WORK OF PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 677, 30 November 1909, Page 10

WORK OF PARLIAMENT.

DESIRE FOR BUSINESS-LIKE METHODS. ■-.■-.;' WHO WASTKS THE TIME?' .; Prompted-by a desire'.to see tho work of Parliament curried on on business-like lines, Mr.'.G. 11. Thomson (Dunedin North) -asked tho'Primo Itinistcr in the Honso of Kepresenlatives"yostprdny whether he would ninkc nrraiige ; ' ments as soon as possiblo that during tho remainder of. tho session tho House should meet for tho transaction of public business on threo days-of tho week, between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., rind that two days in the week' should bo sot apart for committois work. He said that in the afternoons ami early in the evenings some members 'delivered speeches—really addressed to their constituents—but frequently- absented themselves during (lie later sittings' , when other .members, who ho presumed were more conscientious, piHlfiivomcdto carry on tho business of tho country...-Under the present, system, mombors wnrkwl according to what. might be called n policy of exhaustion. He did not thinkany man nftor midnight was üblo to do his work ns woll nn ho would bb' ablo to do it in tho duytiino, ' Already thnt session they had seen Hip imedifyiiiK epeetaele of meniliers being whippod in lltiin after time for divisions when they did not know what was going on, and after they had voted returning to their slumbers,-or to again occupy themselves in some other way. Tho work of I'nrliftmcnt sliould be done when members wero f rnsli. a nil in possession .of their faculties. 'The mallei , to which he "referred was a public scftiidnl. Only that day he had soon couches being removed from tho libraries .to different room!!, whore members would bo ablo to sleop until they were called' for: a division. He had merely mado a suggestion as to the hours \yhich should bo worked, but ifsome alteration of tho kind woro made there would be a better, record to show'at the-end of tho session. . ~- . ■,'...' - I -V " ' '• ■: ' '■' ' Viows'of Other Mcmbsrs. -,' \ ,:- • ■ ; Mr. Daycy (Christchnrch • East) said he would support a■ proposal to meet,at .10.: a.m. every moming, and do the. work.'of Parliament in the day-time like other people. '.; ■'. . Mr. Hanan (lnyercargill) thought that under party conditions late sittings must bo held- if tho Government wished to pass its measures. A "great deal of the time that was wasted was wasted owing to party wrangles. Business was blocked : by the Opposition so that they might: bo nblo to say there. had been a barren session. When Radical meriibers opposed any proposals they had a right to,do so, and thore were good,reasons for their opposition. Parliament should' get rid of many of its road board functions.:. ' • >■ Mr. James Allen (13rucc) said that tho bulk of the, work was done outside the Chamber. (Hear, hear.) The mornings were needed for committee work ■ and tho study of difficult Bills. They could, got .short respites, from the work of the Chamber in the'evening:.'. The' waste of time was cansed not'by tho Opposition, but by Minister's, who would; nqt>bring down their most ' urgent measures:'.sat'. the! beginning of tho session, and, let the' House confine its attention to those.. Instead, the Government always'brought down-Bills which it,did not mean to carry and time was wasted on . those 'measures.. :, ,;--, . Tho Prime Minister,'said that' personally he; would prefer to , see theillouse sit. from 9 a.m,' till-5 p.m. or 6 p.m.,'but'thati.would not suit ■members who wished'to/get" away at .night and return on a mbrning: ; '.>?y day sit-: tings : they .woiild avoid . tho waste ■ of time 'whiph some members caused by talking to tho gallery. If hej'caitib "down" 'with\,'a..proposal; for 9 a.m. t'0.5..p'.m.. sittings it'would strongly opposed,ithough personally.he believed if would be one of,the reforms ■ that could be carried'out. .:'.., ,: : . >•: .-: Opposition members: Why'not try it? ~' -■ ■■ /Why should they turn night- into. day- ses-. 'sion after session:?'the' Prime Ministar.con-, tiuu'ed. Tho Government' had had., its' work ready from tho'/begirining of the session. If Parliament had :not. debated the. Address-m-Rcply, the Loan Bill would.,have been through ten days before;- . If only, ; tw.o! ori three members had epokenon each side)'tho .debate..could- ■ havo been finished in a day," and; they -'could , have got on with other work. The Government had been ready to keep,tho House .going -with its ■ work, every-'-, hour .. of, the session. More than once the Opposition had attempted "tp", delay-, the business of the . House forits own reasons. (A member: "No.") : 'Hβ'did not think that it would Xbeisatis'factoi'yo.to. sit from ,10 a,m. till 10 p.m.-oh'thrce'(lays'of tho week. It would bb- better, to rnee.t in-the mornings and tit on ..until the work was finished without naming any time when the House- should. riso. ■They had scentthis ..by a member talking,on a' Bill liefbre its introduction; when no -other ;rii'emher, had' .seen:, tho measure. If Mr'.,. Thompson's.'proposal'.'wero adopted a member':, would '.be ■ ablo.'-to"; give-notice every day' to introduce a .Bill,'.and- by , talking cloae to thotime'of.'adjournment he could-stop all .Parliamentary, work..' -Ho was against the process of exhaustion, but -if • they, fixed -an hour for rising '.they, would-'bo playing into .the hands bf any, members who. might think it •Uieir duty to talk :sp,:as-tb'prevent'leKislation going on thostatutb' book. •; He believed that the way out.was.to meet ia!>th'e morning, three days'a week and not fix a time for rising. They should then try -to 'bring' the "'work'to-a close' at an ■ hour : which ' would. be : recognised as the hour for rising,'and: if there:'was;ah attempt to block.the business,'they.could 6it ; on till the work was done. ;He- wantedvto'.see the .House rising at midnight;: but it depended ,on members, themselves..ylfi they,-would delay the business it; was no use blaming 'the: Government; they must blame : themselves.- - \lf a private member ■ , |(ewoiild';,always:ATOte , , against the introdnctioß?bf'a'Bill.'w.hipViit'as explained before it was circulated.-tThb Government; had not had anything: like„.■ the amount, of assistance,which it pught to. have had in political decency frpm-thq^Opposition. : ' 'V , "'.., ,;.'.. ■ : Mr. Jag. Alleii , :aga.iri:' : :aveiTcd. that tlie.responsibility for "the waste'"tf: time .rested .with'Ministers themselves. '.'•-.._•. .

