AFTER MANY DAYS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9767, 30 August 1910, Page 4

AFTER MANY DAYS.

Twenty-two long years have elapsed since first Sir William Steward introduced his Elective Executive Bill to tho House of Representatives: ami, having nmlorgoue many hard battles and grievous disappointments, he has lived to see it pass through it stormy second reading, survive the criticisms of Committee, ami finally bo adopted without amendment by a unanimous Govemmeut party aud Opposition He iias done more :ho has personally directed the ensuing election of a Ministry, has himself couutoi! tho votes, and has, with suitable gravity, declared certain men duly qualified to hold portfolios, lie has expressed his gnitiiicatiou at the favourable reception of his Bill, aud assured the House that tho importance of the measure cannot be overestimated. Of course, the occasion was only a mock Parliament iv Mastertou, aud the future usefulness of the grave and revereud seigniors of Moteewortli-street was not in any way affected. Sir William came gracofully to Mastortou and the Parliamentary Union, and acted on tho principle of work first, uud afterwards play. Ho described the proposals of his Bill iv an interesting, intelligible and convincing way, and tho manner in which he subsequently answered questions showed that lie had nnt studied the subject for twenty-two years for nothing. It is probable that !')!) per cent, of iiis hearers were, at the conclusion of his address, fully persuaded that the purest and most useful Government was to be secured per medium of the Elective Executive Bill. And "the .Father of the Present''Parliament" accepted the Chairmanship of tlie House aud saw the Bill through Committee—and entered so thoroughly into the spirit of the thing that no one would have guessed that the fate of Now Zealand did not depend upon ths fate of the measure. Tho people of Mastertou have reason to be obliged to Ashburtou's kindly aud much respected knight, for ho lias added a little to their stock of knowledge, and probably thrown some light into dark places.