THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1912. A TIMBER COMMISSION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 30 December 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1912. A TIMBER COMMISSION.

It is very much to be regretted that the Massey Government, So early in its career, should cultivate one of the worst habits of its predecessors. Government by Commission had cast a reproach' upon our legislative system, and made the name of Liberalism a by-word. Thousand® of pounds have been thrown aiway during the last couple of decades upon useless Commission/?, set up primarily with the object of finding a policy for the Government, of the day. Of, what practical value was the Police Commission, the Land Commission, the Cost of Living Commission, the Education Commission, and the dozen and one ©tlmr -Commission® that were set up by Liberal administrations? The only pretext for a Royal Commission is the furnishing of expert evidence that might not otherwise be available. It i.£i doubtful, hoVrever; whether the Committees of the House, to whom most of our legislation is referred, are not possessed of all the power necessary to call evidence. The Roy a ! Commission- is a sign of weakness, It demomst-ratc-s cither that the Government is incapable of framing; legislation, or that it has no confidence in its responsible officers. Surely there can be no necessity for the setting up of a Commission. W inquire into the con- ' dition of the forests of the Dominion. | Tho Government has a verv capable forester in Mr Matthews, the head of the Department. This gentleman possesses all the knowledge (requisite to enable the Administration to form an opinion concerning the future of the I timber industry. A 'report firom Mr {Matthews, and from tho various Commissioners of Crown Lands, .should be all that is required. We cannot,, for the life of us, understand why it should be necessary to set up a Royal Commission to investigate this subject. The finances of -the country lare-not in such a buoyant condition It-hat they can be drawn upon to pnoj vide'picnic parties for political hang-Jers-on. The Royal Commission husill ness has been worked to death by Liberal goreraments, sad Mr '

would be consulting his own interests and those of the Dominion by having" nothing to do with it.