THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1909. THE SESSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14715, 24 December 1909, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1909. THE SESSION.

It may be taken for granted • that it will bo so contrived in Wellington that tho session of Parliament may be brought to a close somo time to-day. Only a few days ago tho possibility of a prorogation' before Christmas seemed to bo exceedingly remote.- But the capacity of members for despatching business is, when they are fairly put to the test, simply inexhaustible. The passage of legislation becomes a purely mechanical process. If there are flaws in the.fabric that is being woven they must be disregarded until another session, when the remedy may be applied by the enactment of one of those amending Bilk with- which the St-atute Book is annually filled. Already this year it has been stated that an important measure which was passed when the Houses were keeping good hours and when the members had the opportunity of carefully considering the proposals that were put before them is an example of draftsmanship so /faulty that it will prove to be inoperative. Whether this bo so or not, the public can have very little confidence in the quality of the legislation that has been passed this week, when tho industry of our politicians was chiefly manifested in their scamping of the work before them. It is important to notice, too, that the length of the session afforded no excuse for their disinclination to remain at their legislative posts long enough to admit of tho business of the country being conducted with some regard to efficiency, for the duration of the two sessions this year taken together is a good deal less than that of the normal parliamentary session. It may be freely acknowledged that the performance of the duties of tho Legislature at this season of the year in the*indifferent accommodation that is provided for members has been attended! by a. certain amount of personal discomfort, but that is a. matter for which those at anyrate who, for no adequate reason, supported the adjournment from June last have only themselves to thank.

The principal achievement of- the session was the passage of the twin proposals relating to tho defence of the Dominion. The public has not been unanimous in its acceptance of all the details of the scheme of naval defence, but we are glad to think that there was no objection of any moment to tho general principle that New Zealand should accept a larger share than it has borne in the past of the responsibilities connected with the maintenance of the fleet and with the naval policing of the Pacific. The endorsement of the great mass of tho community was given, too, we are sure, to the proposal contained in tho Defence Bill that a system of compulsory training should be instituted in the Dominion, The Government's scheme is a somewhat halting one, it is true, and the general plan for the reorganisation of the internal defences of the country may he of problematical value, but the fact that statutory recognition is now crjven to the principle of compulsory military training may legitimately be regarded as proof that a step, at least, has been made towards the adoption of a system which should reasonably insure our shores against the risk of invasion. The enactment of these two measures would in itself be sufficient to free the record of the session from the imputation of mediocrity. A measure of imposing dimensions consolidating and amending tho Native Land Laws was passed in tho scramble towards the end of the session, and, while it would be a signal accomplishment if it served to provide a solution of a problem that has long defied settlement, we dare not hope that this enactment, forced through Parliament as it was, will satisfy all the requirements of the case. In the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act the Legislature has grappled with a phase of the local government question that has been avoided by it for a quarter of a century, and if only because the measure will abolish tho waste that is attendant upon the existence of a plurality of agencies operating towards the same end and bring a system of popular representation on the controlling authorities into force it may be regarded as satisfactory that time was found for its consideration at leisure. The for Settlement Finance Act

represents an effort to promote closer ; settlement on lines different from theso that, havo been followed in the past— under conditions that admit of the subdivision of an estate into freehold allot- . "lents,—ami, though the measure is not •i perfect piece of legislation, we hopo it will be found to serve the purpose for which it is intended. The Government attaches a good deal of importance to tho State Guaranteed Advances Act and the Land for Settlements Administration Act-principally, it may bo inferred, because it fe hoped that the oirect of'putting their provisions into operation may bo to somo extent to cloak the growth of tho public debt of the Dominion. The Death Duties Act by virtue of which the d uUcs piiyab on the assessment for stamp duty of tho estates of deceased persons have, been largely increased, is the onlyother enactment of tho year to which we need specifically refer: such'objection as was offered to it was based chielly on the details of the revision of the scale of duties and not in respect of tho principle, with regard to which the measure might perhaps liavo been more successfully attacked, that death duties, being a tax upon capital, are economically an unsound form of taxation.

The session has been more remarkable, however, for what the Government tried, but failed, to accomplish than for the actual achievements that have to bo recorded. Laud and licensing legislation was to havo formed asalient feature of the parliamentary work of the year. The announcement in the Budget with regard to the latter of these subjects suggested that tho Government had effected an amazing coup. Legislation was to bo introduced, at the request of "the two great parties" to tho licensing question', embodying proposals that had already obtained the express approval of both. According to its own presentment of the ease tho Government stood on velvet. It was the benefactor of each of two rival phalanxes, and its proposals would havo the effect of rendering any further amendments of. tho licensing law unnecessary for several years! It had, however, strangely overlooked the fact that there is a third party which, neutral as between the extremists, holds the balance, and is not to be ignored in the settlement of the terms of any licensing legislation. And it was a recognition of the influence of this party that led to the breach -of the singular bargain which had been struck,- and the Government' luul to sutler the blow to its prestige that was involved in tho complete abandonment of tho proposal .to give legislative effect to the compromise it had endeavoured to arrange. Rut tho prestige of tho Government was still more seriously, dain> aged over its attempt to settle tho land question. . Tho great length at which Sir Joseph Ward expounded the intentions of the Government in tho Budget afforded elcqiipnt testimony to the belief of himself and his colleagues that they had hit upon a device that would satisfy tho occupants of both the freehold and the leasehold camps. To its great mortification the- Government;, discovered that it had succeded in pleasing neither party. With tho assistance of the members of the Opposition, wh,> were prepared to accept the Bill in the meantime in default of anything tietter, it might have forced tho measure through Parliament. Rut this result would ha,vo been achieved at the cost of the disintegration of its own parly, tho leasehold section. of which, as a, matter of fact, used ; the forms of the House to. such effect in! obstructing the business of the countrythat a crisis on , a small scale- wag produced. The utterance of threats, behind closed doors, of a Ministerial resignation and of a dissoltitior unless greater loyalty to the Government <m-e exhibited is darkly alleged - to have been an incident of the situa. tion. In the end a truce.between the two sections of tho Ministerialists wasarranged: the obstruction was ended, the Bill was withdrawn, and the Government, submitting to its humiliation, staved off the evil day wher the split in the party will occur. Other proposal of the Budget that did not materialise during the session included an increase in the '"11001116 tax, the adoption of the betterment system in ■respect of the railway service, and the introduction of a measure under which Parliament would have the opportunity of deciding what form of betting would be sanctioned on racecourses. Measures relating to tho bankruptcy law, the companies law,.the constitution of harbour boards, municipal milk supply, tho law of libel, national •annuities, and half- a score' of other subjects were, according to the Ministerial -programme, to have pjsed this year. Some of them were never heard of during the session, and tho others were not put forward seriously. Upon the whole, although the. doubtful merit may bo claimed for the session that it- has been productive of a great deal of legislationsome of it of a useful a„d even of a valuable kind,—tho Government cannot look back upon its experience with unmixed- satisfaction. Indeed, largely discredited as it j s j n country through the comparative breakdown of its finance, and distrusted by a, considerable section of its party in Parliament, the Ministry will be greatly relieved to got into recess.