PARLIAMENTARY ECHOES.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 22, Issue 66, 25 August 1911, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY ECHOES.

" .(From our special correspondent) Saturday

When the Arbitration BiU came in the Bill for the amendment of the Bill of last year—moat men thought of the vast industrial upheaval going on in the. Old Country just then. I can’t say there was anything like agreement, for indeed there has been no time for anything but helpless wonder at what is going to happen next. Many, however, are struck by the practical settlement of the question of compulsory arbitration. In the enjoyment of their rights the men have gone out in their thousands, carrying the banner of the voluntary principle high over their heads. But they have only found themselves face-to-face with police and soldiers,with ball-cartridge, and Mayors reading the Riot Act. How much better to have acknowledged compulsion at first 1 Then hundreds of thousands of pounds would have been saved and the women and children \ypuld have suffered just nothing. The general impression is that we are better off with the Act enforcing compulsion in the last resort after the elimination of everything but the irreducible minimum ot imbecility. Of course, we must go on amending; that follows from the fact that the application of the compulsory principle is not easy. We may expect perfection only after many amendments. The present amendment is for removing frictions, chiefly the friction of not having an appeal against the decisions in the award prosecutions by the Magistrates. All hands will certainly join in getting these to the statute hack. The scene in the lobbies when the “ Gazette ” came to hand announcing the results of the labours of the Representation Commissioners was memorable, . There was relief on every face, for one set of men were rejoiced to find things no worse, and the other set were pleased to find the new seats interfering so little with the general comfort. The member for Bruce was jocularly asked—for even in such moments the legislator who jokes is irrepressible—how he had squared the Commissioners, His. district, at all events, is singled out for mention as the one in which community of interest has been just the thing the doctor ordered. Oamaru, on the other band, with Waikouaiti tied to its apron and the big Horse Range thrown in, makes the universal shoulder shrug. After the first relief there is coming a feeling of uneasiness in places, men fearing, indeed finding out for certain, that the nurseries they have been planting and cultivating with copy-book maxims, baby-kissings, and an assiduous diet of roads and bridges have been reft from their nest and handed over to the stranger. Godley’s report of the forces is much admired, because it throws cold water on the big projects for the fortification of everything, preferring a mobile force armed with the best field-gun in the world ready to take posi anywhere it may be necessary for the repelling of the insolent foe. Also because it has opened the door for promotion from the ranks. On the other hand, there is something like glum looks at the revelation that we have only 32,000 rifles in the dominion, and that it is necessary to bring up all military stores to the proper complements. In view of the narrow escape of war with Germany the other day this revelation is indeed disquieting. Moreover, we are only to bring the rifles up to 39,000, and that is too little altogether. Mr Fowlds has many compliments for the good Bill he brought down and carried through for the mental defectives . of the dominion. Of course, it is a new departure, the most forward in the world. Therefore a little dangerous on the side of liberty of the subject. But the safeguards appear to be ample. It is certain that mental disease cannot be cured without treatment, and there cannot be treatment withoutdue notice. When the Bill is law it will be impossible for any defective to escape notice, and there will be hope for the proverbial stitch in time for want of which there are under the present system so many catastrophies. Toe debate was unusually good, and the passage through committee of tbe Bill was one of the best examples of calm, reasonable legislating I have ever seen. One or two fanatics tried tq get the “ Goveruor-in-Oouncil ” knocked out, forgetting in their blind zeal for local government that this was not a matter of local government at all, but merely the actual prerogative of Mercy, which the Crown alone (on the advice of the executive) can extend to those who have fallen into criminal lunacy. The Opposition, however, stood by the Government, and the idiotic move wasnot pressed to division, 'The celebrated Mokau case has advanced a stage. It got before, its Committee and there was a small skirmish, out of which Mr Massey emerged agreeing to formulate charges or something definite for enquiry next week, and the committee fled to the sea breeze and the sunlight. Members have been commenting on the Agricultural Conference. A Governor addressing them like an agricultural expert, a Minister of Agriculture doing ditto, and the lions of the farms lying down with the lambs of the Agricultural Department out of the shadow of the dairy regulations—these things have helped to pass the time. The return of Isitt for Christchurch North finds a weary race of commenta-, tors. They talk much of the mantle of Taylor and the chances of Isitt being Prime Minister the day after to-morrow, and some pretend to think that the day after that he will be beaten at Christchurch. Out of all this babble there emerges a faint cry that the time has come for making a new issue in re Temperance. The moderate man has no chance now., being obliged to vote for the publican he hates or the prohibitionist he abhors, to say nothing of taking his chance of cutting off his liquor for evermore, and his wife’s and his bairn’s and his father’s and his mother’s and his uncle's. The faint cry is for the issue of State control of the liquor traffic. Abolish the untied houses that are tied, shut up the intemperate temperance folk, give the State a big monopoly, and let us all sleep comfortably of nights. A big debate looms up as the week ends. Very interesting views on cheap food and twenty different causes of high cost of living. It would have been perfect if the speeches had been dated 28ih November. That reminds me the election is fixed by some of the knowing ones at 271 h November. So long! The week did not pass without a scrimmage about the Racing Conference, or without a dig at the Representation Commission. The first was a chaotic ev-

ent in jyhich every class of opinion was thrown, with the result, chiefly, of a general neutralising of all sides. The Representation results ought ’not to have been discussed at all because the Commissioners have not yet heard objections. Bat their boundaries are not to be altered, of course. What is more important is the determined efforts of the members concerned to get the House to interfere in the matter of the licenses lost through the action of the Commissioners. As this is not local option there is some sense in their remarks. The week ended with a general, passing (second reading) of the small measures noted in tbe Governor’s Speech, so that against the arrival of Sir Joseph next week the ma'rking time will be over and the decks clean swept for anything that may come along.