OBITER DICTA.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19144, 29 October 1927, Page 14

OBITER DICTA.

[By K.] Day by day the papers record the saymgs-and, unfortunately, the oeca sional doings-of the politicians; and while earnest men are wearing them selves out in a vain struggle against daylight saving, beer, high tariffs,* art unions, the modern girl, the Waimairi County roads, the carunculated shag and other smaller evils, nobody even calls a public meeting to consider the abolishing of M.P.'s. For many years I have cherished a plan. There would be an election annually. In every electorate ten names -would be taken at random from the Directory, and these would be the candidates. Those who received the greatest number of votes would be automatically disqualified for ever from holding any public office. Then the process would be repeated. I A statistical friend made this criticism of the scheme: that even if the population remained stationary it would take 500 years to eliminate all but 80 men. He failed to see, until I pointed it out, that this was the real virtue of the plan: no M.P.'s for 500 years. An equally good plan is proposed in the latest number of the "Spectator": The choice given to the people at a Parliamentary election may well happen to be not a choice between Christ and Barabbas, but between Judas and Barabbas, or Barabbas A and Barabbas B. In order to .prevent the possible scandal of saddling a constituency for many years with Judas M.P. or Barabbas M.P., the "rejective. vote" could easily be made a part of the electoral machinery, and ' the ballotpaper could be set out as follows: JUDAS BARABBAS NEITHER If more votes were given for "Neither," or "Election Void," or "Nil," than for Judas and Barabbas combined, a new and final election would be held in the constituency not less than two months after the date of the first election, and not more than four months after the first election. Any Party that adopts this policy of the "rejective vote" will receive an amount of support that will surprise it. Unfortunately the political Parties are like the scientists. What we require from Science is merely a cure for the common cold, but Science scornfully lifts in the air what passes for its head and tells us how to measure an electron or how to iodise salt. The new Party with the odd name, the U.N.Z.P.P.0., instead of telling us how to dispense with politicians, asks for support on the ground that its policy includes the following hollow sounds: — To foster Imperial welfare and to resist any disintegrating influences. To. exalt the principle of equal opportunity for all, to promote and entourage measures that will make for tlie happiness and increased prosperity of all sections of the community. To ensure the recognition of the close interdependence of town and country. To encourage industrial efficiency through close co-operation and good(vill between Capital and Labour. To ensure a continuity of sound legislation in the Dominion. The progressive development of our communicative systems. The elimination of economic loss due bo unemployment. The formulation of a sound policy of selective immigration consistent with the opportunities offering in the Dominion and with due regard to prerailing economic conditions. These are the aims of every Party that ever was. The politicians are all alike. In the meantime an Auckland clergynan, who may te thought of as a kind of tin Inge, has discovered that the state of the world is so serious that one who complains of the politicians is as foolish as a man who in a runaway ;rain should complain of the draught Prom the ventilator. "The majority >f people," he told his audience last Sundayy " must rush from one sensaion to another. Not being content vith a cabaret one night and a card jarty the next, they must now bring in hares. The style of dancing and he style of some women's dresses leads ;o immorality. To see these conditions n such profusion in our own City is m indication of the cracking of civili•ation." I have nothing fresh to say ibout these cancers gnawing at the ritals of the nation, and nothing to say >£ the Auckland clergyman except that ie was clever to snap up the tin hare ihead of the other divines who extract heir theology from the news. But t will be expressing the feeling of nany millions of us to ask that these wophets of woe should help us by elling us, not what we ought not to 10, but what we ought to do. in order o keep civilisation from breaking up. iVe all know perfectly well by now that ve must not go to dances, that we nust avoid being a modern girl, that ve. must not drink beer, that we must bun tin hares. What we need is a list >f the things we ought to do, because re are all anxious to preserve civiliation. Not that it will matter, perhaps, lecause, according to Professor Huskaytoff, Director of the Russian

r vast <^<SH * •wsß esegrwt S>H pap ! r •* W>'« £» value ofpj« *e British iS^BI final *f be «JJ*fl they use. i h '^ , «M Webster theDe^ o fSt2« B«hop retort,, tt4 J*« Jte;, answering tb, fiJJf *at the human, between bread, saya that"tk*l!H distinguish butler without the'&gjjM offing, pours a troubled oil by Rlen£2H as "a prelateot'uSH hshment." ■We'fcJJH cruder weapons, but il,. sential difference bZ the clubs of polish J which the Cardiaak mi Deans There was a time only two kinds of the clever; and the gooj, to the clever, the dent* good. But the good ml| harsher to each other thq can. As I have said, 11,1 will bring the Chi touch with die demon*. almost persuade the dta Christian, thug beneficial a result titbiji to church that have btq i in Auckland. In tho same fray tin ti soon reside in the heafW It is not so loqgsuiMllit anxious to bridge the $\ University and the da urging that the knovltife store-rooms of Canterh should be nationalised d equally. He did nodi was much good, botisii should be available,toil ever, our eyes, and very tinl a producer of useful i matter. The acting-pa Mass'ey College, Prflto sentecj .a Report thif m lege Council. 'Hislreptj cerned with Latin 01 fi or vector analysis or (Mi he reported was that pnpS made in sowing spring of lamb-tailing operas w there were 102 tails per W that the piggeries,wili on. Professor ReddetiW thing to say. Whstlmil go on, to enquire,;beH«l short at his title.'He'»§ Dairying. Once'it wad I very height of waggislwli Professor of Plum'uing. & once more made fiction W cents. The Begins Pwl* is the next step,-and* thereafter nobody can tel' The trial of the Ctij teacher who does not m\ view that King «# ■' steal America and gnu" to keep WrnqoietaJJ. wayofrwoveragthowj pionship at present Tennessee won tho«" Indiana, which had ** since' 1889. t | Tennessee did »> *V record of nil *fj ana's exploit has b*J *J ten. mat Indian* *J. factthatp».the»t.orfw ence of a circle declared by the v&*£ commensurable. «"■ curring decimal, as all God-feararJJ knew, there was no sw. argument with the »«JJ clearly «•** » rf brought br***»" it ture fixing the jf*, The Bill fcjW in Indiana, u idg^ [cast stones at;i*Ka,i | nine-tenths of I to a denial of | as the India*.*** I of the circle.