V: MR. MASSEY IN*rERVIEWEpi-.. ~•;;.,'.■'■-. '■' .PROPOSED INCREASB%N' ; TAXATION| ; COALITION :OXJ.T. OP QUESTION! ' : : , (By Telegraph!— Special Correspondent.) : : .■'■:'■: ; ': '"'Aucklandj-.Npvember 29. /. .The present Parliainentary session has, in ; the opinion/of Mr. i\V. V. llassey, leader 'of'-'.tUe: Opposition, been most unsatisfactory": and' 1 pro-, ductive.- of very little ,work of ; any importance.' • "As a matter of fact," Hi , . Mas'sey' remarked to a "Herald" l representative, ''the.session has been completely spoiled •by vbeing postponed from Juno to October; Thero ; have been .no , ' obstructive tactics during':the-..present session. .On the contrary, wo have j;iyen; the Government every facility;, to'.get oir'with :-thp ness .-and eveiy encouragement to- put .their proposals' forward;.'Thero is 'a certain, saying about giving sonie people ropo: enough and a certain result will ioUow. We havo now got the Government's policy, so-called,' and "find, that it includes serious increases of taxation in four directions, including of increasing, the burdens of the people; a land policy stolen for: tho occasion, and which I believe they do npt want to give effect to, which in fact they are: now unwilling to-bring into operation, and which , I think they dare ,not give effect to. The excuse for tho increases of taxation-is that money is required for-de-fence purposes. That may be, but if. such is tho. case tho amount of increase should be limited to the amount required for. this particular purpose, and should not bo collected until it is wanted. But the increase of taxation will commence almost at once, and so far as I'am: able to judgo it will be moro than double the amount required for defence.", "Do you think that the Land Bill will como before the' House this session?" . . , : •

'.1 doubt if it; will," was the'reply.' "But if it does we shall:endeavour to improve oh it so as to. give the option of the freehold possible, and without any complicated or unfair conditions.'] As for the lands which were: locked up by the Act of 1907 because they are supposed to bo.'endowments,-llibelieye the optional system should bo extended' to those lands, and the moneys received therefor used for purchasing land in cities or suburbs, and these latter kept as endowments:' By. so doing settlement would be encouraged and public interests. would- not suffer, but , would probably be grently .benefited." ■ . ■■■.-■'' . "The new members of tho Opposition party," said Mr. Massey, "are a solid|, sensible lot of men, well ablo to take care of themselves and to look after the business of their constituents. They aro gradually picking up experience, and will be heard from 'before tho Parliament'comes loan end. -. ■

"As for the talk about coalition,..which seems to have been started in Auckland since the surronder of the Government- ou . ; tho- hffia 5 question, let mo say at onco that anything of the sort is: out of' thp, question. There, are a fow men on the Government'sido who plight to bo with us, ami we shall be glad to have them when they choose to come.- That is the, only form of coalition which is possible., Tho Opposition members are true to each other and true to their principles. We aro neither to (bo. bought nor 'sold. I think wo:.can clnim that our influence in the past bns been for.good, and until the electors seo fit to give us: a majority in a'proper mannej-w; aro satisfied to~sit on the-left of Mr. Speaker."- .'.; : r