THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1910. THE "SMITH" BUSINESS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10041, 15 July 1910, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1910. THE "SMITH" BUSINESS.

There could be no better exemplification of our argument of a day or so j since as to the wase of time and money of Parliament, than the stupidity foolish discussion which followed upon the Premier's explanation in the House on Tuesday over the "Smith" business in London. For many months past there have been I mutteringa as of a pclitical storm. . There were even a few flashings of j political lightning from what ap- j peared to be the j:ent-upne£s of feeling ID dertain storm-centres. But after all, the whole thing turns out to be no more than stage thunder and an equally weak imitation of stage mechanism of • lightning dashes I

Of course, the Premier had to reply, and equally of course, he rather enjoyed having to do ao. MrgFisher, M.P., was simply charming in his guileleßsnesß. "It appears to me," he said, "that the Government starts these rumours so that they may grow into Jarge proportions only to be Knocked down by the Prime Minister." Mr Fisher may have believed that the Bouse believed him, but he , knew better. As a matter of fact, the Opposition believed it had got I hold of a first-class scandal, and I theie was much metaphorical smacking of the lips in anticipation. When the whole of the facts were before the House, what a change had to come over the spirit of the dream! The apvointiient of Smith wasthe act of the men who, in our political history are regarded as "the giants of those days. 1 ' The whole business was sound, solid and straightforward, and nobody had thieved anything from anybody. But just let our readers think of the enormity of the wretched waste of time, money and temper; for what? To score a point, over one's political opponents. The people look on some of them approvingly and pay; the members of the House join in the fun, and—laugh. Does any sane man believe that this sort of thing—and it is a common occurrence—can be for the good or wellbeing of the Dominion? Yet, apparently, this wasteful, meaningless, reprehensible nonsense must be perpetrated so long as party govern- \ me at holds away.