Evening Post. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1909. DO THEY WANT TO SHIRK?

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 135, 4 December 1909, Page 4

Evening Post. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1909. DO THEY WANT TO SHIRK?

Day by day the proDability grows that the members of the House of Representatives are intending to break away at Christmas and not return, and day by day the certainty grows that such a course would involve an oven more scandalous neglect of duty than appeared to be likely wlien the proposal was first mooted. The prospect of completing before Christmas the immense amount of public business requiring to be done looked very poor at the beginning of the session, but it is now seen to be absolutely impossible. Eight weeks of the session have passed with results as meagre as though they represented the first half of a session of normal length, yet only a little more than a fortnight is left before the date fixed for the rising of the House for the Christmas holidays. The rate of progress achieved during the last two days inclines one to doubt whether the business could be adequately disposed of by the Christmas after next unless some great change comes over the spirit of the House. Members appear to be demoralised, not as yet to the point of rushing everything through blindfold, but in the opposite direction of spending time upon trivialities and irrelevancies, and of seeking trouble and finding it. On Thursday practically the whole day was taken up by a 6tage of the Land Bill which normally would have required no more discussion' than the first reading, and by an Imprest Supply Bill which produced a crop of speeches of the same miscellaneous and discursive type as ordinarily make up the debate on the Address-in-Reply. Yesterday the Land Bill came up again, and the discussion was again cut. short by the- afternoon adjournment, which means that it will be resumed on Monday. Somo progress was also mndo with the Estimates, but an immonso amount

of time was devoted to the recent trouble in the Land and Income Tax Department, which threatens to be as intrusive as the land question itself. The contrast between the excellence and extent, of the proposals of the Budget and the progress which has been made with them during the past week is indeed pitiable. Members seem to havo got out of hand just when they ought to be settling down to business in earnest. The plea that the fault lay with the Government because its Bills were not ready was valid for at least the first month of the session, but has no application now. It is, however, impossible to relieve the Government from .blame for not asserting itself and insisting upon reasonable progress being made with the business. What has become of the pious resolution of the caucus that the whole of the Government's programme, as outlined in the Budget, should be proceeded with? One difficult subject has since been put out of the way through no fault on the part of the Government or its supporters., and since tEe repentance of the Nolicense Party there is no longer any occasion to proceed with the Licensing Bill. The other measures are for the most part available, but the production of them has ha<l no sobering effect upon the House. Time is wasted jmt as lreely as before, and tne vicious idea of adjourning at Christmas and not meetIng again is being revived. It is quite clear that more than half of the necessary -work must be jettisoned if this is bo be done, and that a good deal of the remainder must be shockingly scamped. Some members need to be again reminded that they are paid to do the work of the country and not to enjoy themselves, and that the course suggested will lay them reasonably open to the charge of getting money on false pretences. Let them look their duty fairly and squarely in the face and elect to do it. To do otherwise would be a public scandal of the first dimensions Which should make them strangeis to public life for ever after, and to pass measure after measure without looking at them or understanding them would be an equally shameful betrayal of their trust. As the Leader of the House, the Premier would have to bear a large share of the responsibility for the performance. The duty of preventing it, therefore, falls primarily upon him. By a plain statement to the House or to another caucus of his party he had better clear up the position at once. Of course, he cannot control the vagaries of the Opposition, but he can once and for all put a stop to this monstrous talk about shutting down at Christmas so that members may have a six months' holiday in which to recover from the effects of neglecting their duty during one of the shortest sessions on record. If Sir Joseph Ward will assert himself as a leader should, he can insist that the business of Parliament shall be done, and decently done, and that, whatever a wicked Opposition may do towards, prolonging the agony, the session shall continue until the work is finished.