THE PAST SESSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12708, 10 November 1904, Page 6

THE PAST SESSION.

■» ' 'mm ■ INTERVIEW WITH MR. MASSEY. OPPOSITION GAINING IN STRENGTH. REFORM OP THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. • [BY TEi.EGß.\rn.— COKRESrONDENT.] , Weijjngtox, Wednesday. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Massey) 1 left for the South last night, and is expected { back in Wellington on Saturday. Previous - to lias departure the Evening Post Parliamentary; reporter had a conversation with him on the subject of the past session, and his views on the work that had been done i and left undone. "< AN IMPROVEMENT. j " I think," said Mr. Massey, " that wo can ( claim that the business has been better con- 1 ducted ■ during the past session than has 1 been the case for a number of years, and that . the credit for the improvement is due to the ( ' Opposition." oCi''Wl v ''V' : ':'■■'''■ i - He went an to point out that there had £ been fewer all-night sittings, and even at k ( the end "of the session, when members were { anxious to get away, and there was.a desire ( to rush the business, the Opposition man- , >aged ;to nave the different proposals ; fairly { '>. well discussed. Take, for i instance, • the Public Works Statement and Estimates. ! Last year the Statement was put through in ; about five hours, and the Estimates in about -.... -,---;■ • .' ■■-•..'• ■'••.'".'■-■ ... . :■■■:■■ '."-■■■ I a-quarter of an Lour. This year . they took a whole day to dis- , cuss the ■■. Statement, and an evening {if the period from, half-past seven o'clock to three a-m. can. be called an evening), ;to discusa the Estimates. v True, not much interest J was taken in the Estimates, but that : was not th& fault of the Opposition. ;■ He ob- i jected altogether to the Public Works State-. ment and Estimates being keptbacktill the ■' last days of the session, and lie hoped that j next session Parliament would assert itself £ and insist on the Statement and Estimates s being brought down at a very, much earlier c period, and on the details of public expendi- l ture, generally known as 81, being kid be- , fore the House during the session. j MEASURES NOT PROCEEDED WITH. J . "Quite a number of measures," Mr. ( Massey went on to say, " were promised in a ; the Governor's Speech, which were not pro- i ceeded with. The Local i Government Reform Bill, for instance, Classification of the J Civil Service, a Bill to re-enact the old j homestead law, a Bill to extend the fran- i chise in connection with the election of mem- s hers of harbour boards, the Trade Monopo- < lies Bill, and sieveral others which Parlia- ,' ment should ha given an opportunity of j ■ dealing with." I . "Why," Mr. Massey was asked, "were c they not proceeded with ■ c "I can only put the fact of their not being proceeded with down to the unbusi- , nesslike methods of the Government, who t waste] a great deal of ■■. time in the early part e of the session, and then, when it comes to £ the last month or so, useful measures have * to be dropped to make way for Bills dealing with finance, the consideration of the Esti- j mates, and sometimes Bills like the High Commissioner Bill and others, required by the party in power, rather than demanded by the country." ° A STRONG REACTION. I Mr. Massey was. then asked if he thought the Opposition had gained :in strength dur- { ing the session. t '" "Yes, undoubtedly," was the ' reply, < " both in the House and the country. Take « th& ; result of the Pahiatua election, for in- J stance. The present member for Pahio/lua, . though not a member of the Opposition < party, is still : a strong opponent of the 1 Government, and the.fact of his being elect- < ed to the seat left vacant by Mr. O'Meara, 1 the Government Whip, proves that- there is J a strong reaction in the country. Then, in ( the House, there are members who are - t pledged to the ';. Government ; for the term } of the present Parliament, but who will 3 come back after next .election free to use their own judgment, even on questions £ which the Premier chooses to make want-of- ( confidence - motions. I am" satisfied that i the -. election will prove that great changes * have taken place.in the country, and there ' will be a corresponding change in the , House." i THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. J ."How about the Legislative Council?" 1 was the next question. j J "In the Governor's Speech,," replied the t Leader fof j the : Opposition, "there, was ; a '<■ paragraph :to ; the effect that the time had ■; almost arrived when Parliament should be given an opportunity to] consider the abolition of the Council, out nothing was brought forward ';■- by ! the S Government. Sir W. - t Steward introduced a Bill providing for the { reform of the Council, and it was allowed , ( to pass all its '■■■ stages up to the third ■ read- \ ing, when the Whips were set to work, and ( the third reading was negatived. ; What ( happened in committee with that Bill proves , that Parliament is willing to make the j Council representative ;of the people, bub « the Government is not sincere in its ex- ] pressed desire for reform." , TALK BY INCHES. ] As to the charge of obstruction and waste t of time, so frequently made by 4 the Premier s against the Opposition, Mr. Massey said the c reply was contained in a return showing 1 how many inches of Hansard had been i spoken ; by ; members. 1;' That return was i made up to about the end of October, and 3 showed that the Premier had filed 3056 1 inches, Mr. Massey 1649 inches,' Mr. T. s Mackenzie 1049 inches, Sir Joseph Ward 3 1930 inches, Mr. J. Allen ; 901 inches, Mr. *! Aitken 90 inches, Mr. Laurenson 492 inches, c Mr. Lang 319 inches, Mr. Hanah 515 in- 1 ches, Mr. ; Buchanan 531 inches, Mr. Ell r 656 inches, Hon. W. Hall-Jones 'inches, t Sir W. Steward, 520 inches, Mr. Symes 306 1 inches, Hon;.,J. McGowdn 702 inches, Mr. f Millar 401 inches, and so on, . " -\ Continuing, Mr.. Massey expressed the 1 opinion that the Opposition had done really 1 good work. For instance, they had insisted 1 on necessary amendments 'being made in 1 various Bills, including the Land for Settle- i meats Bill.;■ *;■ '. As to the recess,:- he stated that it was 1 his intention, as far as possible, to put the < other side of the case before the people of .< the colony. , ' ; ; ;-.!'-. A BARREN SESSION. .-; [BY ' TELEGRAPH. — COEEESPONDENT.] j CaKiSTCHtmcn, Wednesday. 1 At the Farmers'.Union-conference the ] Chairman, in moving, "That tho undue length of the Parliamentary' session,; is; ; a matter which ';' calls for public reprobation, > adding, as it does,. most seriously to '" the i expense of the Government," said last ses- ' ■don had been a most barren one. ; Referring * ;; to ;the Commission appointed in regard to ' ! the land question, he said it was" a-most •' respectable way of doings nothing, and at 1 the same time providing fees for those who < were;lucky enough to be appointed on the ; Commission. The present system tended to 1 limit Parliamentary representationi to two classesthe carpet-bag politicians, and the : ? Leisured classes. > :'^ :^-'r":: /' { ' : :- '■ , > The delegate who seconded the motion ; ; suggested that, perhaps,' the earliei'closing i ; of Bellamys would* help to make the session ;■ !of Bellamys would help to make the session close sooner ".;.*;" I never went away more disgusted from ; •; any place than 1 did from.-the House of >: Representatives," declared; another. He ■•: thought the abolition oi Hansard , would • tend to shorten the session. - .•".: "If we elect wind-bags';.we must expect \ ; wind," remarked a <North Canterbury re- :,. preisen.tative. ' * ] ■| The motion was earned,- ' ! ;