THE OAMARU MAIL WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1919. THE SESSION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue 13905, 5 November 1919, Page 4

THE OAMARU MAIL WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1919. THE SESSION.

The short session of Parliament lias ' about conic to its close, and members i of the House will be hurrying home to | meet their constituents and face an elec- ' fcion that promises to be keenly coni tested in all parts of the Dominion. For I many of the members the session has | been their last, for some there are who i will not- seek re-election and others are: certain to fall iu the party warfare-of the next few weeks. Parliament has out-stayed the term for which it was elected by a couple of years, having with good reason extended its own life in order to avoid the turmoil of an election during the currency of the war. But it cannot be said to have outlived its usefulness, for the record of the session now ended has been fruitful of legislation in which the good has predominated over the evil, and something has been done towards retrieving the time lost by session after session being devoted almost- entirely to warwork and attention to matters of concern creuted by war conditions For what lias been accomplished the Government- and the country are iudebted very largely to' the Liberal Opposition, which has not only exercised a great amount of restraint in the matter-of discussion, but- has lent to Ministers a considerably measure of assistance in getting their Bills through the House iu workable form.. No doubt that fact was in the main due to the association for four years of the two parties in a, National 'Cabinet. It is to be- hoped that the beneficial influence of that experience will prove of a lasting nature,, and that there will be no revival of"" the party bitterness thai-marked many preceding Parliaments and marred their usefulness. There are, of course, two sides to every question, and until that .higher state is attained when all men' will be guided by the single aim to promote the. general good regardless of class or sectional considerations, there must' be differences of opinion as to political means, methods, aud measures, and it is desirable that' those 'different opinions should find, expression- within a Democratic Legislature. By discussion is the truth discovered, but. it must be discussion free from acerbity, otherwise the voice of truth is liable to be overpowered by tho din of battle. Well may members of both sides permit tho dead past to bury its dead, audi resplvo that for the bitter party strife of the pa.st there shall be no resurrection. Party there must be alike in the country and in tho House so long as divergent views exist with regard to great political -questions, but the experience of the session has demonstrated that even politicians may express their widely separated opinions without per-, witting violence? of method to mark their course of action. Without entering into details -wo. may say that the. legislation of the session was for a very largo part more of an emergency than a permanent character. The war hadi left a. legacy of legislative needs, and these -have;.been supplied at least in a. tentative fashion and an -incomplete form. Much of the work that has been | done will require review and revision j in the new Parliament, and not a little of it will have to' be reversed to enj sure- tlie permanent welfare of the country and the contentment of its people. Even the Government cannot with any showing of reason claim that many of .their' measures were anything more than a : temporary''means- of meeting questions of, a pressing "character, .and they must be. constrained to recognise thai further action, will; be necessary as a. result of experience. Of course no at- < tempt, was' made, to deal ;with the greater problems thai call for solution and .the* weighted subjects that must be dealt with in order'to meet tho vastly altered conditions of the time. These had to be left over to tbe new Parliament fortified by. a. newly-issued 'mandate from _the_ .country. To these greater, questions it will be necessary for the electors: to devote their, thoughts in tho main during tho next few weeks if there is-to be secored an assurance that they will he handled in a. definite! and substantial form in the; new Parliament. To these questions of major importance we shall take' future opportunities of directing attention. In tho meantime wo may congratulate members generally upon the large amount of useful work thut they have, accomplished, in h iK'wssurily Hhorli session singularly J>w front fatuous talk and) factious opposition.