THE COMING SESSION.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14668, 17 May 1913, Page 10

THE COMING SESSION.

In giving ono of our representatives yesterday somo indication of the Government's legislative programme for 4ho coming session, the Prime Minister

mentioned about a'"dozen measures, but these are evidently only the more important items on. Cabinet's list. The second session of a Parliament (the coming session will really be the third, if we count in the short one in the early part of last; year) is generally regarded as tho working session, but the Government made such good progress .last year with its programme that it will probably not feel called upon to aim at a specially fat Statute Book. We are glad to notice that the Prime Minister mentioned tho Legislative Council Reform Bill amongst the first on his list, for there would be much •disappointment if the reform of tho Council were not kept in the front of the Reform programme. One of tho measures which is to be brought down is a Bill to amend the Arbitration Act. In a statement published in Wellington this week Mr Massey gave some particulars of tho amendments desired, none of which are of vital importance, although they are material enough. Hβ has no intention of falling in with the wishes of the militant section of tradeunionism by altering the constitution of the Court. We are not given any particulars as to the Bill dealing with local government which is now in course of preparation, but we are told that it is an important measure, and it is to be hoped that it will''really' mark the beginning of the long-needed and longpromised revision of tho present unsatisfactory system. As to the tariff, we are told.that it is under consideration, but that in any event there will be legislation in connection with the provisional arrangements recently entered into between Mr Fisher and jMr Tudor. The No-licenso Party, which j will not admit that tho last Licensing Act was a compromise under which their direct opponents expected some immunity from further legislation hostile to their interests, will of course object to Mr Massey's perfectly reasonable statement that thero is no urgency about a new Licensing Bill. They cannot, however, complain with any jus- ; tice, for Mr Massey has already pre- ' mised that no obstacles will be placed in the way of a non-party consideration lof any measure a private member may bring in. Neither can those who de&iro Jan alteration in tho method of election I complain of tho Government's decision that there is as little urgency about tho alteration of our electoral system. JAs Mr Massey says, neither an Electoral nor Licensing Bill will be needed until next year, for a dissolution, as ho I slyly put it, is "not likely." Although i there are those who expect, on vague and general grounds, "a lively session," the Government evidently docs not anticipate that there will bo anything but a quiet and steady development of its policy.

In view of tho smartness of discipline on board H.M.S. Jscw Zealand, and the extreme courtesy shown to visitors not only by the officers, bub the wholo of. the ship's company, an impression has not unnaturally been formed in the public mind that officers and men are all specially for tho occasion. So far from this being tho case, the ship had to be commissioned very hastily, and no form of special selection was attempted except that officers hailing from New Zealand were given tiie opportunity of re-visiting the Dominion in the gift battle-cruiser —an act of thoughtfulness on the part of tho Admiralty, which everybody appreciated.

Tho truth is that all, officers and men alike, havo become thoroughly imbued with tho spirit of the ship and determined to uphold her reputation. Tho result reflects great credit upon Captain Halsey, who has set the keynote, and perhaps even more credit on the Navy as a whole. For if tho good qualities which have so favourably impressed the public mind aro not exceptional, but fairly typical of the whole British Navy, which, wo are assured, and believe, is tho case, then Britons at Home, as well as Britons oversea, have every reason to feel proud of their first line of defence.

One of tho results of the Marconi Enquiry is said to be tho postponement by Lord Alverstono of his retirement from tho post of Chief Justice. The Government intended, it is said, that Sir Rufus Isaacs, the Attorney-General, should succeed Lord Alverstone. The revelation of tho Minister's extraordinary want of candour and discretion, and tho certainty that tho Government could not hold his seat at a by-election, have necessitated, it is said, an urgent request to Lord Alverstone to defer his retirement. In tho meantime tho Marconi Committeo is not hastening over its work. It is quite possible that tho report of the Committeo may whitewash the Ministers concerned, but it is much more likely that their want of candour and delicacy will be emphasised by an affirmation of the principle which Mr Lloyd Georgo defended in 1900 and ignored in 1912, when to ignore it suited his convenience. It is the case of Mr Lloyd Georgo in which the British public is most interested, for is ho not thegreat enemy of "unearned increment" as well as a. ono-timo defender of tho "rulo of Caesar's wife?"

Tho Chancellor has rested his defence on two pleas: First, that he is a poor man (his salary is only £5000 a year), and second, that his purchaso of Marconi shares was an innocent "investment" and not a "ejaculation." On this point, nothing more effective has appeared than the London "Tablet's" article. After recounting tho facts the "Tablet" says: "Mr Lloyd George objects to these transactions being described as a gamble Ho explains that ho bought both lots of shares as an investment. Tho company in wliich he thus invested had never paid a dividend, and he sold 500 shares at a profit threo days after ho purchased them. Still, ho says that at any rate, when ho bought the shares he meant them to be an investment. . . . But what exactly was- he investing? Not his money—for ho had not got it; on the contrary, to effect tho purchaso he had to borrow from his broker, and is still paying interest on part of the loan. Perhaps we may say he invested his hopes." Tho "Tablet" suggests that but for tho fact that the Chancellor is in tho same boat with him, Sir Rufus Isaacs would have been dropped out of the Ministry.

It will bo seen that the Christchurch prohibitionists, are endeavouring to get the Mayor to put pressure on tho Entertainment Committee to arrange f foat no beer,is to be given to the officer* and men of H.M.S. New Zealand at any entertainments given by the committee. The prohibitionists have a perfect right to decide what refreshments shall bo provided at any entertainments they themselves may givo to bur visitors, but any attempt on their part to dictate to tho Citizens' Committee in this matter can only be regarded as bordering on impertinence. The suggestion contained in their request seems to us in the nature of a reflection both on tho committee and on their guests. Tho fact that the Prohibition League are animated by good intentions may excuse their action to some extent, but it is none the less a breach of good manners.

