THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 1914. THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15645, 26 June 1914, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 1914. THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

The Speech with which His Excellency the. Governor yesterday reopened Parliament contrasts favourably with similar utterahces in years gone by. In accordance with a convention common to all self-govern-ing British states, from the Mother Country to New Zealand, the constitutional head of the state voices on such- occasions the viows and intentions of those who are for the timo being-his advisers. His only responsibility is to sec that the " Speech" placed in his hands is in conformity with their constitutional powers and recognises fully the authority of Parliament. The tendency of modern times has been to transform a document which was once a brief and terse exposition of ministerial views upon matters of supreme public interest into an exhaustive and comprehensive explanation of ministerial policy. Mr. Massey, who as Prime Minister is responsible for the Governor's Speech of yesterday, has wisely avoided the temptation to. imitate his predecessors in their habit of loading the final session of parliament with an endless variety of votecatching proposals- This habitual thrusting before members, eager to return to their constituencies, of a mass of hastily conceived, vaguely understood and wholly pretentious measures was responsible for much of the confusion into which legislation fell. The session Immediately preceding dissolution and election is always and necessarily crowded with work. Inevitably short-, there i& much unavoidable business to consider and complete so that new proposals, upon which there has been no serious public discussion, must always be carelcsdy dealt with if a Government insists upon pressing them. No such unsatisfactory task confronts parliament to-day. If the complaint is made that the Governor's Speech, contains nothing that is new and sensational it can to retorted that this simplicity is wholly to the advantage of the public. The Speech is a calm and statesmanlike exposition of the national situation and of well-known administrative policy apd can only disappoint those who have become accustomed to look upon the opening of Parliament as fertile in startling and sensational political surprises.

Though Mr. Massey is 'the very reverse of startling and sensational he nevertheless lays before Parliament and before the country a thoroughly business-like and understandable document. The seasons are good, trade is promising, progress iB marked. The strike which threatened to leave industrialism at the mercy of a handful of foreign agitators has been successfully survived and law-abiding unionists arc the gainerß by the departure of a large part of the disturbing element. Thank& to the good Work done in preceding sessions by this Parliament, the land tenure problems have been generally settled in an exceptionally satisfactory manner, and land settlement is proceeding with renewed vigour and renewed hope. The worken' homes system has been extended to the country districts and a still further development of the principle is proposed- i*he new Board of Agriculture has been established. The mysterious epidemic has been successfully fought. The new railway manager has taken charge of the national lines and his comprehensive report is being prepared. In spite of strike and epidemic the finances of the country are buoyant and the revenue is increasing. In short, from the admini|trative standpoint, while there is nothing extraordinary to remark there is every reason for sausfac-

tiori. Incidentally,'it may be remarked that the political champions of the Continuous Government were accustomed to profess despair at the very thought of what might happen to. the country if it rejected the services of their heaven-born financiers and experienced statesmen. Is it singular that the country is so far from being ruined by their expulsion from office that it appears to progress even better without them? The evident truth is that a lJominion which could survive the declining years of the Continuous Government could not fail to improve under the careful guidance of Mr. Massey.

As for the work awaiting parliament, there is enough for members to do without being asked to make unexpected flights into strange and unexplored territory. The battle with the Legislative Council must be fought to a finish— there ,is only one possible finish. Without straining the situation, there aro enough vacated seats at the Goverment's disposal to give it a majority and before Parliament closes the nominee system will doubtless be as dead in Now Zealand as the " spoils to the victor" system in the Civil Service and other methods dear to the " Liberal" Party. A number of Bills already well-discussed and well understood will be submitted to' Parliament and the "contentious questions" of licensing and religious education are to be submitted to members for their consideration upon non-partisan lines. A step in this direction was promptly taken last night when Mr. Allen gave notice of d Bill authorising a referendum upon the Bible-in-schools question, so that there is plainly no intention on the part of the Government to evade responsibility in the matter. The naval problem remains in abeyance until the conference on naval affairs con-vened-by the Imperial Government, but Sir lanj Hamilton's recommendations upon defence force organisation are already receiving consideration. Tho promised educational reforms will bo set forth in a Bill. If the Opposition facilitates business members will be able to discuss fully all the debatable subjects to be laid before them, but if th% "stonewalling" tactics of last session aro repeated the House of Representatives will have to sit long hours to complete the work outlined.

We have deferred comment upon the Government's Public Works policy because it forms in many respects the most important part of tho Speech. After dealing with the fact that " no policy of land settlement is sound which does not include a progressive system for road construction" a measuro is pro- ! miscd which " makes provision for the creation of satisfactory means of communication in isolated and badly-roaded districts." This is a definite declaration, differing widely from tho vague and dubious promises to which the country districts have been accustomed for so many years. It encourages us to regard optimistically the further statement that " the remarkable growth of settlement and rapid expansion of the business of the country during recent years have convinced my Ministers of the necessity for a strong and vigorous policy of public'works construction, and speedy completion of more important lines of railway now in progress." This h not capable of any explanation other than the one doubtless intended. Money is cheap and abundant so that there is no difficulty to be expected in financing sound developmental enterprises. A "strong and vigorous policy" pursued for a few years will give the country districts good roads everywhere, and Auckland Province a Railway system extending from the Far North to the East Coast and to Taranaki.