The Press. TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1901. THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11006, 2 July 1901, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1901. THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

Probably never before in th** history of the colony has the opening "Of" caused so little interest as at the present tune. This is to be accounted for by two main reasons —partly because the Boyal visit has cast nearly all other questions of public interest in the shade for tha time being, and partly because there are no very burning political questions before the public just now, and the practical disappearance of the Opposition as a party has left the Government completely masters of the situation, so that thereis not even the prospect of a fight to whet the interest of the publio. To vpt a, few of th«m the very fact thS* Parliament was opened in Wellington yesterday will coins with a shock of surprise. It might be the first meeting of a Road Board in the back blocks for all | that the people seem to know or care about I what is going on.

Now, we sincerely hope that this state , of apathy will nob long continue either in Parliament or out of it. There are other things to he considered in uolitics beside* a mere struggle between the ma and outs, and it is well for us at the present time to awaken to this fact. We have arrived at a crisis in ihe colony's history. There are signs that the "good time*'' are nearly at an end. even if the inevitable reaction has not already «*t in. We have been spending money very freely of late, and all our finance is based on tha a-sumption of an ever-expanding revenue. When the decline sets in we shall be faced with the disagreeable necessity either «f drastic retrenchment or of increased taxation, and the totter is not to be thought of. We shall fee! the pinch less if we set about preparing for it betimes, and there is no doubt that, as a matter of ordinary prudence, the taper-ing-off process ought to begin at once. A period of depression will try the colony in two ways. It will not only impose a severe strain on its public financies, but it will apply a very se_rohing test to a good deal of the social legislation which we have pas-fed during th» last few yearn-' If it sta-nds the ordeal mtcceaafmly. then.- and not till then, shatl be be able to fully congratulate its framers and promoters on their handiwork.

In the absence of any formal Opposition, there is a heavy responsibility on" both the Ministry and the Ministerial party regarding the conduct of public buiiness during th* presrat sesdom Thie country will look to the more independent members on the Orvernment benches to criticise freely any proposals that may be brought down, especially those dealing with finance. We are not surprised to find that there is a good deal of dissatisfaction in the Ministerial ranks as to the composition of the Cabinet. Weak men have been taken in, .and abler men have been excluded. This may mot so much matter, perhaps, in the case of the portfolios held by Messrs McGowan, Hall-Jones, and Mills. The Premier not only keeps all these gentlemen in order—-except, it would seem,- Mr .'UallJones, on the occasion of a Royal visit— but may be trusted to supply their deficiencies. We hope, however, that some-thr-ng will he dons to remove, the public scandal attaching to ths present administration of the Education Department. There is no department in the publio service which affects more vitally the well-being of the people. Upon the question as to whether our children are well or ill-educated depends to a very large extent not,only the prosperity of the, colony, but the happiness and moral and intellectual standard of the popu-

lation. At present we are treating our grand education, system as iif it'wire a subject of absolutely no public concern. The department has been placed in the hands of a Minister notoriously incompetent, notoriously -negligent in even appearing to attend

to his duties. It is well-known that he practically leaves everything in the hands of the permanent bead of the department, who twists the Minister round his little finger Now this might be no disadvantage indeed, very much the reverse—if the head were an expert of high standing, sound judgment, and statesmanlike foresight. Unfortunately this is by no msans the ease. The appointment was a political job, and at least a dozen more capable men in tbe colony were .-pasSsd over in favour of the protege of Mr Hall-Jones. We say unhesitatingly that things in. the Education Department are drifting from bad to worse, and 'will continue to do so until a change is made. It is no *_se appointing Royal Commissions to do the work that ought to be

done by officers of the department" under direction -from a capable political head. We want a Minister whose heart and soul is bound up in .the education of the people, and we want as Inspector-General an .expert possessing the highest qu__fications and equal enthiswaem, tampered by the finest judg-

ment. At whatever sacrifice the country ought not to rest content until the Education is placed on a sounder basis than it is at present.