POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 14420, 16 July 1910, Page 2

POLITICAL POINTS

[By Ol’r Parliamentary’ Hand.] Parliament began this week with the knowledge that a ■ good start had been made for the session. Useful logie*>tion had Ireen begun inside the first fortnight, and tho way the House tackled it showed that member's were in working trim. They did not get much further with legislation this week. Two whole sitting days out of tho four "were wholly taken up in discharging two matters out of which the Opposition have tried to discredit tho Government—viz., the “ K A. Smith ” business arid L'Affaire Knyvott. The procedure was much the same in each instance. Armed with an exhaustive file of all the papers bearing on each case, the Prime Minister entered on the lengthy task of reading them, commenting on'’them at intervals, and finally tailing them. *«■***»*

By the tirna that- Sir Joseph Ward gets to the end of his Financial Statement on Tuesday night he should bo what Yankees call “ Fed up ”on reading. The same ap plies to members. It is tiresome work to listen to the reading of document after document, letter after letter, no matter hew well they are read. It may even be confusing when tho process extends into an hour and a-half or two hours. The House would perhaps have preferred fighting speeches from its Loader. But there was wisdom in the Prime Minister’s move, because these letters have gone into ‘ Hansard,’ and can toll their own story there. *»*•»*** After the reading lessons followed extempore speeches. It seemed a work of supererogation in the E. A. Smith case, but the Opposition braved it out to the bitter end, trying manfully to cover their retreat after art utter rout. Their cry was that they should have known all the details before; that the Prime Minister should have published tho true facts of the case as soon its he knew them; and that if lie had done so there would have been no commotion. In short, they justified their wild accusations by their ignorance. They had been told that they were on the trail of easy game, and they discovered that they had been tracking a lion, ano that when overtaken be reversed tire positions of hunters and hunted. Urey further’ complained that early in the chase tho lion should have roared once or twice to lot them know what game was afoot. Then they would have abandoned the scent, and have saved a very unpleasant meeting —for them. To take another illustration, I lie Prime Minister blew them utterly into tiro wilderness, and they protested that he should have blown sooner and not so hard, “K. A. Smith ” will be a sore spot, in the Opposition's anatomy for some time to come. * * * * «• * *

The contribution of the member for Christ church North to the Knyvett incident was incomparably the finest speech he hiiK made this session. Ho said very little about Knyvctt, but he had a great deal to tviv about' the new Defence system. A generation full of new enthusiasms in this d'rsction may regard him as a political Jeremiah, with his solemn warnings against the evils of mjl.itaricim and fls concomitants of snobbery, despotism, and oppression. What he says may be possible, but it is not probable. ******** Mr Albert Edward Clover is member for Auckland Central, but tbo whole of Auckland is bis special care. His flights or oratory this week have covered a variety of subjects, all dealing, exclusively with the virtues of “My good! people” (as ho invariably calls them) and the requirements of their delectable habitat. Ho quoted savings bank statistics to show how thrifty his “good people” are, and how this virtue of “piling them up on their edges” has resulted in the Auckland people having more, coin stowed away than the people of Wellington, Christchurch, or Dunedin. He is a loyal party man when party does not interfere with Auckland. Then he faces the dilemma, with a. force that is tremendous at the start, but becomes somewhat attenuated and quaking at the finish. He emerged from the “Justice for Auckland" episode fairly well preserved, but from the “Justice for Knyvctt” business he did not get out by any means rv at bless. He received delightful treatment from the hands of his political chief. **»«*«» It appears that during fho early agitation in Auckland Mr Massey declared that he would lake the mailer to the steps of the Throne, while- Mr Clover valiantly threatened, to move a vrant-of-contidenco motion unless the Government hacked down. Sir J. Ward pleasantly pictured Mr Massey carrying Mr Clover to the feet of Majesty, and then applied a slightly irritant salvo to his follower's wounded feelings by continually referring fo him as “Tho future Prime Minister of New Zealand.” Mr Glover endured it for somo time, until Sir Joseph rend a telegram he had received from “Albert Edward” informing him that be underrated Auekbmd's fervor in the Knyvett case, and stating that Sir Joseph “might be a great statesman, hut was no diplomat.” This climax to the Prime Minister’s gentle raillery was too much for the gravity of members and the long-suffering Mr Glover, ~ho sprang to his feet to raise a point of order. "Sir, 1 have been misinterpreted,” lie shouted. What happened in the next minute or two was inaudible. ******* Sir Joseph Ward has had a. strenuous week. His mornings have been eaten into by deputations, and his afternoons and evenings have been mostly spent in fairly vigorous lighting in the House. Private members' days brought him no respite, for L’.Aifairo Knyvett absorbed one, and on tho other there were Mr >Sidey’s Bill on sinking funds and Mr Newman’s for wiping out the “bookie.” Looking back on the week, one secs how completely Sir Joseph has won all along tho line His debonair manner never left him for a moment, not even when the Leader of tire Opposition rather pointedly hinted at rumors of Cabinet dissensions when comparing Mr Carroll’s and the Prime Minister’s reasons for Mr Dinnie’s recent appointment.