Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

asks assets
HOBART: FRI., MARCH 27, 1941.
ANGLING FOR OFFICE.
The proceedings at yesterday's brief sitting
of Parliament might almost be
chronicled under the heading of Angling
Notes. Apart from a Governor's
Speech of two lines 61 far as the matter
in it goes-follow ed by an Atidiosvin
Reply debate of quite recent brevity)
and equally exiguous interest, him day's
work resolved itself into an exhibition
of the gentle art of Angling by that
Wiillonian professor, the Leader of the
Opposition. The Governor's Speech
was justifiably short, since the loved li-
ments sole desire is to place themselves
in the hands of the electors, who may
thus have the opportunity of repairing
effectually the disaster has cod upon the
State, by the break-down of the Propor-
tional System 111 by-elections. In the
Denison contest, as would be the case
in any other when parties are not
equally divided, the Electoral Act worked
entirely differently in the by-election
from its operation in the General Elec-
tion. It, was fined, disfranchised the
electors who in virtue of the proportional
principle land formerly held the
vacated seat. Thus, solely through the
faultiness of the Hare-Clark system is
Worked homes, the State is now subjected
either to a troublesome 41 ntl expensive
General Election, as Mr. Solomon must
hope, or to 11 still more vexatious and
expensive transfer of the reins of Government,
as is the hope of Mr. Earle
so that a chance majority in Denison
may transfer the Government to the
representative of a minority of doctors
in Tasmania. Whether the proposals
to be submitted ''for certain alterations
of the Constitution and Electoral Acts"
can possibly obviate the by-election difficulty
for the future, or will so amend
the Constitution of the House as to
render party government practicable,
remains to be seen. The Opposition
Leader promises support for-or at least
expresses his approval of-a Bill to
prevent the possibility of there being an
equal number of members at the election
at the expiration of this Parliament.
That may be done,, as has often been
pointed out; by simply making the total
of members odd instead of even. But
the > by-elections difficulty will still remain,
and the country desires, without
a deal;, that come bona-fide effort shall
be made to overcome it in a manner
less unsatisfactory than the present. It
is extremely doubtful whether any sum
-pletely satisfactory solution of the problem
can be found without abandoning
the proportional principle altogether
Short of that remedy, the only plan
that offers a chance in mitigating present
evils, without incurring others still
greater, appears to be the one already
put forward for consideration in these
columns the plan of allocating premiers
singly to definite constituencies, and
allowing the single constituency, to elect
in a by-election, although in a General
Election members would be elected in
groups on the quota principle.«jWJhtiiJker
this crude suggestion offer.! a way out,
or whether the Government Bill when
forthcoming will propound something
entirely novel and satisfactory, the public
may possibly learn next week. In
the meantime, Mr. Earle has given
them for their careful study his considered
indictment of the Government and
reasons for turning the Liberals out of
office at the earliest possible moment.
So far as we can discover them, Hvsm
carefully formulated reason-! of Mr.
Knt'lo's for his want of confidence resolve
themselves into two list, that he
badly wants office himself ; secondly,
that he counts upon Mr. Whitsitt to
assist him to get it. His whole speech
yesterday was angling for Sir. Whitsitt.
The indispensable fish has almost swallowed
the hook, but not quite-or not
beyond recall. With that slippery agile
Jty for which the- Independent fish is
always noted, he may at any moment
perform in acrobatic feat to violent as
to disengage himself from the hook altogether
; find this was what Mr. Earle
was so evidently afraid of that his attention
was given entirely to bring, out' Mr.
Whitsitt. a Once or twice he seemed
likely to throw out something which his
flesh could scarcely have swallowed
membering what he had done before
but the angler cleverly avoided giving
any such jerk as should scare tree-covered
prize away, so that, to the admira-
tion of the beholders, the person mines
closed with Mr. Whitsitt still to till appearance
bent on nibbling, if not partly
hooked. On the whole, the afternoon's
display of the gentle art was entertain-
ing; even professional anglers may
catch a hint, perhaps, us to the good
effect of throwing a bit of diseases
potato into the water and using moth
instead of fly. But, considered as a
demonstration of the inefficiency of the
Government, or of the urgent need in
the interest of the State for replacing
the Ministry by Mr. Earle and his follow
anglers, the Opposition Leader's oia
torrent effort wilL/Vji'ubabiy be voted the
mel est piffle. Mr. Solomon should have
little difficulty in rebutting.it^on Tuesday
next. His difficulty lies with the
fish, and not the angler.
rs ,? ?"., is
$