POLITICAL

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14406, 13 July 1912, Page 12

POLITICAL

PROGRAMME FOR THE

SESSION,

NOT MUCH LEGISLATION

(SPECIAt, TO "THK PRESS.') WELLINGTON, July 12. A short programme of legislation will bo submitted to Parliament this session, and the Government has determined that" it will be completed. before the final adjournment. "We do not propose a heavy legislative programme this session," said the Prime Minister this afternoon. "A number of Bills are now being drafted, and will be submitted m the House when members assemble Our intention is to make next session the legislative session of this Parliament."

Mr Massey declined to give any information regarding the nature of the measures to be formulated this session. In reply to v question he said that a Bill was being drafted to alter the electoral system, but he could not explain its character at present. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Prime Minister stated to-day that the matter of making additional appointments to the Legislative Council had not yet been considered in any way by Cabinet. ENQUIRY INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE. The Public Service Commission has concluded the taking of evidence in Wellington. The Commission will sit in Dunedin on I'uesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week, and in Christchurch on Monday and Tuesday, July 22nd and 23rd. Afterwards the Commission will proceed to Auckland, where it will sit on July 25th and 26th, and possibly on July 27th. It is expected to return to Wellington on tho afternoon of July 29th. The Commission will probably then sit in., "Wellington for about a fortnight, to'consider the evidence taken, and draw up its report. PARLIAMENTARY GROUNDS. Tho work now in progress of regrading the grounds of Parliament Buildings and altering neighbouring streets is to be continued, meantime, without interruption. Cabinet will review the plans of the proposed buildings and consider a comprehensive report upon the whole work which has been called for, before any further section of it is put in hand. THE JUNIOR CADET SYSTEM. The Minister for Defence (the Hon. J. Allen) has not yet had time to go fully into the question of amending the present organisation of the Junior Cadets, but he said to-day that he favoured some radical amendments to tho existing regulations. In point of fact these regulations have never been enforced, and are never likely to be. They provide for camps, formation of ambulance corps, and other matters. The regulations as. a whole, the Minister considers, make tho Junior Cadet organisation too military. Some of the regulations, ho remarked, were ridiculous, and would undoubtedly have to be amended. A. certain amount of military drill should be -retained, but his own opinion was that some of the best features of the Boy Scout movement should be engrafted in the Junior Cadet organisation. These, tho Minister remarked finally, were his present opinions; they might be modified to. some extent after he had gone mere fully into the matter.

THE PREVIA MINISTER.

The Prime Minister (the Hon. W. F. Massey) will leave Wellington to-mor-row morning on a private visit to ,his home. Hβ will return to Wellington on Monday afternoon. , "

MB, J. A. MILLAR'S f HEALTH,

(PBESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) DUNEDIN, July 12. Mr W. Wilkinson has received a telegram from Mr J. A. Millar, M.P., who says his health is slowly improving, but that his medical advisers will not allow him to undertake mental work for at least three months. After expiry of that time he will be medically examined again to see if his health is sufficiently restored to enable him to resume active duties.

RACING PERMITS,

(PBBSS ASSOCIATION TELFGBAM.)

WELLINGTON. July 12. Mr Herriee will not be Minister in charge of racing permits, as, being already' a member of the Racing Conference, he does not 'care to act in a dual capacity. It has not been decided who will undertake this duty.

INTERVIEW WITH MR A. M MYERS.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

AUCKLAND, July 12

Mr A. M. Myers, M.P., this morning returned to Auckland- Seen by a "Star" reporter on his arrival", Mr Myers said that, speaking from a personal point of view, he was pleased to be relieved from his onerous duties as administrator of the Departments of Railways, Finance and Defence. , He had not had many idle moments during his tenure of office. On the other hand, ho would naturally have been glad to. have had a little longer period to carry out many important innovations which he had already commenced to establish in connection with the Railway Department. The foundaof these, however, haa been laid, and ho v> as pleased that "the administration of that-Department had, now passed into tho hands of a capable successor, as he believed that the Hon. W. H: Herries would prove himself to be. Speaking of the future, Mr Myers said he, thought the new Ministry should bo allowed every, opportunity at tho hands of the Opposition to formulate its policy. If that policy was such as was likely in the opinion of the Liberals to bo of benefit to the country, no obstacles would be placed in the way, and so long as no reactionary measures were introduced, Mr Massey would bo given every latitude to show his constructive ability.

