LOBBY AND GALLERY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1748, 6 September 1905, Page 41

LOBBY AND GALLERY.

THE WEEK’S WORK. The week in Parliament has been thei heaviest on record this session—for talk. Work has been out of the question, if the night in committee" on the Shops and Offices Bill be excepted. For the rest, in has been a kind of “jumble,” a Parliamentary olla podrida, ranging from vouchers to breaches of privilege, from Government' patronage in advertising to grave personalities, and from, water-races on the West Coast to the single tax, the freehold, and the unearned increment. Profitless from a genuine business point of view, but prolific in regard to contentious argument.-, “Hansard” alone has reaped the benefit. The talking pace has been tremendous.

There has heen a tendency for the “New Liberal” party to “stick up” business since the Auditor-General’s report on the notorious voucher question. This was strikingly evident on Friday, when Mr Taylor put in an hour’s talk on two matters that under ordinary conditions would have been agreed to without debate—the placing on the table of the House by the Premier of a couple of reports. But on Friday the member for Christchurch appeared to be looking for trouble, and in his hour’s debate be got in sundry references to .the four Christchurch postal officials who gave evidence in the Auditor-General’s inquiry and to' the Government system of ,apd : .o. The references did not appear rep-oml. This the Premier pointed out fO Mr Speaker, whose patience was being tried considerably. The Speaker allowed the member for Christchurch much latitude, until the possibility of “nanr jg” him seemed to have some ef£e \ " „ '

Since Mr Guinness has been Speaker he. has not had so much : trouble with members as he has this session. Members, or rather a section of them, appear disposed to throw overboard all regard for Parliamentary procedure. (They use language bordering, on the lurid, and then say they are sorry. This phase of the question was placed before the House by the Premier, who argued that after the abusive references had been put on record, members expressed their contrition. It was, in his opinion, time it was stopped. It goes on all the same, however, as readers of our reports, of last week’s proceedings cannot fail to have observed. .... ® ■ There is not much to tell about the week’s actual business. The long, weary hours and heavy talk produced very little net result. True, the Shops and Offices Bill has run the gauntlet of its. committee stage, tut even now members are considerably befogged as to the ultimate effect of some of the amendments made. The bill is to be recommitted later on. With the large amount of solid business in sight-, however —only one’ policy measure has been passed so far, increase of pensions—it will be some time yet ere it is ready for the Legislative Council, and. then there are prospects of disagreements between the two Chambers. The lands debate kept the House occupied on Thursday and Friday, and the end of its preliminary stage, before the -House goes into Committee of the Whole on the proposals, has not yet been reached. Starting with a great flourish the debate, has already lost very much of its interest, judging by the paucity of the attendance of members. It i& probable that the discussion will fizzle out much sooner than was expected, especially as members have teen told that the Public Works Statement is ready, and that it will come down as soon as the flow of eloquence on land Ceases.