TOPICS OF THE OAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 66, 15 September 1911, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE OAY.

Happily the weather forces have lately been busier for the Wealth from people'e benefit than the Weather, their Representatives ' in Parliament. While the House has been revolving more ov lees drearily and wearily around the Budget, wilide with dripping wings have flown to these inlands from their home in far-off eeae, and all the earth hs« been gladdened. Spring was here with willing handß to help (..he pastures, but. her allyj tho wind, tarried with the lifegiving afore of watot. It is good to have the news that the rain has been fairly wide-spread. The showers have given joy to agriculturist* and pa«tor» Aliste, and to miners— to all who dig and dclv« to k«ep New Zealand ptmperoue.- It is not easy for the average , city-dweljer to appreciate the worth of & thnely rain to a country which pave the interest 6n it* national debt' mostly with primary jproducts. Estimate* of the value of this week's showers to New Zealand may run anything from four or nv,e hundred thousand to a million pounds. The Government may rejoice as much as the farmers to see this blessing, for no doubt this fillip to the country's prosperity will suit the election book. On the other hand, if the drought had continued much longer the Government might have lost some sup» porters. However, for the present, members of^ both parties can share the joy of a rich dispensation. The outlook is certainly bright for this country's people. The recent report* of the Labour Department show that, thwe is a vigorous demand for willing hands, and the summer promises even better things. Mr. Maasey this session has fully ahd oh«erfully admitted that New Zealand has rallied healtliily from A setback which is vividly remembered by many of the smitton. That uJtr»optimist, Sir Joseph. Ward, is inclined to daeh ahead at the old rat*, and he does not lack incitement from members of his patty, whos« requests for district favours multiply on "the buoyant revenue." There is a danger that the lesnon of 1908 may be forgotten by the Government which has 'the treaeury much enriched by the bettor times. Sometimes members of the press are aggrieved by memThe Press bere of Parliament, and Parliament, who are prone to cry "misfeported'' when a storm bursts upon th&m for a statement made in a- moment of reck* le#sfiess or boldness. This en-sy refugepf a timid man ha* been used so much in New Zealand that it has been brought under the notice of the Institute of Journalists. No ofneial action has been taken, but some members of the profession are convinced that some types at politician are far_ too eager to try to save their reputations at the expense of reporters, \esterday in the Hoiwse of U«presentatives there was «• variation. Several members complained that certain newspapers had done them an injustice. In one cuse the dispute concerned Messrs. Nosworthy and Massey, who stated that they had been misrepresented by a writer who had not taken full cognisance of their speeches in Parliament. Th& other case, in which Mr. M'Laren was involved, was of a different order. His plaint, was that ignoble motives had beeh attributed to him in a r[uestion which he recently put to the Minister of Labour, and he Asked for a direction from the Speaker a* to the extent to which the press was at liberty to comment ort the public acbious (presumably) of ,i member of Parliament. We are glad that Mr. M'Lflren dc ferred to "a Jmggeßtion by tlio Pri«ne Minister that the matter should not be pressed on the floor of the Hou?«\ Without prejudice to any action tthieh Mr. M'Laren may take beyond tho wall? of Parliament, we can nay that the flonr of the House is not usually the beel f>lace for tho settlement of quarrels of that kind. The law provide* olher Wiliuualfi jvhci£ bath j»rUtf 1$ tju iit*.

ference can fully s<it forth thoit me. Tli© Speaker's ruling yesterday opcoed the way to an afternoon of temonsttances against press criticism. Indeed Mr. Wilfofd £ )i'omptly seized & chance to reduce the procedure to an absurdity. With Well-BUfitained rnoek' gravity he solemnly read a report in which, lie paid, he had been "rnisrepr«e'ntccl." He had been credited *itft making m\ interjection In a debate on Wednesday ftt a time when he was actually returning from a !tuicral. The newspapers allow full latitude to a politician to correct alleged miereporting or miereprementation, and if the politician wishes to go further he has tho Courts.