CONFERENCES AND COMMISSIONS

Western Star, 22 August 1924, Page 3

CONFERENCES AND COMMISSIONS

Conferences and Commissions says the Press, seem to be the order of tho day in' N.Z., and even members of local bodies nowadays seem to have become infected with the man,ia for flitting to Wellington to confer with Ministers the Crown on every conceivable opportunity. There is always justification !to be found in the pica that ‘the other ; fellow ’is doing it. The Prime Minister sets the example with his Imperial ‘Conferences. Only n few months ago jtlie business of Parliament was held up while he journeyed to London, and back, and now he propyses to make another trip be r oro the end of the year taking the leaders of the other two political parties in the House with him. At present we have a Parliamentary delegation of four on their way to South Africa to hold some kind of ‘ pow pow ’ with the Dutch there. .Goodness only knows where the next Conference will bo held to afford pleasure trip to a few favoured individuals at- the expense of the State. The thing is rapidly becoming an obsession, festered doubtless with a view to diverting attention from the real affairs of New Zealand. Then as to Commissions, their name is legion, and ; iiey constitute a real menace to democratic' government, linasmuch •as these 'Commissions' ara composed of persons outside Parliament whose c-on-lnsions are likely to override the nowers of a Parliament elected by the oeople. .