PRELIMINARY MATTERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13928, 11 June 1909, Page 2

PRELIMINARY MATTERS.

At the opening of Parliament there was evidence of nasfe. The Premier was in a hurry all through the pro> ceedings of Parliament to-day. There was evidence that the Prime Minister has made up his mind that he will go Home at the end of the week and that his party has been hardened up to support him in that proposal. The Governor's Speech could be easily paraphrased into a few words. "Your Prime Minister has made up his mind to attend the naval conference. The party says he shall go, therefore the work of the session will merely consist of a Loan Bill (probably for a million) chiefly devoted to the construction of roads and bridges, and to the legisla- { tion necessary to enable th© Government to spend money to October 31." Tho Opposition will not debate the various proposals to an extent which is calculated to prevent Sir Joseph Ward leaving for Sydney en route to England on Friday next, but on the other hand it has made it quite clear that it is going to have its say and will noi;. allow things to go by the board to an extent which is anything more than reasonable. As a matter of fact the Opposition has arrived at the conclu- j sion that for the moment, at any rate, public opinion is against it. It will, of course, have something to say about tho financial position, and Sir Joseph Ward will, it is understood, reply with a statement which from his point of view will prove that New Zealand is at the zenith of financial prosperity and that her future is assured. The figures in proof of that assertion are already being prepared and they will be given utterance to by the Prime Minister at the earliest possible opportunity. This niOrn ing's caucus was not only devoted to considering the subjects already made public ; the party was also "hardened up" to refrain from talking so as to keep the usual-flood of talk at the commencement of the session within reasonable bounds. .In this respect it is curious to note how the party has come to heel. Previous to the session it was. running riot in many directions, as soon as the sess'on began it t*ave up its favourite occupation of "giving tongue" and ass'liued an attitude of quiescence which is a standing tribute to the controlling powerj of the man at the helm. No one contemplates the possibility at the present moment of the session fin'shipg on Saturday night, but there is an underlying feeling that the Prim* Minister has more cards up his sleeve than most of the players are disposed to give him credit for and no one would bet surprised if the session concluded very early in the week that is to be.