NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 986, 29 November 1910, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

4 The minutes of the proceedings of the Hine Committee aro now available, and fully confirm our anticipations of what would happen when this party tribunal sat behind- tho shelter of closed doors. The divisions were just what would have been expected from a Committee composed of six Government members and four Opposition. Vote after vote was taken, and'the figures recorded were six to four, and the same six and the same four voted together on each occasion. On one or two occasions there was a slight variation, but not once, we believe, were the Opposition members able to carry a motion in face of tho Prime Minister and his supporters. During the deliberation on the Flaxbourne case the Prime Minister, who had taken an active part during tho whole of the time that evidence was being'taken, withdrew, presumably because ' he recognised that he was making the proceedings still more farcical by sitting as one of tho judges in a case in which, as a member of tho Government of 1904, ho was also one of the defendants. Ho had no occasion for anxiety. His faithful fivo voted solidly ovcry timo. There wero thirteen divisions during the framing of the findings on the Flaxbourno charge, and on thirteen occasions the voting was 5 to 4. Wo need not discuss this aspect of the Committee's proceedings further. On two occasions on comparatively minor issues the voting was 5 to 5, and the Chairman then camo gallantly to the rescue of the party, and his casting vote went with tho Government majority. There ' was one very ludicrous incident. Mr. Reed, whose brief political career has been chiefly distinguished for its negative results, had evidently laid himself out for a supreme effort on this Committee. At "tho final session he moved : "That the Committee find that it lias reen conclusively shown that no charges of any kind have, been established in this inquiry against the Seddon and Ward Administrations, or any member of these l Administrations." Mr. Reed apparently was unable to' recognise the farcical nature of this motion, oven in face of the previous divisions on tho. Committee, and ho placed tho Trime Minister in . the humiliating position of having to ask him to withdraw it, .which, was 1 dona. Sie Joseph Waed was shrewd

enough to see that this motion, with its inevitable 6-to-4 division, would be about the most damaging demonstration possible of the political partisanship governing the actions of t-no Committee. He.might well ask to bo saved from his friends.. In face of tho disclosures made by the publication of the minutes of the proceedings of tho Hike Committee Mi. camera, the public cannot fail to recognise how overwhelmingly strong the evidence adduced by Mr. Hike must have been. To secure an admission from such a Committee that the majority of the charges had been proved, and to score the additional triumph of compelling the Committoo to recognise and recommend the necessity for remedial legislation, must, indeed, be gratifying to the member for Stratford and his'counsel. There is a good deal of speculation as to what tho Prime Minister intends to do regarding certain of the charges of impropriety which the Committee found to have been proved. Will lw content himself with merely moving a vote of censure, or will he feel it his duty to take extreme steps'! It is impossible to believe, in face of the evidence and tho findings, that Parliament will permit the matter to rest where it is. To do so could only be taken to mean that members aro powerless to safeguard, or indifferent to, their own solf-respect and tho honour of Parliament. It would bo a very good thing for tho country if tho Standing Orders of Parliament were so amended as to prevent any legislation .beyond the Appropriation Bill being passed during the final fortnight of any session. There are plenty of matters which could receive attention during that poriod which would do much less harm to the Dominion than the rushing through of legislation is likely to do. It is so old a story that no one pays much attention to it nowadays. Yet from the point of view of the public interest it is a most shameful thing that members tolerate it. No one can witness.tho treatment of business in' the House at the present time without being thoroughly disgusted with tho hol,low sham and mockery of, our lawmaking., In regard to many of the Bills at this stage of the session there might just as well be no Parliament at all. Ministers might just as well frame the laws without reference to members. At time of writing tho Tramways Bill, attacking the powers of the municipalities, is amongst tho Bills likely to come on for consideration to-night. And what will happen to it! Earlier in the session, with mombers fresh and eager for work, it would not have a possible hope of passing. Now, with a tired-out House and members longing to get away, anything mijht happen. We trust that even now there will bo a sufficient Lumber of resolute members to defcad the rights of tho municipalities from this further attack on them by the Government of tho day.. If .members do their duty, this Bill .at least should be doomed. Tho House has been again tricked as to tho date of closing. Everyone knew it was impossible, to get through the business and close down by Wednesday of this week. The Prime Minister said it was possible, but members generally thought this meant that the Government, would jettison some of the remaining Bills. Members have endeavoured to facilitate business in expectation of getting away on Wednesday, and having done '■ so much, the PniME Minister insists on them doing more They have been tricked —perhaps thoy will bo tricked again, and not get away even on Friday. One of to-day's cable messages, we aro afraid, will fill Auckland with sadnoss. Some timo ago, it. will be remembered, a cable message told us thflit the Sydney Telegraph had announced that Auckland was to be the future.Australasian baso for the British Navy. Tho news created intense excitement in Auckland, if tho Auckland newspapers are evidence on the point. The Star regarded it as "one of the most important pieces of intelligence" it had printed for some, time. It congratulated Sir Joseph Ward. It congratulated everybody. It gave the reasons why the Imperial authorities had .chosen Auckland. It explained how tho visit of the American fleet had "made an _ impression upon the naval authorities at Home." For ourselves, we ventured to suppose, that thogreat news was simply the resurrection of the' ancient news that a few of tho smaller boats of the China Squadron would remain in New Zealand waters in peace timo. And this now turns out to bo correct. . For the Federal Government, impressed, no doubt, by tho excitement in . Auckland, cabled to the Imperial Government for information. The Imperial Government, we learn to-day, has replied that the statements that caused the stir in Queen Street "presumably refer to the fact that when the Australian fleet unit is complote in 1912, tho Government of tho Commonwealth will take over the dock at Sydney and be responsible for all.work in connection with the unit, while some smaller vessels of tho China unit will have New Zealand waters for their headquarters. As far as is known," the Secretary of State for the Colonies innocently adds, "Auckland has not been specially mentioned as the base for tho vessels which will be kept in New Zealand waters." Most people will genuinely sympathise with Auckland as the victim of. a false alarm. At tho same time we are bound to say that to-day's disillusion will not do any harm to our Auckland friends. Perhaps when some wag starts a rumour that King George has decided to winter at Government House in their city the Auckland people may. now hesitate before believing it.