the Press—has, in means of doing so; and the armed minority runs riot among the unarmed majority and puts it to rout. I could quote many instances of this character which have occurred, but space will not permit. Anyone who has followed the political proceedings of the past three months will know that I am relating a general fact. The decision regarding the merits of a Bill under the circumstances described is always ex parte, and therefore becomes deplorable in its consequences. Surely Ministers, if they wish to arrive at a just verdict should find some means of getting the evidence of the unorganisable "masses" on measures affecting then before accepting the evidence of those who have every facility for putting their views of the question before them.

SIR JOSEPH WARD

It was a happy combination of circumstances that brought about the inauguration of the Dominion and the 20th Anniversary of the entry into political life of Sir Joseph Ward upon one and the same day. Whatever may be said or thought about the passing of the old colony and the birth of the Dominion, the fact remains that the change was brought about by Sir Joseph Ward, and that whether the result prove good, bad or indifferent, it must be credited to him. Possibly it is the most fanciful and least practical of Sir Joseph's achievements; but as to that, who can tell? Certain it is that the statesman who on the occasion upon which the colony is alleged to have attained its' majority also reached his political majority; and the interim between his first entry into political life and Dominion Day embraces achievements political and commercial in which his naim is "writ large" in the history of the erstwhile colony. A man of thought, as well as a man of action, a conspicuous figure in political life always, he has never been—never posed as—a "personality." He possesses all the qualifications of an administrator — quick grasp of official details, untiring application to the duties of office, a thorough knowledge of the multifarious intricacies of ct mmercial life, urbanity, courteousness of disposition, tact in meeting difficult positions, and a firmness in dealing with them that is unusual even among Prime Ministers. As a. leader cf the House he has not had the chances of displaying his qualities to anything like the extent of his predecessor, the late Mr Seddon; but, being a man of an entirely different stamp, he would not be likely to succeed by the adoption of Seddonian tactics; nor is he likely to emulate his late .chief in that respect. He possesses qualities, however, whier Mr Seddon lacked, and it remains to be seen how far he is successful as a Parliamentary leader when an opportunity is afforded him of securing a majority in the country pledged to suppor! him and his policy. Meanwhile there are few electors in the Dominion who, however they may differ from him in politics, or may find- fauK. with his administration of the great departments under his control, will not heartily congratulate him upon attaining the twentieth anniversary of his entrance into political life; and desire that he may long continue to have a direct voice in the counsels of the Dominion.