Peeps at Parliament.

Free Lance, Volume XV, Issue 795, 24 September 1915, Page 23

Peeps at Parliament.

FROM THE PRESS GALLERY.

THE dignified national talk-shop has dawdled solemnly like the Lord Mayor's Procession for nearly three months, and is now shedding its. trappings and other handicaps so that it may sprint "home" in quick time. The finish will be chaotic, the legislation faulty and incomplete unless law draftsmen can keep their wits, but Ministers will stay on, patiently unravelling the •tangle, 'reducing statutory authority to working order by means of Regulations and Orders in Council. The present Prime Minister used to be a great hand at caustic criticism over this Order-in-Oouneil legislation, but as a responsible leader of Parliament he knows there is no other practicable way of running the •country, unless Parliament is kept in •constant session,from which plague may Heaven defend us!

As an -example of how to do business, the House, when it met on Monday, gave points to the smartest Yankee hustler whoever ran. through New Zealand doing the sights on a whirlwind time r table. It heard two Ministerial .statements with patience; in fact,' it was pleased over the announcement ■that the Marama is going to be a second New Zealand hospital ship. Then half-a-dozen' local Bills were polished off just .as rapidly as the Speaker could repeat various magic formulae which make mere resolutions into statutes. Five_ Government Bills were read a second time with celerity, the pace being only steadied a -while to talk with brevity about the unfair State-added competition of the National Provident Fund. Just by way ->f making weight, an Imprest Supply for nearly a million was passed without a •murmur. Usually it gives rise to _ a 'day's talk. Now the spring is calling members to the country, where work is waiting. * * * *

We cannot get on without some sort -of an Opposition. It is so familiar in the parliamentary process that -war-time readjustments have not enabled us to shelve the old friend. Perhaps it is just as well for the peace of mind of the man in the street that somebody in the House is always ready to don Sir Joe's old mantle, and strut, even for an •evening, in an ill-fitting robe. The man in the street would certainly be suspicious if old enemies commenced to endorse each other's judgment with unjrailing regularity. Sometimes the unofficial Leader of the Opposition is Tom Wilford, who puts on his best Supreme Court air for these occasions. Poland, his front bench companion, takes a turn about once a week, and brightens things with . his easy-going stvle of happy speech. MeCombs controls some heavy back-bench artillery at times, the role with ponderous dullness. * * * * .George Witty, who has always been, a prominent Liberal, but always just misses the sweets of office by a hair'sbreadth,. does a good deal of Oppositionleader business these times. His judgment lacks that rare blend of courage and discretion needed in attacking a Government, hence the Mindsterial laughter or inattention when George starts to find fault. His pebbles only cause a' rattle on the Ministerial window pane; they never smash anything. But he is a sincere critic, and one without the slightest gall in his composition. Everybody likes George Witty because he is a fair, fighter and a genial soul to boot, -: '. "•_."'

One would have thought that Homsby, old hand in-'affairs as he is, would have quickly retreated from the false position he landed into over the Tahiti "cold-feet" business. But that tragic pulpit-style of his brings down an. avalanche of leaderwriting snubs upon his bulky form. First, his trouble started through airing in "Hansard" and the newspapers certain "dreadful things" about our boys he heard on the wharf. When the Minister of Defence cleared the returned men of any suggestion of cowardice, and rapped the Wairarapa member sharply over the knuckles for taking gossip too seriously.Mr. Hornsby retorts that it was th e Hon. James Allen him-

self who made these aspersions. The Minister, who was emphatic enough the other direction when the matter first came publicly under his notice, naturally tells the Wairarapa member in the politest of parliamentary language that he is "mistaken." The initial mistake was the publication of "dreadful rumours," which could have better been whispered into the Ministerial ear, and left there. * * * * The member for Wanganui has discovered a curious little joint in the armour of the National Cabinet, and he has proceeded to thrust in a sword, which, however, is not intended to wound. The Hon. A. L. Herdman appears toi be acting quite without statutory authority as Minister of ' Justice. '' 'Minister' means the Minister of Justice," declares the interpretation clause of the Police Force Act of 1913, but under the. re-arrangement of portfolios following the creation of a National Cabinet, the Hon. A. L. Herdman became dissociated from the Justice portfolio. He- retained the control of the Police Department, but the portfolio of Justice passed to the Hon. Dr. McNab. How much will the Minister fine himself for several weeks' illegalities? Or will be "take it out'' in a recess at Wellingtonterrace ? * * * •» The heavy increase in press telegraphing rates, coming into operation at the same time as the twopenny rise in ordinary telegrams, was not foreshadowed in the Budget. Hence it comes as an unpleasant surprise to newspaper proprietors, who have been bewailing increased production costs in several other directions since the war began. Probably the Government would, never have thought about the press rates had not a.small deputation of newspaper- owners approached it requesting..; a reduction in charges. They were enjoying the luxury of telegraphing a thousand words for five shillings—a. hundred words for the price, the man in the street pays to get a dozen over the they were not satisfied. Their complaint resulted in Ministers looking into the whole question, only to discover the staggering fact that scores of thousands of pounds are annually lost in handling press business. In face of this, the result could only be just the reverse of what the."hungry" deputation required—they got a rise instead of a reduction! If you want to make certain newspaper proprietors angry, remind them of the old proverb, "Leave well alone." * * * * ' An expected rumpus on the National Registration Bill gave members something to look forward to on Wednesday, but so much talk was expended' on minute pros and cons of a measure amending tiie modified sort of moratorium prevailing in New Zealand, that the (Prime Minister go no chance for his star item till nearly midnight, when be naturally preferred to go home. T?o have started on National Registration at that hour would have meant debating till breakfast, which is not the kind of driving the National Government adopts. However, the loss of an evening's opportunity throws back the introduction of the Taxation Bill 1 , a measure of moment to everyone.

Mortgages are not intensely interesting things, for public discussion, but some of the little things which have happened, since the Act was passed protecting borrowers from foreclosure- during -the war,, made it necessary to bring iix a Bill patchino- up a- few holes in the well-meant statute. Some affluent mortgagors, who could well/ afford to pav off 5 per cent, mortgages as they mature, have taken advantage of the Act to keep the lender waiting till the war is over, while the money which should rightly go to pay the debt is loaned out in a stringent money market at a fine advance on- the 5 pea' cent, at which it was originally obtained. The Supreme Court is to be given power to review shrewd transactions of this kind, and make the over-smart borrower "part out" the principal.

At various times during the week the House dealt with the Hutt Road Bill, under which local authorities benefiting from the fine broad highway will have to pay the Government their share of the enormous cost. When the work was in progress, Reform 1 members (then in Opposition.), said severe things about the extravagance of the Avhole business, and the sinful loading of poor local bodies with such a, luxury. Now* the critics have to present the poor local bodies with the bia bill.

The task falls on Railway Minister Herries, who puts on his blandest smile —he rarely does anything else but look happy—and tells the disconsolate people they are getting great value for their cash. Time brings many changes, especially in politics, and it is a great advantage not to worry about appearances. Minister Herries says that Oppositionist Herries only saw one side of the question—the other side is more important, so he finds, just now.