A DEMORALISED PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8988, 25 November 1907, Page 4

A DEMORALISED PARLIAMENT.

The demoralisation of Parliament must be pretty complete when it is possible for a Government to bring down Supplementary Estimates totalling a third of a million pounds and pass them on the last day of the session without challenge and, apparently, without discussion. Yet that is what has occurred. Amongst the belated appropriations we find the following items Department of Internal Affairs, £43,500, Defence Department, £39,657; and Lands Survey Department, £24,751. These items surely demanded some explanation; but, according to the Press Association telegram, the only discussion that took place was over a vote of £3OO each to.four widows of former members of Parliament, and this sum is not even specified in the details sent us. It would be interesting to know why these heavy extra amounts could not have been embodied under the votes covering the same Departments in the ordinary Estimates, but we are justified in supposing that they were omitted mainly for the purpose of preventing scrutiny. It would add to the interest to know whether the extra £43,000 odd pounds set against the Department of Internal Affairs has anything io do with the new dignity that has been given to the Colonial Secretary's office. In any case, it is a striking commentary upon the methods of Parliament that such huge sums can be rushed thiough the House in the last few minutes of the final sitting day of the session.