"Why is the rule of tho road different' for foot-passengers from that adopted in British countries for horses and vehicles? Tho former, it is hardly necessary to say, are enjoined to "keep to the right," while the latter always keep to the left. Lord Kinsburgh, Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland, who is President of the Scottish Automobile Club, gave some interesting evidence on this subject before the Solect Committee on . Motor Tjraffic recently. It was, he said, a survival of a custom which prevailed when men carried swords, and it was well to be in a position to turn round and face any assailant with the sword arm free to draw and use a weapon.

It had,been suggested that, with a view to lessening a number of accidents, it would be well to alter the custom so as to make the rule of tho load for foot-passengers the same as for vehicles, but Lord Kinsburgh cpposed this. If it were announced that the rule was to be altered, ho, said, there would bo a great increase of accidents, because years would pass before tho observance of the new rule would take general effect. Ho also argued that at present the foot-pasengesrs, by keeping to the right, faced the approaching vehicular traffic, and thus could see and avoid danger in good time.

According to the eminent authority we have just quoted, however, there lias not been an increase in the number of motor accidents in England, in proportion to the number of motor vehicles. On this point his Lordship gave somo rather striking evidence as to tho supersession of horse-traffic by motors. The proportion of mechani-cally-drawn fast vehicles to horse fast vehicles in London, he said,taking a busy region, in a radius of a mile from Trafalgar square, was rarely less than 100 to 5. At a test taken last April, between 7.30 and 8.30 p.m., at tho top-of Haymarket, 2282 vehicles passed, and of these only 35 were drawn "by horses, or 1.5 per cent, of the total.

Some astounding statements have been made in connection with the Waihi strike, but wo. are not sure whether some allegations made by Mr James Larkin, of the Irish Transport Workers' Union, at a recent strike meeting in Ihiblin, do not more than hold their own, even in comparison with the Waihi inventions, for the demands made on the credulity of tho public. Mr Larkin gave a most circumstantial account of the Lord Lieutenant (Lord Aberdeen) having sent for him to Dublin Castle at tho time of a big strike some years ago, and having made to him the following amazing proposition: —"Mr Larkin, as man to man, if you give me an undertaking to carry out the settlement I'll give you an undertaking they {the employers) will get no troops." Subsequently Mr Larkin had tho misfortune to be convicted by

a Dublin jury of having stolen Is 6d from a fellow-Irishman. When he was released from gaol, according to his own account, a still more remarkable episode occurred. He was again sent for by tho Castle authorities, and Lord \berdeen said to him: "I am glad to see you. Mr Larkin. Would you mind shaking hands with me?" Larkin replied : '"I have not the slightest objection." Continuing. Larkin said: "I shook hands with him. Ho then told mo that everybody was sorry that I was sent to gaol, for nobody believed mo guilty, and that only for tho old 'duffer of a Judse, would be out of prison threo months before.' "

A representative of the Press took the trouble to call at the Vico-regal Lodge and bring these statements under tho notice of Lord Aberdeen's private secretary. His Lordship's reply, sent through his secretary, seems to us to havo exactly met the case. It was as follows:—"When any respectable, intelligent man in Dublin publicly declares that he believes that the Lord-Lieuten-ant uttered the words attributed to him by Mr Larkin as reported in your paper to-day, it will then be time enough for tho Lord-Lieutenant to deal with tho matter." The pity of it is that persons who can make the statements set in circulation by Mr Larkin and tho Waihi firebrands are ever accepted as leaders, or that any decent working men can ever bo simple enough to credit what they say.

In some quarters the agitation concerning tho disciplino on tho trainingship Amokiirn is being renewed, obviously for political purposes. Wo do not ourselves see what tho Government's opponents can hope to gain in this matter, and perhaps they cannot see it themselves. Having got into the habit of using everything as a stick with which to beat tho Government, they cannot easily get ont of it, even when, in this case, tho subject of their strictures is tho work of their <wn political friends. Tho demand for a public enquiry into tho discipline on tho training-ship is largely fictitious, but even if it were not, to concedo tho tiomand would not bo desirable, for experience has shown that public enquiries into tho management of institutions can often do more harm than good. In the present case, it is probable that the Government, in deciding against a public enquiry, did so out of consideration for the boys and their parents. If, however, a majority of tho parents or guardians of tho boys in tho ship were to ask for a public enquiry, it is difficult to seo. how their demand could bo resisted.

Tho interesting announcement is made that Archbishop Redwood has received advice from Rome that the V i-iy Rev. Dean O'Shca has been cre-ned Coadjutor-Archbishop of Wellington, with the right of succession. Tho new Coadjutor-Archbishop will be assured .">f tho congratulations of all his co-reli-gionists and other friends, aud in 'jis new and exalted position ho mav be expected to strengthen the position of the Roman Catholic community, who aro taking a' much more active interest than before in Catholic politics. Archbishop Redwood is a very able and vigorous administrator, but ho •!<'ni'itli j ?3 will feel relieved to have the oc-opr-ra-taon of tho new Coadjutor-ATchbishop, especially as his health is not bo good as it was onco. The Catholics of Wellington have already testified to tli<vr satisfaction at tho new appointment, and they are to bo congratulated on having for their new Archbis'uop an able and popular Churchman. Roman Catholic policy has its opponents; we refer, of course, to their .stand on the education question; but it is impossible not to admire the vigour and alertness and earnestness with which ihey wge what they believe to bo their rights.