GENERAL ELECTION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16622, 14 April 1928, Page 6

GENERAL ELECTION

ACTIVE PREPARATIONS A SHORT SESSION The holiday season now being over, active preparations are being made for the general election, which is to take place this year. 'J he date, for the election has not yet been lixed, but it is thought thai it will be some time towards tile end oi October or at the beginning of November. If Parliament opens on the last Thursday m June and the session' ' lasts lor about three months, the politicians should have at least a month in which to essay the triennial task of making their " calling and election sure." There have been ruinors of an early and a very short session in order to allow of the election taking place in August or September, but Dame Rumor is always busy in election year. It seems certain, however, that the session will not be unduly long. Whereas the middle session of a Parliament is generally looked upon as a working session—ami judged by the period of time it took to complete the business, last session could almost be looked upon as a working session, the electors being the best judges as to whether the work was good or bad—the last session is invariably a talking or electioneering cue, and the tendency is to make its duration brief. Because they belong to a non-elective body, the members of the Legislative Council can always assume a calm, reflective, ami even neutral attitude lo the storms which, agitate tho political sea, but it is not so with members of the House, of Representatives. They will bo apparently cpme unperturbed in election year until opponents mount the hustings, and then there is a sudden and unanimous desire to terminate, the proceedings of the session as speedily as possible. Politicians are, after all, only human. There are 80 of them in the l<!ew Zealand House of Representatives, and each of them in election year can produce many reasons why he should not be displaced by anybody, be he ever so estimable. That is ' why in election year the launching of a general assault by the aspirants for political honors leads to a stampede on the part of the politicians in situ. They can see no adequate reason for being disturbed, and, besides, there are always parties and high principles to defend. It will he the same this year. So far as the work of the coming session is concerned it does not appear that there will be very much of it. The present indications are that the Government's legislative programme will be light, though it may bo picturesque in some respects.