A REMARKABLE PROPOSAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 517, 26 May 1909, Page 6

A REMARKABLE PROPOSAL.

The PkiUe Minister seems at last to be realising that members and.the country .can' seo quite clearly the entire .absence of any relation between, the, Parliamentary session in New Zealand and the Naval Conference in■; England. He has accordingly busiod his ■ wits'-to. find another way. outof the difficulty of his own making with the result'that he has Revised tho pretty .littlo plan which is announced to-day. He has invited members of-Parliament to meet him on June 7, to hold an informal "Parliament" as a preliminary to the holding of the session, propor. At'this conference, it would appear, he intends to endeavour to persuade members that while he attends the Naval Conference the business of Parliament should bo suspended. We shall not comment just now Upon . the extraordinary fact that while lie is able to offer Dreadnoughts without even consulting members by telegram ho is yet able to call.members together to discuss-his own personal arrangements. Despite'his further efforts, and the efforts of his friends, to confuse the real issue, there are some points about the latest arrangements that'stand but too- clearly to bo: missed by anyone who takes, any intelligent interest in public matters. Indood, the Pbime Mm-

isteh's plan actually assists the presentation of tho case against the postpone- : mentof affairs. _ Since the. Prime Minister says that it is by the middle of June that ho must i' leave if ho is io be -present at tho Conference; it-is obvious that lie would havo ample time to obtain Parliament's opinion ' between June io and Juno 16, Why, thoii) is it necessary to call a preliminary informal "Parliament' 1 for June 7? The settlement, of the qiicstioh must be mado by Parliament in session in any 'case. What reason .is there, then, for this melodramatic summoning of members? Ob~ viously, the Prime .Minister hopes to ead them into pledging away their Parliamentary freedom. But are our mem- ' Parliament such foolish children' as the success of the "Prime Minister's design would prove 'thorn* to be? Surely not. j Before we, state' the final and convincing reason for the normal progress of the session, we may again emphasise the fact that the Naval Conference and New Zealand's representation at it are matters which have no necessary rclatioh to the Parliamentary session at all. . The fact that Now Zealand 'should be well represented in London supplies no reason Whatever why Parliament should kick its heels and leave untouched:tho Important business before it. In fact, as We shall' see, it supplies the best of reasons why Parliament should be sitting during the currency of the Conference. We are all quite as sensible of New, Zealand's duty to the Empire as Sin Joseph Ward. ther the public nor Parliament will ob-ject-on the contrary ' may be expected to cordially applaud—if tho Prime Minister can sec hiß way to go/Home as our ' representative. But .who will say that our duty to the Empire entails Upon' us the neglect of Our,;own affairs?. The Prlme /Minister and hisfriends-may talk until they are tired of the fact that the Empire should be above party. But tho Prime-Minister's heroics are quite irrelevant io ,tiie question of' the sessional arrangements. Tho question rday be put quite plainly;. In what interests does Sin Joseph Ward sepk the - postponement of Parliamentary business?: it must be : cither in his party's interests', or. in the Empire's interests. should be glad to sco how; the Empire's interests can be served by the adjournment of the session. : .'•'.■..■• •';:':''' ' '■■Mr: MAssey, .in \view: of the .reported urgency of the invitation Baid to havobeen dispatched:,to.tho, .'Minister. by the British'.; Government, may bo. disposed to. agree to the Prime-:' Minister's ; departure. Parliament' will ialmost certainly' agree' to that proposal; But we .shall'bo.-surpriscd,:arid:the country.will' have good reason to 'if Parliament also agrees' ; to suspend business ' during., the PrimeMirtisTEß's '''absence, . unless some /much better' reason is advanced than any jtet pilt forward, If wo haveshown,the. Prime Minister to ,be balancing tho needs of his party against tho 'needs' of the country,/ we; can only ! regret that the facts compel lis to do i so,- We have said; that there Is an ihdc Jiendent, and quite/ conclusive argument in favour of the holding of the session ! while Sir JosEPH'is' in Londoni- : A little reflection Will show that if the naval defence of the Empire is really as urgent as 1 / itis.vital.H, is manifestly,in tho .highest ! degrco desirable i that Parlament.'should ' be in session, ready at a moment's notice ; to act. on ;a communication,, from the J Prime Minister, ready Jo .supply advice i or topass immediate legislation or make, "] any : immediate', financial;/.arrangements '' that may be necessary. .To our mind this j ig a consideration, little less'important j than the consideration that our own ur : i gent domestic, business/should be taken '■ in hand without .delay: and seriously. dealt with..: Parliament: has. two qucs- J tiorts'to answer: • to LondonT/'and,"Shall.the' ses- ! siorial ; arrangements ; be upset V To the '■ first .Parliament can very well, answer : Yes; to tho second,-the ihicrests of the '•' country, demand that it'should answer ' No. The Prime Minister persists in endeavouring toconfuse the issue by,'ming-' ling (be questions together, and present* ing them as related. Members will do well to keep it in their minds that the questions nre unrelated/and should bt.'kept separated,/•'■'/.'. ,/''./'