The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. THURSDAY, SEPT. 18, 1890.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2837, 18 September 1890, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 18, 1890.

Ei)iliLl ;ind i:x.ict .iiistiCK to ;.ll mull, 01 whatsoever slate or pmsuaskm, religious or political.

We venture to say that no intelligent porson can read the proceedings of the people's representatives at Wellington, without experiencing u, feeling of intense weariness and disgust. The old straw-splitting, thu old party battles, during the progress of which, the interests and needs of the colony seem to be totally lost sight of. In the incessant struggle between the ins and tho outs, the financial position of the colony, grave as it undoubtedly appears to the most superficial observer, is apparently as nothing when compared to the pressing necessity, on the one side of holding tlifi reins of ollice, and on the other side of turning them out and climbing upon ths box seat themselves. No one could suppose, from the speeches made day after day, that these gentlemen wero sent to Wellington, at great expense, to calmly deliberate and deal with the pressing questions affecting the colony, and were supposed, we fear this is a pleasant fiction, to work for the country's good. Instead of such a patriotic assembly, earnestly grappling with undoubted difficulties, the spectacle is presented of two evenly matched combatants busily engaged in obtaining points against and publicly discrediting each other, scarcely a ray of patriotism seems to penetrate the dull selfinterested shadows of the House. No matter what the subject brought forward, whether benetieial or inimical to tho colony, whether a claim for redress or a charge against personal reputatioiiH, is immaterial, the question immediately becomes a party one, and is henceforth buried beneath a mountain of verbiage and parliamentary dodgery. It has been grimly said that the merits or demerits of any question brought before the House is about the last point to bo considered. Can any one, however sanguine, after witnessing the progress (save the word) of Parliament during the past few weeks, have any hope, left that the session will result in the slightest benefit to the colony. [Jotter if it had never been. As for Government by party, it is every day showing itself to be an utter failure. Not only are members frequently forced by the exigencies of their party to support measures strongly against their own inclination and convictions and which they feel to be inimical to the public interests, but even the. measures brought forward are treated not upon their merits or upon the public gain which they woul*! ensue if they were made law, it is the side of the House from which they emanate! that has to be the first consideration. Tarty first, public interest after. An illustration of the deadlock which this wretched systi-m brings about, when parties are evenly balanced, lms lattly been shown, when tin! member for Waina had, on behalf of the Government, met tho leader of '.he Opposition and c.ime to an arrangement by which n large number of Hills would be passed through with little opposition, so as to hrinu' the. session within reasonable limits.

'I'liriiinj,' to tli" immibors tliuinsiilvKK, tin; small l>;iiifl wlio in the I'iiuo of determined hostility nntl ricliuulu liavu done their lit'st to lessen the. scandalous ;uid unduly heavy burclon imposed upon the pnoplc by an over-grown Civil Service, deserves every encouragement and support. Skinflints thoy are termed and the title may yet bo regarded as honourable, synonymous of the brave pioneers leading in the van of retrenchment and reform. Hut what can they do? Even the sniitll measure of economy which they hive ell'ect«l would never have b'ien accomplished hid not parties been so evenly balanced that their iiiw votes became of importance from a party point of view and worousedaeeordiugly. Wefeuruntil the constituencos pludyo their members to bring tho cost of Government rnoro into accordance with the income nnd population of the colony no retrenchment worthy of tlio name will bo brought about. Another election is at hand. It behoves all who have their country's good at heart thoir children's and their own interest in view to bestir themselves, and by united action assist in bringing about that state of ail'aiis which undoubtedly rests so largoly in thoir own hands. Tho facilities for obtaining almost any reform are within the power of the electors, and from the pooplo themselves all truo reforms must spiug.