BY COMMISSIONS.
WORK OF GOVERNMENT. MR. M. J. SAVAGE'S CRITICISM. GISBORNE, Friday. In the course of an address to-niglit to an audience that packed the Opera House to the doors, the Leader of the Labour -party, Mr. M. J. Savage, dealt at length with the appointment of Royal commissions.
While no exception could be taken to the appointment of a Royal commission to investigate charges of corruption or maladministration, said Mr. Savage, it should not bo necessary to appoint a commission to find a policy for the Government. It appeared as if Government by Royal Commission was rapidly becoming the order of the day. When the Government wanted to do an unpopular job it invariably appointed a Royal commission to make a recommendation in that direction. Whatever report came from a Royal commission it was still subject to the will of Parliament, and members should not need the assistance of a commission to endow them with intelligence to understand the economic and social conditions of the country. The Government of tlie day should have sufficient wisdom within its own ranks to deal with the changing order. Unfortunately, that liad not been tlie practice in recent years. When the Government wished to make a change from Ministerial control of the railways to control by a board it set up a Royal commission, constituted of Government supporters to report, continued Mr. Savage. When wage reductions were, in the opinion of the Government. desirable and decidedly unpopular, the Government shelters itself behind the report of a Royal commission. Any Government that "had to employ the services of persons not responsible to the people to find a policy for it should be removed from office at the first opportunity.
Mr. Savage also gave a definite assurance that the Gisborne-Xapicr railway would be completed if Labour were returned. The project would not be financed by loans, but by the use of public credit.
A vote of thanks to Mr. Savage and confidence in the Labour party was carried with enthusiasm.
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 272, 16 November 1935, Page 10
Word Count
335BY COMMISSIONS. Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 272, 16 November 1935, Page 10
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