POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 14214, 13 November 1909, Page 2

POLITICAL POINTS

When a man has done a good, deal in wheat or in land, or a good piece of business of any kind, ho has a tendency to sit back satisfied and to take a spell. It was so with Parliament this week. Wednesday was the big day, and the rest of. the week was very small potatoes. Members may have endured no particular strain iu listening for two hours while the Prime Munster read his now historical Budget, but it was a great occasion, not to be supplemented afterwards with anything iu the shape of an anti-climax. It is not too much to say that the Statement took the breath of Parliament away. Members admitted it : when the cheerful reporter strolled along afterwards seeking chatty opinions they were ruthlessly “ turned down. ’ ]t was the same next clav. Members had not had time to collect their thoughts. Such a state of things is almost unprecedented. Iho Budget was long and strong, and succeeded in sotting members thinking in earnest. There wore two exceptions on the matter of silence so far as comment is concerned, those being (hose polilically polar extremities Mr Massey and Mr Ell". • To the Leader of this or any Opposition ; criticism of the Government proposals, 1 being second nature, is always on lap. Ms ’ it were. ' ; *******

It might have been thought that on this occasion such a Budget would disarm Opposition criticism, but it did not disarm Mr Massey. His carping frame of mind has become chronic. “ Eminently a healthy 5 Budget, wherein it is proposed (hat we ' should discipline ourselves, refrain from ' excessive borrowing, cut down some of the ' luxuries, and generally try to live within ' our income, besides teaching the young idea how to shoot and drill, and generally to spend its surplus time in something ' more useful than going to football matches and pony races.” Yet it draws from the Leader of Iho Reform party a horrified ejaculation about a “wild cat policy,” and wonderment where it is all to end. Howover, it remains a pre-eminently healthy Budget, Mr Massey’s opinion notwithstanding, * * •» * * * * As if M.P.s had not enough in the Land and .taxation and Defence proposals to' think about, they have the Licensing Question resurrected and thrown at their • heads unexpectedly. Towards (he end of last week, when the Prime Minister was bney day and night putting the finishing touches to the Budget, and the Estimates, closeted closely in the Cabinet room with the Secretary of the Treasury, a conference of a very different nature was going on immediately overhead in the AttorneyGeneral's room. The popular idea of i the lighting Prohibitionist is that he would • be liable to take a lit of apoplexy if compelled to come, into cir.se contact, with ;t- ! brewer, yet here we have the represents--; tivos of both parties negotiating for days f (so it is said) without any disturbance be- J ing created, without even the. lawful fre-V, quenters of tho buildings—the M.P.s— p suspecting that, such volcanic possibilities’ 1 were about the premises. How it was all j done, is Dr Findlay's secret. When it was , all over, and tho terms of tho settlement i' were announced, members wore inclined to V feel annoyed. But, they could not have j been of any assistance, and they would 'j probably have been a hindrance if they ‘ had even got wind of it, let alone Ircen 1 consulted. They would bn tho first to •, admit it probably, but they had been ig- ' nored, and they were not going to be bound by any agreement made over their i heads. However, their time is coming, . when they get- to work on the Bill. It is ’ to be this session. The Prime Minister says 60. Ho is away at Christchurch just now, and (hey are not rude enough to contradict, him, oven in his absence. Bui when questioned on the subject they politely ask: How long is the session going to last? It is just about six weeks to Christmas. The Financial Debate should last at lea--l a fortnight. 'there are to lie Laud and Taxation Bills and Defence proposals ; tho Estimates have also to bo passed, not to mention the Public Works Estimates, It is rumored that the licensing agreement contains a clause stipulating that all is null and void if the legislation doca not arrive this cession. National Prohibition lias not arrived just yet. ******* The Budget and the liquor agreement have ono point in common. When some of tin' Loaecholdere fust heard the land proposals they thought that all was being given away, and were wroth accordingly. But on looking into them they wore less and less dissatisfied, though with tho staunchest this was not at all the case. The first glance at tho liquor agreement suggested that iho “Trade" had thrown up the sponge and in despair conceded everything, but a more matured deliberation forces the opinion on many that the “Trade” have really got the big end of the stick. ******* t'avcrsham has Ircen iu tho public eye this wee!:. It has been one of ups and downs for Mr Skley. He got a. local Bill safely through the House without diffi-'-nlty, then be had an exceedingly rough passage with his Musicians Bill, and finally he carried an amendment, to a Select Committee's report after a debate and a division, in which he had the Government against him. This was by way of compensation for having had to endure some of Mr Taylor's satire the previous evening. Mr Taylor's attentions must he particularly disconcerting to a private member, who (being in charge of a Bill in committee) sits, an it were, in the limelight alongside tho Chairman, Possibly Mr Sidey felt more flattered than anything else when ho heard M r Taylor warning the House, that the country was in danger of finding itself half ruined through trusting to the member for Cavorsham. This was the. House's first open attempt at a stonewall. It was fairly amusing, and that wao all. It seems a pity when, there is a big programme ahead, and time is eo precious, that deliberate attempts have to bo made to waste it. ******* For two nights a week regularly mem- , hors have martyred themselves and talked with an eye on (ho dock until ils hands point to the hour of release at 12.30 a.m. , It hae become a habit, and will continue so as long as Mr Hordman's Public Service Bill remains on the Order Paper. Tt would almost have boeli better policy to have let the Bill come on and got it out of the road. However, private members* day is likely soon to bo taken by the Government. Progress should then bo morn rapid. Providence evidently thinks that the House wants shaking up, es last night it sent along an earthquake. It was mistimed by two or three minutes. Members had just left the Chamber and tho discussion on the Hospitals and Charitable Aid Bill for the more congenial atmosphere of Bellamy's during tho supper adjournment.