PITIABLE DEGRADATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15704, 25 August 1911, Page 6

PITIABLE DEGRADATION.

The roports which are published today of tho scenes associated with the election of a Speaker by the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales show that throughout the long progress of an acrimonious debate little effort was made to raise the House from the pitiable depths of degradation to which it was reported yesterday to have fallen. TTje peculiar procedure which governs the election has been responsible in some degree for the utter lack of restraint which has marked the reopening of the Assembly j but some of the blame must rest upon the shoulders of the opponents of tlio Government. Their display of temper was simply puerile. The only alternative to tho election of a Liberal membor to the Speakership is the dissolution of the Parliament, and naturally neither party is anxious to appeal to the country at the present moment. The recent census has necessitated a redistribution of seats, and the Electoral Commission is revising the boundaries of the electorates. The existing rolls are out of date, and tho voting strength of the constituencies varies between 6000 and 19,000. The members of the Opposition have been claiming that the revision of boundaries will add considerably to their chances of securing a majority in the next Parliament, and if their claim is well founded they can gain nothing from the tactics they have employed during the past few days. The Acting-Premier lias promised to introduce no contentious measure, but merply to carry on urgent business until the completion of the work of the Electoral Commission enables the Government to seek a dissolution, and the Speech delivered by the Lieutenant-Governor shows that Mr Holman, .who has treated his opponents with courteous frankness, has been as good as his word. For the sake of the decencies of public life it is to be hoped that the Opposition will abandon its lamentable methods and permit the Government to continue its honest efforts to deal fairly with the business of the State.