HARASSED MINISTERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14926, 31 August 1910, Page 6

HARASSED MINISTERS.

Sir Joseph Wabd folt constrained to intimate in the Lower House yesterday that for the rest of the present session Ministers will not receive any deputations or grant any interviews on public business during the sitting of Parliament. This decision will, we aro sure, be generally recognised to bo perfectly reasonable. WeNare not prepared to go the length of accepting tho rather ungenerous suggestion which Mr Hanan offered that many of the visits to Wellington of persons who comprise deputations arc prompted by the expectation of enjoying a pleasant visit. And we are still less prepared to agree that members of Parliament are in a position to submit to Ministers the representations of deputationisfs as forcibly and as well as those can do who are acquainted with tho whole circumstances of the case that hap rendered a direct interview with a member of tho Government desirable. But it is certainly necessary that mora consideration should be shown for tho time of Ministers than has so far been exhibited this session. It seems to he forgotten by many of the people who go to Wellington to interview the Government that Ministers have" their departmental business to attend to in addition to their parliamentary duties. And the effect of their ignoring the demands which the conduct of tho business of the country makes upon the time of Ministers has been to involve Borne of the members of the Government in the necessity of working very long hours day after day. 'That the Prime Minister should in the circumstances have come to the conclusion, with the concurrence of his colleagues, that deputations should in futuro not bo received except on Saturdays and Mondays, and that personal interviews to visitors should also he granted on these days only is not surprising.