Feilding Star, Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1916. THE RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2879, 25 February 1916, Page 2

Feilding Star, Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1916. THE RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT.

The Kaiser shocked the Fatherland by his absciK'o (for the first time) from the- ceremonial opening of liis Parliament v few weeks ago. This week the Czar surprised and delighted his politicians and people by opening hfs .Parliament —a procedure that is not incumbent on Russia's monarch. The two acts are significant iv these strenuous times. It is cabled from Petrograd that "three largo groups, composing ho Nationalists., the Progressives, and the Labourites,, have formed a block, which is overwhelming and dominating the Duma." There is no need I'or alarm in this item; It only means that the old secret order of politics in Russia is at its last ga.sp, and is but another sign of the coming of true liberty to the Russians. Hitherto, the Reactionaries have ruled the roost, and had it not been that the Czar is an autocrat and his Cabinet hay no power at all, Russia- would have been in a bad way to-day under the rule of its political pirates. There, are 4-12 members of the Duma—elected for seven years at> a guinea a. day and travelling expenses—and the deputies are split into over a dozen different parties. The Russians are so new to fredoin of political action and speech that the Duma has very little real power, as yet, but it is the forum for tho expression of public opinion, and in the ventilation thereof alono can do splendid work for the State. It was iv the Duma that, by questions and discussions, tho German enemy iv high places was exposed—Russia actually at the outset, of the struggle had a German as Minister of War--and the intrigue for the destruction of the Grand Duke Nicholas, now the. hero of Erzerouin, was also ventilated and brought to naught in tho Russian Parliament. A combined Radical element will help on the good work of giving expression to public opinion.