Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1917. THE 1917 SESSION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1012, 2 November 1917, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1917. THE 1917 SESSION.

The third session of the nineteenth Now Zealand Parliament, which closed yesterday, will rank amongst the most important and memorable sessions ever held in this country. For the fourth year in succession it sal under the shadow of the great war winch is so troubling the world, and its legislative functions were directed almost solely towards matters more or less directly connected with the war, such domestic affairs as were dealt with being only those of the first importance and urgency. All sorts of rumours were afloat concerning the impending fate of the .National Government in the early days of the session. Members on both sides of the House were said to be disgruntled, and ready to vote the Government out of olliee, but the only attempt at a no-confidence motion that was made during the session, came from a Labour member. It was not taken at all seriously, and was quickly disposed of. Yet members were none ' too tolerant of Government action and, in some instances, showed their open hostility to individual Ministers. But, just as threatened men live loim. so the National Government, which was reported again "and again to h G in the throes ol dissolution, has survived the attacks made upon it, and by its judicious handling of members and the questions with which it has had to deal, has earned the gratitude of the country. While a section of the public continues to rail at the Government, and to dilate upon its alleged incompetency and its needed ol such matters as the cost of living, etc., it is. we believe, generally recognised throughout the country that the Mas-seY-Wan,' combination has accomplished much useful work, and done what no other Government—and certainly no party Government—could possibly have accomplished. It gave members of the House plenty of latitude-too much. some people think —and did not in any way attempt to burke the issues the country must lace in fulfilling its. war obligations, ft grappled with the financial .situation courageously, asking the House to sanction war loans of unprecedented extent and to approve of taxation that could never have been passed by either a Liberal or a Reform Government. It honestly and successfully endeavoured to improve the pen-

sioua and allowances to soldiers and their dependants, and, although it was compelled to resist some of the demands of the Second Division men, there is, we believe, a general feeling that it lias done the best it possibly could, in view ol the financial situation and the necessity for exercising rigid economy in the interests of the soldiers themselves. It has made further provision for the repatriation of our soldiers and taken further powers enabling it to deal with enemy aliens and their property, and in other directions it has shown its desire to conserve, the public interest and to administer the affairs of the country with as little dislocation of the ordinary rot.tine as possible.