Manawatu Evening Standard. CIRCULATION 3900 COPIES DAILY. FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1912. THE SPEECH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9227, 28 June 1912, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. CIRCULATION 3900 COPIES DAILY. FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1912. THE SPEECH.

Tire important it-cm in the session of Parliament commenced yesterday was not expected to be tho Governor's Speech. No matter how sensational that effort might have been made, it was generally accepted that the great question at issue to be decided by the no-confidenco motion could not be materially affected by tho announcement of the Government's policy, Henceonly moderate interest was centred in tho Speech, and this notwithstanding tho I act that'the mind'of Cabinet—if it could claim the possession of such a commodity—had only been revealed in scattered scraps by.touring Ministers. These scraps have now been collected, classified and added to, and - they arc presented to the country as tho programme which would bo carried out if the people or Parliament would only give tho opportunity. The chances of such an opportunity being afforded are extremely remote. A number of tho leading proposals have already been dealt with, and as wo have previously pointed out the-' most desirable of these are nearly all culled from tho lleform platform. T'ight linos for railwayc, improved suburban services and a complete reorganisation of our groat State enterprise have been advocated for years by the Opposition, and thoy'have been recognised at last by the Government as essential. ' This eleventh-hour rcpenj tanco has, we fear, come too late to bs I of any use to, tho dying Ministry. It 'js really 'delightful to note the peculiar Mixture of ideas put forward as a land

.«fi\ifiT> &jtoy' when, it' is remehiberahtbat p, freehold Premier has the remnrka'ble'task of four 01, five leasehold* Cabinet Minsters, A vague proposal io'ppent, aggregation; the extraction of a little moie from the big'landholder (always' a, safe plank tor a time-serving Ministry)'; the appeal to the "small man",'tho'revival' of compulsory resumption; and a remarkable proposal to check mafficking in Gown lands which, by the way, will need to be veiy remarkable to accomplish ils purpoae-this is the land policy. It would be interesting to know how many of these proposals have been foiced on Mr Mackenzie The list is, of course, a compromise between the two extremes and, as usual, is not seriously meant to solve a pressing problem. Mr Mackenzie promises to establish agiioultuial colleges. He has evidently been coni eited to the dairy school idea? but prefers to announce his conversion under another name. There is the usual-crop 1 ot legislative sprats' designed for the ensuring of the mackerel with the vote. There io also a veiy amusing suggestion designed to make Parliament behave itself and keep reasonable hours—a suggestion which at least shows the repentant fepint in which this one-time proud and arrogant party now approaches its masters. The Speech may be'regarded jas an improvement on recent efforts, ' but that is about all that can be said I for it.