POLITICAL NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2639, 22 October 1909, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

A FEARFUL WASTE OF TIME,

(Special to “Times.”) . Nj WELLINGTON, Oct. 21.

The closing of the mtile debate on;, the Address-in-Reply, which took plac© earl}-' this morning, would doubtless cause a sigh of relief throughout the) country, if the country took an intelligent stock or Parliamentary proceedings. It certainly lias been hailed as a relief among even the members who were responsible for its prolongation. -The onlooker could only views the spectacle as an exhibition of childish folly, and wonder why progressive New Zealand has not long since abandoned a practice that lias the double disadvantage of being excessively costly as well as ineffective. Mr Massey .thinks the debate will prove, valuable in the long run its saving tune when financial measures are brought forward. Members have many grievances, he says, and if they did not air - them on the Address-in-Repy they would on the motion for going into There might be something in that contention were it not discounted by past experience. The bulk of the? grievances will cron up again, and again as the forms of the House permit. They will be raised in the weeklytwo and a half hours’ discussion in motions for adjournment when the answers to questions are, brought down, and upon every occasion when a motion i for going into Committee of Supply is called on. At any rate, that has been the history’ of the past. THE ADDRESS IN THE LORDS. The Council is still debating tlie. Address, but that Is almost as inexpensive as futile, and therefore comparatively harmless, because no valuable time isbeing wasted, and tlie Senators are very careful not to burn the midnight ?. oil. The chief cost to be debited to them is the printing of manj’ pages of speech, which probably no one will ever read. , PRIVATE MEMBERS’ DAY. To-day has been and to-morrow will be devoted to private members’ business, consisting mainly of Bills which, will suffer the fate of persistent backdoor, beggars and be rejected. Thu* nearly' three weeks will have passed without a single Government measure being put forward. Probably this will not worry Ministers much, for although their followers have wasted more time than the other side, they are sure to throw the responsibility on the Opposition, and use the delay as an excuse for shunting important Questions upon, which they do not feel altogether recure.