BAD HABITS.

Northern Advocate, 21 October 1920, Page 2

BAD HABITS.

To-day's Parliamentary news affords striking evidence of the ease with which Governments and Parliaments accustom themselves to bad habits. During the war the National Government had to be aimed with unusual powers in order to bo. able to meet abnormal conditions, and Parliament willingly surrendered some of its cherished rights in order that those who were carrying tho burden of the administration should not bo embarrassed. For all practical purposes ,the powers of Parliament wero delegated to the* Ministry, and the Ministry performed its duties well. But in time.of peace it is neither necessary nor desirable that the Cabinet should over-ride the Parliament. It seems, however, that the* war-time habits have grown upon both Ministers and members. Last night the House adopted an amendment to the Military Service Act without even asking what tho new clause contained. At the same sitting the Government was given power- to act upon the report of the Commission which is to investigate the demand for m->rq tofalisalor permits. The right of fixing the number of permits belongs to Parliament, and to Parliament alone, yet in this case the Cabinet is to be allowed to exercise all the rights of the two Houses. Some pretenco is made in the way of providing a safeguard by the insertion in the Gaming Bill of a clause requiring the Government to obtain approval of its action some time after it has acted, but the result will be that what the Cabinet does will stand. The House has been remarkably easy-going so far as the Gaming Bill is concerned. Apparently without a murmur it has authorised the issue of eight additional permits for Hunt Clubs, so that each of the sixteen clubs in the Dominion may have a day's racing each season instead of one day in two years. The Hunt Clubs, of course, must be in a position to encourage the country to breed the excellent hunter type of horse. It is obviously with this end in view that .the Hunt Clubs include in their programmes trotting races, many "six-furlong flutters" and hurdle races and steeplechases for horses that have never seen a hunting field. There is a good deal of camouflage in connection with racing generally, but the Hunt Clubs certainly are past masters in the art. However, we wore talking of Parliament "s methods. Another instance of the development

of bad habits is afforded by the Government's adoption of f. select committee's report en butter jmccs before the report has been accepted by tho House. The delay placed the Government in a difficult position, but that does not alter the fact that Parliament's rights have been infringed. There is too much of this kind of thing going on. Government by Cabinet, by regulation, or by Commission is not democratic enough for this country.