Manawatu Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 21st MAY, 1875.] THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1921. OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLII, Issue 1735, 10 February 1921, Page 4

Manawatu Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 21st MAY, 1875.] THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1921. OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

Wc want broad-minded, reasonable censorship, but wc don’t want it to grow into an inquisition through the activities of people who don’t patronise pictures, but only criticise them.—“Woodvillc Examiner.”

The picture palace to-day ranks with the churches and the schools as a factor for good or bad in the moral training of our children, and it is the clear duty of the Government to see that it operates for their welfare and uplifting rather than the reverse.— “Wairarapa Age.”

When our streams are harnessed and water power stations are at worft distributing “white coal” among the chief centres of the North and South Islands, we shall be able to laugh more freely at the sinister gestures of the and their kind. — Christchurch “Sun.”

We aro not indulging in more hyperbole when we say that Mr Massey was never more indispensable to the Dominion than he is to-day. Financial problems accumulate to add to the uncertainty of the near future. The world of commerce is uneasy, and not without cause. The leading financial institutions have adopted a policy of extreme caution which is not having an encouraging influence on our internal or foreign trade. Industrially, the position can scarcely be described as satisfactory. The poison of class war is still being distilled in various laboratories, and the greatest tact is required to prevent an explosion. So far, Mr Massey has proved himself one of the most successful Ministers of Labour this country has seen, His discretion, common sense and fairness have won him a considerable measure of respect among even the extremists. We can hope only that, during his five or six months’ absence, all classes will combine to play the game. He will not leave New Zealand because he wants to; that is clear. —Christchurch ‘Sun.’

Mr Massey should really lose no further time in strengthening his Ministry. The call that has come to him from London emphasises very sharply to what an extraordinary extent his Cabinet has become almost a oneman Cabinet, and when he comes to distribute his numerous heavy portfolios next month Mr Massey will have great difficulty in placing them, in sufficiently Capable hands, unless he relnforq.es his team. A further consideration that seems opportune is that in the short session in March, no matter how pressed for time the Prime Minister may be, the occasion ought not to pass without some discussion on the financial position of the Dominion, the excessive expenditure of the Departments, the heavy economic pressure on the taxpayers, and the plain and obvious truth that reform in these matters ought to be drastic and immediate. We think that Mr Massey ought to go to England in response to the pressing invitation that he has received, but we think life ought not to go without putting the machinery in motion to effect retrenchment and economy throughout the Departments, in justice to, and for the relief of the over-burden-ed taxpayers.—"Lyttelton Times.”

It would be idle to pretend that Mr Massey can easily be spared from Now Zealand. The middle session of our triennial Parliaments is invariably the most fruitful, and for this year a large programme of legislative tasks had accumulated, includirvr the revision of the tariff and the recasting of the system of road control. The division of the session into a brief autumn and a longer spring sitting will assuredly not facilitate business, but under the circumstances the country\ will acquiesce in any unavoidable inconvenience. It should not be asked to suffer avoidable inconvenience. There is no reason why the first session should be limited to a week or ten days, as Mr Massey suggests. Parliament can scarce do justice to Imperial questions in that time. In addition, it must vote Supply, which should be more than a perfunctory duty, affording an opportunity, as it does, for financial and general criticism, Some of the Government's policy measures might also be introduced before the Prime Minister leaves. Taxpayers should be told what the rate of taxation for next year is to be, the Reading Bill cannot reasonably be deferred until the spring, and the legislation required to facilitate the campaign against fire blight will be useless if postponed until then. It would be better if Mr Massey made up his mind for a short working session before his departure, calling Parliament together this month if necessary.— Auckland “Herald.”

Mr Massey has decided to call Parliament together next month to get its opinion about the invitation, and obtain the necessary supplies. Parliament should not hesitate to give its consent. At the same time it should intimate politely to Mr Massey that there is no reason why it should be idle in bis absence. He proposes that it should adjourn until October, when lie will have returned, in which case the work of Parliament for the year would be limited to between two and three months. The trouble is that Mr Massey not only dominates Parliament and has no first lieutenant of the calibre of Sir James Allen, but has made tire position that has now arisen more difficult by taking so much work on his own shoulders. However, no man is indispensable, and it would be good for Parliament to learn this fact through the practical experience of doing without its leader. There is another point on which the House should assert itself. It should demand, if the Government does • not

offer it, the right to discuss before Mr Massey’s departure matters of policy that will come before the Imperial Conference. New Zealand Prime Ministers have got into the bad habit of running off to Eondon without taking the trouble to sound the opinion of Parliament on Imperial questions of the day, which is bad for both parties. Discussion of such matters seems to be positively discouraged, with the result that members appear to take little interest in great questions of Imperial moment. In this extra session two or three days might well be devoted to debates on Inter-Imperial relations, defence and problems of the Pacific. —"Auckland Star.”