NOTE AND COMMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3778, 28 June 1899, Page 5

NOTE AND COMMENT.

The Ministry is during the session looked upon as a sort of Information Bureau, or as a large unbound edition of “Inquire Within Upon Everythin".’’ This year the thirst for knowledge displayed by members of the Houscjsoems even more acute than usual. Notices of intention to question Ministers and to move for return:; are tilready numerous, and they include nearly every conceivable subject within the comprehensive scope of 'politics. Some of the information asked for i* trivial; a few questions are chiefly remarkable as betraying members’ ignorance of matters that arc already public property, while others arc of tho local or electioneering class. Among the more important matters regarding which members of tho Legislature desire information is the cost of tho Conciliation Boards throughout tho colony. Knowledge of this will help members to arrive at a correct judgment as to tho reform of tho procedure of industrial conciliation. Another useful return, wo would suggest, would bo one dealing with the number of diseased sheep and cattle that have been condemned, say, at tho local freezing works and other slaughter yards since tho now system of inspection was inaugurated. Some alarm. has been created in the public mind by exaggerated talk of the evils of cancer and tuberculosis; and it is necessary, in order to allay that fce!- v ing, that a reliable report should be obtained, which wo feel certain will show that these diseases are practically non-existent among animals sent to the slaughter yards. Perhaps some Wellington representative will call for riiis information.

. Parliamentary methods always strike the observer very forcibly, at the commencement of each successive session, as being obsolete, circumlocutory and wasteful. Yesterday afternoon, for example, over an hour was consumed in tho work of receiving notices ot qu -s----tions and motions, presenting petitions and obtaining leave to introduce Bills, On some occasions the time taken is much longer; so that, striking an average, it may be said that between sixty and seventy hours of each session are occupied with these roundabout and useless formalities; Surely it.h.posi siblo for tho wit of man to dovisa some better way of utilising the rime of seventy-five men than to have them spending an hour on every sitting nay of Parliament in merely giving notice, of what they intend to do on some other day, or in empty formalities that could bo abolished without any interest suffering. The notices of questions and motions are printed and circulated almost immediately after being • given, and it would bo a simple and sufficient process for members to hand their notices to tho Speaker, through the. medium of an official. The time that would bo saved to the House, say. eight days, would shorten tho session by two weeks, or allow two weeks’ mors time in which to attend to the real business of the country. It is one ot the curses attaching to the parochialism of much of New Zealand politics that the questions put iji Parliament deal largely with matters of purely, local concern ; many motions have no other than a party bearing; and it is wrong to have tho time of Parliament occupied, more tha.n is unavoidable, with such subjects. A curtailment of these formalities would have been particularly acceptable this year, when most members desire a short session; but for many years to come, it is to bo feared, ■the woful waste of time will go on.

The situation created by the fact of Lieutenant-Colonel Pitt having br-oji an officer in Government employ wha'i he was called to the Legislative Council is a very peculiar one. The Civil Service Act of 1866 seems to expijpssiy exempt him from disqualification; but on the other hand, the Disqualification Act of 1878 explicitly includes him; while, the Legislative Council Act agahi exempts him, as it states that the Governor may call “any person' 1 to the Upper Chamber. According to the advice of the Crown law officers, the appointment is a legal She; but as there is a doubt, owing to the conflict of different statutes, Lieutenant-Colonel Pitt will probably decline to take his seat, lest lie should bo sued for penalties. Unless, therefore, an -let of Parliament is passed to qualify him tho services of the new councillor will not bo available during tho present session. A precedent for legislation was established in the case of Sir George Whitmore; but the Act then passed docs not cover Lioutenant-Colo-nol Pitt. It -would seem to be desirable that a statute should bo passed, to make it clour that no volunteer officer would bo disqualified for a seat in the Legislative Council because of his having drawn State pay. " The volunteer force needs all the encouragement possible, but it is poor encouragement to disqualify a man for legislative service because lie happens to draw a few pounds a year, ’whether in the shape of capitation or salary, for services that are in tho main honorary, and of the greatest value to the State.