Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

NOTES OF THE DAY.

. _ , We should be the last to find fault with any serious effort by the Minister for Railways to improve the finances of the railways administration. Wo arc bound to say, howovor, that the' people of the AVairarapa have reason to be dissatisfied with the attitudo he took up in _ replying to tho deputation which waited upon him on Monday. Owing to tho diversion of traffic to tho Manawatu lino, it is necessary to reduce tho former services on, tho Wellington-Napier route. The people of AVairarapa cannot, of _ course, bo expected :to like, or quickly to get used to, a. reduction in the railway facilities to which they have been accustomed , and to ', which tho development'of the district is in. no small measure due. The new time-tablo decided upon, however, is productive-'of many great inconvenioncos, as tho depushowsd—so ■many; indeed, that it is plain that the Department, in making lip its mind, took a narrow view of its duty. It was_ made apparent, for example—the point is not a major one— that ■ the Minister had never . reflected that the new time-table would have any effect on school attendances. The incon : ' veniences of the new arrangement do not fall upon,the people of Wairarapa alone. At tho Napier, end there arp complaints also, ; relating, amongst other things, to tho late- arrival of tho mail from the south. ■ The Minister appeared to have his mind mado, up boforc meeting tho deputation, but it is of course not too late to alter the arrangements.. They can be altered any'time. There are two points that must be borne in mind.: .In tbo first place,..the Wairarapa district.is •well able to, support • an ; . ample service. Incjecd,' the whole North: Island'makes a very .good return on . Jho capital invested. V.lfc is in the South that "economies are most urgently. required, and it if- by applying, the pruning- knife there that the railways.can ho made to : .pay. •Moreover, 1 just as the Wairarapa has de- , veloped, to the advantage of the whole country, through, the possession of good railway facilities, so it will be retarded if..the services arc'.cut down, and' dienrranged without proper regard ■to the needs of the district.' , . ' ■ ■:

;On many occasions of' late we have called: attention to the awakening of.the British. Parliament to the necessity, for checking ;tho pernicious tendepey of some modern legislatures to curtail the freer domof tho individual's access to the Courts of the land.. Another example of j this tendency, appears, in Clause-67'of the Death Duties Bill, which gives the Commissioner of Taxes final authority, and immunity from challenge before a judge, in fixing values the Act. An , amendment/moved:; by-;' Mi. .'.James 'AllenJii.the.Houßc'yesterday to provide, for appeal was negatived, , but we hope that the. amendment .will ypt be made bcforo : tho Bill passes . into flaw., The Prime. Minister has probably not grasped the importance "of the principle underlying , the .demand, lately reinforced by the authority; of. the Lord; Chief Justice of England,' thaf the dpoh .of the-high tribunals shall not be' .closed against aggrieved -citizens. : ' : In the : British Einancq. Bill it ; ,was originally, proposed that appeals frbni land valuations should be :docided by t Government officials , ,' but a strong campaign, following upon, Lord Alver|3tone's .notable .warning against tho encroachment of thc'Executive upon, .the domain of tho Courts,, persuaded the Chancellor of.tllc Exchequer to make per provision/forfappeal..' The usual, excuses were made at first—that the liberty, of appeal would cause endless litigation,' that the Courts could not fix values propferly, .and' so, on—but', tjjo .Government .was finally convinced" that its original proposition.was unwise. ■;; The full debate is reported in' the London Times of July ' 7 .In Part 111 iof. tho : Finance 1 Bill (Clause 44, Sub-section 3). it was originally provided that' an officia] appointed hy,: tho Government.. shAuld decide any appeal. .Mr. iLloyd-Georbe,'.whenthis part of : the Bill was in • Committee.on; September ; 15,'. • spontaneously:; .provided i for appeal, in/the.cas.6 ';of these/ duties also., In the /circumstances—in view of the agreoment of both political : parties in ' arid' 'the ] judgment of all British''jurists—we- simply: cannot stand'.how our:own,'Parliament can'to'l;cratc the bad principle, involved in the shutting , out from the Supreme Court of those ipersons who may wish; to 'appeal from.tho verdict of the present or. any other ■ Commissioner of Taxes.' ! , ; "..,