Questi mcd in regard to last Saturday's critical division, Mr Myers replied that he could only express his regret that certain members of the Liberal Party who had long been attached to it, and who' had actually been largeiy responsible for calling the Mackenzie Administration into being, had not continued to give support to their party. Tho result "of their actions would, of course, be a matter between themselves and their constituents.

Asked who would now lead the Opposition, in view of the rumours current upon this subject, Mr Myers stated that in the meantime Mr* Mackenzie would continue to lead the party, and he did not think there were any other aspirants for the position.

THE LABOUR PARTY AND THE PLEDGE.

VIEWS OF LOCAL LABOURITES

Tho remarks which appeared in yesterday's issue of "The Press" from our Wellington correspondent regarding the Labour Party's pledge were brought under the notice of local members of the Labour Party.

"So far as the pledge connected with the Labour Party is concerned," said Mr G. It. Whiting, -'it must stay. if it doesn't, the Labour Party will go to pieces in a tew years, exactly '■ as the Liberal Party has gone to pieces " Hβ went on to say that a few years aco Labour sent members to Parliament

who, in theiir , platform utterances, pledged themselves to be independent, yet tnese same members had been found in a Liberal Cabinet. Tho pledge at present to bo signed by those'joining tho Party provides, firstly, that the member joining will remain loyal to the constitution, rules, and platform of the party, a«d secondly, that in the event of a member going to a ballot for selection as a candidate for Parliament and being rejected, he pledges himself to do his utmost to assist to secure the return of the selected candidate. ''The pledge is essential," added Mr "Whiting, "not only in the interests of the Party, hut in the interests of the country if the ideals of the Party are to be attained. "Why should any man object to pledge himself-to something that he ! agrees with? It is only shirkers and ! those who want to get into Parliament land make tho Party other than a Labour Party who would have any hesitation in the matter." Mr Hiram Hunter, who was secretary 'of the 1911 Conference of the Labour Party (held in Christchurch), remarked that the growth of the Party wag due to the dogged perseverance with which tho Party Wl adhered to its platform and its principles. Any proposition to I widen the rules to admit sitting memI hers of Parliament under different conj ditions to those governing the admission of all and sundry would be received in a very hostile spirit by the rank and file of tho Party. At the 1910 Conference (Auckland) a provision was inserted in the rules enabling sitting members of I Parliament to become the Party's I selected candidate for the constituencies they represented if they eigned the Party's pledge, but this was so bitterly opposed at the Conference the following year that it was unanimously deleted. ilt was felt that if a sitting member i had done his duty and was a desirable • Labour candidate, the question of his ! selection would be beyond doubt; on the ; other hand, if he was not all that was i desired, he might tako advantage of I the provision and pledge himself, S although not imbued with the Party's j principles nor anxious to advocate them ! and bring them into operation. "I i think that the Labour Party has now I got into that position," Mr Hunter continued, "when it .need not care whether tho present sitting members of Parliament join it or not. The pledge has been broadened, and anyone not satisfied with it must be very intolerant of any restriction whatever. To abandon the pledge would strike at the basis of the Party's organisation, because the Party looks upon its platform.as of first importance, and the candidate is only a secondary consideration—men may come and men may go, but the platform and principles therein, must remain, irrespective of the personality of the candidates. Any member of the House at present, if he desires to become a member of the Party, will have to come in on the same conditions as anyone else, and take the pledge and abide by the decision of the majority. If he can't do tliat he is not a democrat, and there is no place for him in the Party."

The Christclwrch Boys' High School Old Boys' Association yesterday sent a telegram to the Hon. Dr. Pomare, congratulating him on his promotion to Cabinet rank. Dr. Pomare is an old boy of tho school. The Mackenzie City Council and the Waimate -Borough Council have both decided to send congratulations to the Hon. W. F. Massey on his accession to the Premiership.