PRE SESSIONAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 126, 20 July 1911, Page 5

PRE SESSIONAL.

MIL MINE AT MIDHIK3T. LAST SESSION'S WORK. There was an excellent attendance at the Public Hall, Midlnrst, last night, when Mr. J. ii. Hi no, M.P. lor Stratford, delivered a pro-sessional address. Mr. Alex Jirov. n was voted to t!io chair. The Chairman, in introducing Mr. Hine, said there were no burning questions before, the country, but ic was desirable for members to meet electors in between times to explain how tilings wore going. Mr. idanc, who was greeted with applause, opened by thanking those gentlemen who had pat oli their euchre party in order to enable him to have a. good audience. He thanked Midliirst for the big majority they had given him at last election, and lie hoped that those who voted against him last time would vote for him next time. (A Voice: No.). Conduct cf Parliament. As to how Parliament was conducted, some people blamed both sides equally for the unsatisfactory state of affairs, but the fact was that the blame was entirely on the Governmsnt, who had charge of the Order Paper. The Order Paper was printed and distributed, but when the House mot Sir Joseph Ward merely said he did not intend to go on with the Order Paper, but would skip to some Bill well down the paper. The result was that members had to discuss matter which they had not properly considered, having concentrated their attention on the Bills nearer the top of the paper. Hasty Legislation, Last session lasted less than a hundred days, but 184 Bills were put through. The number was so great that none of them could be properly considered or discussed, and after, they were passed they had in almost all cases to ho amended. The Gaming Bill. Last session Mr. Newman introduced a Bill for the purpose of abolishing bookmakers, but the Government had not allowed it to proceed, and brought in a Bill of their own in the same direction. Jfor that Bill the Opposition had voted solidly. An attempt had been- made to wipe out the totalisator and bookmaker at the one time, but if that had been done it would have been the worst possible thing for New Zealand. It would have been playing right into the hands of the bookmaker. It was a good thing for New Zealand that the legalised bookmaker had been wiped out, and he was proud to have been a member of Hie . Parliament which had brought it about. Licensing Matters.

As to licensing, lie thought it was wrong to make Die Prohibition Party have such a large margin before carrying prohibition. lie entirely favoured a bare majority deciding tiie question of national prohibition. He was radical enough to admit that in this case a majority should rule. Defence. The Gaming and Licensing Bills were brought before the House on a non-party basis, and the same applied to defence. The Dominion now had a good defence scheme. This had been fought for for a long time by Mr James Allen, and Sir Joseph Ward was, for a long time, against it. To his credit, he nad now seen that he had been on the wrong track. In General Godiey the country had an excellent head of the force. He had grasped the sentiment of the youth of tuc Dominion, who should rally round him and support the scheme heartily.Public Debt Extinction. Those three matters were those in which he was willing to approve of the work of ihe Government;. But he did not approve of the Public Debt Extinction Fund Bill. The Bill proposed to borrow money for forty years, pay off the matured loan witii a further loan, which would be paid out of the sinking fund in seventy years. To ins mind it would end in nothing being paid off. When the Opposition asked questions about the scheme, Sir Joseph Ward merely leant back, twisted ins moustache, and said: ‘Tt’s alright.” in his (Mr ITine’s) opinion the Bill was merely a tomporay subterfuge to appease the money-lender. Ho did not think the measure had appeased the moneylender. The system was not sound financially, and was doomed to failure. An Opposition idea. As (o the National Annuities Act, it followed largely on the lines proposed by Sir Harry Atkinson, who, however, proposed that everybody should 1)0 eligible as a contributor. Dufy as Critics. The Opposition did not desire always to bo carping, but they had a duty to perform in the direction of criticising the conduct of the Government; and he thought that during the past session there had been an entire absence of a carping spirit. Mr. Hine resumed his seat amidst considerable applause. Ouestior.s. In answer to questions, Mr Hine j said ho would support a Public Service Board. It would take out of the hands of a Minister the power of patronage in regard to public positions. The Board would be responsible to Parliament and promotion and appointment would bs by merit alone. Ho was sure that the Civil Service would improve under the system. Ho, did not desire to say anything against the present Civil Service, but he objected to the system of appointment. The Land Purchase Board did not have the last say in regard to buying land—it was the Minister who had the power. When the Hine charges were being hoard it came out in every case that there was a letter or telegram to or from a Minister astray, which made the evidence incomplete. Ja the case of the Civil Service Board it was desired to have the Board entirely free from political influence. He knew nothing about J.P.’s being picked by the member for the district. Therefore lie did not. need to tell his questioner how it happened that he had chosen Government supporters. Ho had made representations on the suggestion of electors for the appointment of J.P.’s. of gentlemen in the backblocks where there were no justices; but none of those were appointed, and five or six more Justices wore appointed in a town where there were already a number in existence. Voles of Thanks. On the motion of Mr Monntford, seconded by Mr Meads, a \oto oi thanks was passed to Mr Hine by acclamation. Mr Hine, in reply, said be hoped to get increases of support in all centres at next election, though this was impossible in some cases, as lie believed bo had the whole of some centres with him. The meeting concluded with a vote tlnmkr. to the chairman, moved by Mr. Hine.