MINISTERIAL ABSURDITIES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 435, 18 February 1909, Page 4

MINISTERIAL ABSURDITIES.

'■ Nothing bettor illustrates the deplorable state into which New Zealand, politics, have, drifted than tho fact that Min-, isterial office is within the reach of men who hold q,nd proclaim opinions which are not merely wrong, but are palpably absurd, There was a time when a" Minister was expected to havo some acquaintance with'political principles. He was expected to bo, and ho' usually 1 was, a man who had fortified with thought and study his own learning from experience. Nowadays, however, the aspirant to Ministerial office need ; know ' nothing whatever about either the theory or practice of political and social economy. Somo time ago wo had the HoN. G. Fowlds ridiculing tho idea that there was cause for serious., regret in a drop in the prico 'of wooh A drop ,in the price, his argument ran,; was only felt by a few . wealthy . people who already had more than they could spend. This'absurdity ' was' moro than' matched by. the Hon. A. W. Hooo'b- statement last week that he entirely sympathised with the views advocated .by a deputation which did not see why the Government should not clear away the existing burden of unemployment j)'y . issuing masses of paper money. And now the Hon. D. Buddo comes forward with an enthusiastic advocacy of compulsory technical education. We have, no intention of explaining the roaEOns—since thoy are quite obvious the opinions quoted are absurd enough to make the friends! of their authors rather uncomfortable. The public may be left-to determine for itself which of the. three Ministers .gave forth the most absurd utterance. ■'

What must, be particularly noticed is tho significance of the fact that Minister's can hold, and confidently express, views that betray both an incapacity for serious thought and an extraordinary ignoranco of political and social economy. We do not blame Me. Buddo or Me. Hogg for holding such views,- nor for considering themselves'suited to assist in. the work of government. The fault lies with the public, which has allowed 1 its political affairs to drift'into this state/ The public would be paying a proper attention' to their political affairs to-day, and many of our present legislators would be in private life, had thft late Mtt. Seddon not realised the fitness of tho society in which ho lived for the introduction of the methods that have mado the public indifferent to right principles in government. The people are recovering, however, from this apathy, and as tho process of re : covory is" certain to continue, the time does not seem far distant when there will be no place for Ministers who hold views whioh no'person with any pretensions to intelligence could droam of entertaining for a inomont.