.': Signs , are.'not wanting, that'a 5 section; of Government:members are beginning to realise that" they can' differ with; dotails !of legislation .introduced 'by the Government without committing- themselves' to : the opposing party;,in ; politics'.::: This': must,be' very gratifying to all who. recognise, the danger 'underlying the • legislativo methods which : have grown : up in recent / -When:; a'. Bill ' is brought' down' by a Minister, he; usually makes the strongest; objection' to "amendment of any' kind. ,It must.bo obvious, however that if:members; do their duty thoroughly,in scrutinising .such.'. measures,':weaknesses are,certain at: times;, to* - /bo discovered.. Faulty' draftsmanship is; an .everyday "discovery, and: in. almost every Bill of importance.there is room.for.differences of opinion,asj.to;dotails. Ministers aro' nof entirely to blame for this. Itiwould be surprising indeed if the combined in-.' telligonce of the ;Housc, dicl 'not at times discover weaknesses'which;have escaped thp'notice of Cabinet./ Yet tho feeling has. grown up that a Government member, who. votes. against V the Minister in charge of a: BiU,'. is: guilty, ofan act of .disloyalty.: The effect of this has been that; members have come to rely s more and more on tho judgment; of Ministers and to neglect their o>yn responsibility. Of course there, are exceptions ..to this line of conduct, but the majority of Goyernmont , members trouble very littie,' if at all, about: thV; detail's" of. Bills a<, matter of course, support the Minister in. opposing,amendments, even: vhen moved by members of their ; own party. .While one' or.-two recent'cases in which'members have voted in fprco against Ministerial. Wishes can hardly be said to prove that conditions, aro changing, they'must be taken;: as-a. hopeful sign. ,Mit. Sidev, when he.moved amendinerits lajidly 'to', the .Bill, dealing, with, local bodies' sinking funds and twice de-' featcd ■ the , Peime MiNiSTEK,'..did ;' not theroby display disloyalty to his party chief, and' merely, did his duty to.the country. He.believed, no,doubt, that: a mistake was,beirict made, and. sot about remedying .it.. He.is still as;staunch a supporter of the Government as evor, and the exorcise of his' individual judgment has probably beanbeneficial to the country. Last ovening-aga'in the. member'for Wellington South, Mn..: AVrloht, moved to add a how clause' to' the Death Duties Bill to protect tho interests 'of .widows in:tho matter of insurance policies up to a reasonable amount.:. Ordinarily,- an amendment by an Opposition member is .practically..'certain-Ipi- rejection. :. The Tkime. MhusTEK, .'indeed, opposed ' the clause in question' on i the ground that another clauEC covered : this,- but it:, was plain from tho : attitude ; -pf mpmhors that they: considered the. oarlicr provision-.in i;lio Bill was ambiguous,; and Siii Joskph -Ward I wisely agreed to' recommit the claußO roforrod to in order to ; amend it and any 'doubts \yhich might oxist. 'fhie sort of thing is all too rare nrid tho result ie seen;in rioed|c'ss litigation .and : the. aepesaity for. l-epcaMd

amending' Acts. It is a cheering sign to find members exercising an unfettered judgment in dealing with Bills in Committee. :The , .sooner. *]t is recognised that; the whole of the brains of the House are not confined to tho occupants of the Ministerial benches, and that. members are something more than mere voting- machines, the better it will bo for tho legis-. lative output, of, Parliament.'. *.:.■

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19091201.2.24

Bibliographic details

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 678, 1 December 1909, Page 6

Word Count
1,237

NOTES OF THE DAY. Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 678, 1 December 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY. Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 678, 1 December 1909, Page 6

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert