LEGISLATION BY EXHAUSTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8997, 6 December 1907, Page 4

LEGISLATION BY EXHAUSTION.

Sir Joseph Ward, in an interview with a press representative: in Auckland, on Wednesday, endeavoured to defend himself from the charge of "legislation by exhaustion," during the recen 4 ; session. He expressed "surprise at the attempt to raise such a cry," and declared ihat.no one with any sense of fairness could say that a system ot legislation by exhaustion was adopted in connection with any measure placed upon the Statute Book last session. Sir Joseph ought not to be '•surprised" at the charge, because it is manifest to every one who followed the proceed-/ ings of Parliament that the Premier nut-Seddoned Seddon in the matter of forcing important legislation through j during the fortnight preceding the i prorogation. The sittings were long, and the bills were rushed through with unprecedented rapidity at a time when members were too exhausted to criticise or even study them. A large proportion of the most important legislation was kept back to the dying hours of the session, and then the Government with the aid of its abnormal majority shot the bills through the House like bullets from a machine gun. The Native Land Bill, which was promised early in the session, was amongst the last to be "introduced, and many members had not even time to study its provisions, and were consequently unable to criticise it. Under the circumstances the Premier is only endeavouring to hoodwink the public when he talks about short hours of sitting and disclaims undue pressure on the part of the Ministry to get measures passed.

The Trust Lands Trust and the residents of Masterton are to be congratulatedupon the result of the loan poll taken yesterday. The voting was small, but that is always the case where approval of the object is general. Those who are opposed to a borrowing scheme make an effort to record their votes against it; those who favour the proposal take it for granted that their views predominate, and that the poll will be carried without their aid. Thus it sometimes happens that a scheme [is negatived by a minority because of the overconfidence of the majority. In the present instance, fortunately, no such miscarriage resulted. The trust will now be enabled to work upon right lines, and not only will that body benefit materially by the authority just given to it, but the citizens of Masterton as a wholo will be greatly advantaged. It may be expected that vacant sections, which have hitherto remained an incubus upon the trust, will now be sought after and profitably occupied.