The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1909. PAROCHIALISM AND PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 654, 3 November 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1909. PAROCHIALISM AND PARLIAMENT.

, It is ,a uriivorsally admitted fact, althtiugb. Unfortunately not one that is also universally .deplored, that the House of I Itapresentatives of this country has, for iMariy years, been on the way to bocoining 'nothing'.'but a."glorified Road Board, and its members for the most part local: delegates where they should -be national 1 dopiifiies.' .To illustrate this fact would bo merely, 'to";repeat .what" has'been.said over and over again by many men ; arid ,many/pewspapers for years past. Many are/sorit to Parliament 'simply ! for''what they , can obtain for their trictsj.iind only those :who'have r a'strong sense of duly arid some firmness 1 of charaoter are willing and ablo to takeabfoad '.view'df their duties in the national Parliament; 'No single cause can be selected as tho one which is wholly responsible for the deterioration-of the ■methods of the :House'6f',Eepresentatives and-thodoini-narico f of the- parochial spirit within its Walls, \ Tho' main;.'rosponsibility rests, of cou'rsoj'witb,the , pircsent. method-pf ' ;making,. gr^hts;,.;for fpublic : works—a eystcm that ;reprcEcnts the .utmost that could be oontfivecl: by • anyone who might receive an order to dexisca. .scheme of public works ospenditure that would ;bost>; loiid' to..financial• extravagance, , 'a debilitated public.'conscience, and the establishment '.of & -.-partyvoligarchy. But even this bad system; •■ which/ must , ' make , the. Ministry of,;.th6;.dayi 'whatever. Ministry .'it may be,;. : tho :'inastCT 'of ■ Parliament and ■ tho absolutely i'u rifotto red : dispenser. of ~the public" fuhcls,' must have favourable conditions.to 'wq?k jn. They arc'ifinding'in. : Fr.^n'co':■thafethe.; degone'ration 'of tho .Ehambor.';pr.Kcptities';is; r diVe, notonly :i'tb■tho;' of. : govcrhmbnt,).'■'but alsbfto'lthfr system qf small single con : Stituenciot.

_ The whole question': is • attracting much now; and as many of ; the ■-symptoms; that are. causing dis-■ quiet there- arc 'also'visible.in/'this coun-' try, 'there is .something 1 for. New ■Zealand tpj lqarri f jfonV some recent, utterances, by leading- French: statesmen! .'■■ We wero' informed 'by-.cable "the.other day that the no.w '..Premier, M.BfiiANb; is anxious 'to remove, the cankor of parochialism from the.. Chamber, :' Iμ, 1889. the. Scruiin de ■ liste, ': under which the..electorates wore large..and.':the. electors-voted .for, several dopiities, .was:' replaced by the Scriitin :d'arrondisserhent,:.undar which the country was'divided, into smaller single-mem-. her' constituencies' and. tho elector voted for: only) one '.deputy. 'M. Briand said that the prcsenisystem had lately' developed, ''.narrowing and excessively local influences." •'lt had' bogun, that 1 is: to say, \td: : make .the 'do'puties the slaves of their..district , ; needs.. ' A similar view by :M'. .Poinoaiie, , a Senator and >ri : '" ex-Minister.of Finance.'' In a'recent speech he warned" the public of " the growing, tendency of Parliament to recoil more-arid more upon , itself and to draw in the frontiers of Franco to the. space": comprised between: tho Palais Bburbon and the Luxembourg and Ministerial ahte-cbamberV. "■ He proceeded: :: '. Some • Frenchmen become deputies as thoj. might becomo lawyers or doctors, or oven cooks ana dotnestic servants, simply in order to havo a good place and to try to keep it. The professional politicians constitute a serious danger. The deputy's obligations to his electofa havo .become More and moro numerous and burdenBonio Until now, tlicy' ate paralysing the most independent' minds. 'A comparison of tho pre ; aont with'the past of 10 or J5 years ago reveals, even in the constituencies. which hare ,been.tholeast affected,'fhe lowerihg'of political morals and the progress of political mendicity. The..;moat eminent men, the strongest-''char-' auters,' are bound to undergo at certain moments the.'crueL pressuro of local' interests. Everybody agrees that, an end must be put to euch a-humiliating state of, things, a situation, so .pernicious for the good working, of administrative ; and governmental machinery aid, one, so fatal for the Parliamentary regime; ' :.',:'': .-,;... ■ .- '■■: •'.■■■ : ■ ■ ■ •'.

For-remedies he suggested a broadening of the basis of election and : a system of proportional representation that would 'abolish-" the*shifting injustice of government by,mew majorities," ... .......The., other side of 'tho ( case- was. presented ,by' M,,Clpmenoeau, who does not agree' with"-M. Poincare and M.' Briand in'condemning the Scrutiri d'arrondissemeht. -■: Hβ favours that system , and he is ; no;friend of proportional representation. His reason for dissenting from tho belief of the Qovernment that the parochial 'epiritxan L bei eliminated is ah iriteieWing condemnation .of the contralisine of governmenti. New Zealanders will find.little difficulty in seeing in it also a powerful argument against, 'the present method .of allocating public works expenditure in-ihis country. This is the exPromiqr's statement:'• : ' " /,

_The deputy would bo jnstas much the slave of bis electors as before, even if he were chosen by tho entire department. -Ho would be the roprwentativo of this or that town, or of this or that district. That is exactly what takes place in. the case-of the Senate: Admmietrativo tho deputies the , inevitable intermediaries of communes and towns which want'to obtain a v road, aschool a railway. station,,'or -what.not. . The citizen,' tho Mayor, the member of a departmental counoil, who has any,rights to claim, or any:favour to , ask, will always.call upon his deputy, 1 whether that deputy be elected as ono of a list or lndividuelly.becauso it is in Paris, the centre' ..of;..everything, .■■that'' the-request, has ultimately to bo preforrQd, audthodeputy alone has access to the fotintain : hcad; ;'•',■:

That may bp true; Butiait not obvioua that the- wiiy " to -'free 'tho. ;M;P.' in .tliis country from ;.Kis ; .present.: bondage ty locali greeds, is' : to:;changa < tho. system liVhich'allow? local greed; to -get what it stituehcies> : :in:thQ theory-that Uhoy r mußt Mtid,te;Parliamoatthp;man. ; .whq can beet bljtainl^y£M>> if -Smt

desitc ißvreally , illibitl-Assurodly that is tho direction in , which a 'remedy must bo sought m.this country. Wo all know how votes go on tho Estimates,'and .we all know why. our money is wasted. Under tho existing system the'votes on the Estimates will be drawn up according to the arrangements,made between the Ministry , of the day,- whatever Ministry it may bo, and the individual members; and these votes : w?U ba passed because of .A s and • B.s and C's mutual accommodation. ■- Place tho wholo business of public,'works expenditure in the hands of a Board, responsible .only to tho general body of Parliament,- and the " roa'ds and bridges; member "will disappear. With his disappearance > will depart a tendency that has already had bad results and: that can only: lead to worse results in ■ tho future.":..:-::,. ■' -.■ ' '■' •.-.'■ ,;■ '■■■'■■ ■ ...