The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 19, 1920. THE DOMINION’S OVERWORKED PRIME MINISTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume LIII, Issue 5536, 19 July 1920, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 19, 1920. THE DOMINION’S OVERWORKED PRIME MINISTER.

lb will come as no surprise to the general public to Jeani that the Prime Minister lias decided to limit the period when deputations may wait upon him during the session to two days per week. What has been asranged is that Saturdays and Wednesdays shall be reserved for Cabinet sittings.' On Tuesdays and Fridays, during the non-sitting hours of Parliament, Mr Massey will attend to departmental work. This arrangement leaves only Mondays and the forenoon of Thursdays for receiving deputations. The position, it would seem, is that deputations this session have already been very numerous and the Premier lias been notified that a great many more may be expected. What has brought matters to a head Bo early in the session is undoubtedly the fact that the government is behind-hand with its proposed measures. On Friday evening Mr Massey liad to ask tlie House to rise earlier than usual because he-bad no fresj**' business ready. It appears that he had intended to bring down a new Bill that evening but he was forced to explain that he had not had an opportunity, since it was drafted, of studj’ing its proposals. That, of course, is not a satisfactory state of affairs. The big problem in regard to deputations is that a strong attempt is being made on their part, to get away from the old custom of meeting only the Ministerial head of the particular department which is concerned in connection .with their request. Practically every deputa-

tion that. goes to Wellington now a- . days wishes to have the Premier in j attendance at the interview as well as ’ : the Minister whose department is at- . feeted. Mr Massey, in making a J strong appeal to deputations not to press ifor his attendance at such interviews, made this remark in the House on Friday evening: “In any cases deputations will roceive an equally good hearing—an equally intellige'nb hearing-—if they are satisfied to have their business discussed between themselves, and the responsible Minister.” The trouble, in respect of which the Premier complains, unquestionably arises from the fact j that Mr Massey himself holds the im- j portant portfolio of Finance. Prae- j tically every request made by a depu- j tation would, if granted involve the ; expenditure of *State moneys. We j are afraid that the present political system is responsible for the new departure on the Dart of deputations. It is all very well for Mr Massey to say that deputations can rest assured that they will get good treatment at the hands of any of liis" colleagues. The fact remains that, where State expenditure is involved, an ordinary Minister invariably replies that the ] financial aspect of the proposal must be referred to the Finance Minister. In the circumstances deputations may be excused for holding that it is m their interests that the Finance Minister—and Mr Massey, as we have said, holds that important office today—should also be in attendance when they put forward their requests. Mr Massey, when this point was raised by way of an interjection as he was explaining the position to the House admitted that there was a great deal in the argument but he said that lie could not do anything more at present than he was proposing. We are certain that ithere is something else behind the new arrangement besides the need, on Mr Massey’s part, for speeding up the preparation of the business for _tne session. Mr Massey has, ever since his return on the .last occasion from London, been over-worked and it is well known among liis intimate friends that the strain has begun to tell If Mr Massey is not careful he may find, at the end of the presept session, that his health may be far from satisfactory.