[ESTABLISHED 1875.] Manawatu Daily Times The Oldest Manawatu Journal. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17 1913 THE STONEWALL.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 2027, 17 September 1913, Page 4

[ESTABLISHED 1875.] Manawatu Daily Times The Oldest Manawatu Journal. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17 1913 THE STONEWALL.

I We remarked yesterday that in cer- ► tain cases stonewalling in Parliament is justifiable, particularly in ' instances where ic is used as a proI test on principle. The public as a ' rule do not trouble very much about happenings in Parliament. They cannot be expected to follow very closely the twists and turns of the , political game, though very of.en i success or failure of some little I scheme may mean many pounds , sterling to them. Unfortunately i too, just at present, only one side of 1 politics is being given to a large proportion of the people, for if the trouble be taken to mentally check | what we stare, it will be noticed that in several communities only the one side in poli'ics i 3 represented by newspapers. This is a development of quite recent years, and, un<ier the arbitrary system of the distribution of parliamentary news, and its colouring to suit the ends of party, it is not good for a heafthy critical public opinion. Therefore a stonewall to protect a principle is of value because it eft'cfcively directs public opinion to what is transpiring. A certain romantic interest attaches to a stonewall where men's ! will powers, ingenuity and endur ance come into conflict, which attracts the attention of the public. Who will win say the sports? What is it abjut, asks the curious ? In the present case Parliament dealing with the Estimates and was passing many thousands of pounds ( sterling, I, i-t the common practice for an Opposition wnile Estimates are under consideration to request details of the votes they are asked to pass—why there should be increases here or decreases there. Thpy often desire to know, and quite rightl?, something abou- the conduct of the Department whode Estimates they may be considering. The Mini-tor himself may not know. In all probability he will be depending upon the report of his Departmental head. Theiefore. unless that report is prepared, he cannot give p.*oper information to enquirers. As a rule, to assist him out of tnis difficulty he has the Departmental heid sitting handy in the Hou?e to prompt his replies. Now, Mr Massey, session after stssion, complained that he could n»r, get information from the Waid government when passing the estimates. He called time and again for departmental reports, and told Sir Joseph Ward he had ulterior reasons for holding them back. In Hansard will be found in scorn of places his scornful declaration that passing estimates without departmental reports was an absolute farce. The " Beform" organs took up the cry and sad th*t the failure of toe Ward government to produce these reports and shed the light of day upon the expenditure was one sign of corrupt administration. It was even hinted that the Government in compelling the Opposition to pass the estimates without the reports was asking them to compound a political felony against the country: It was in vain the Ward government protested that the printing office was overburdened with rushes of work

that tbe reports would be produced in due course. Ml- iYiassey stili continued to protect, and sometimes to stonewall. And he was right, and he was sent into power to rem-dy such errors and to see that tbe beads of departments had their .reports ready at the proper time. And now what do we iind. Tbe Estimates are down and are being considered, and no reports are available, and the present Opposition are following the practice that Mr Massey himself had set up. Mr Massey refused the reports and scorned their requests. Tbey have lodged their protest in the shape of a stonewall, and it seems to have been a very effective protest, because aftpr many hours Mr Massey has given way, and has submitted the reports. And around us we have the delicious spectacle of irate Reform organs piling epithets upon the Opposition for their stonewall and tbe cost to tbe country The Opposition are doing it to block " the march of reform" they say. The local government organ exploded virtuously last evening about the uselessneifs and iniquity of the stonewall. A session or two ago it was belauding Mr Massey for doing the game thing, for standing to the same principle! Does the paper

deny anything we state. We challenge its denial. We do so purely in the interests of" reform," because we believe the country is already becoming tired of the careless manipulation of this word by organs, unscrupulous of v real facts, to support their own ends. If these organs ate out for " reform" why are they not consistent and blame Mr Massey for the omissions for which they blamed his predecessor, and support Sir Joseph Ward when he does that which they praised Mr Massey. for doing ? These are simple questions, but we believe our contemporary and some other organs will find them difficult ,to answer. > Abusive adjectives will not help them.