SELFISH POLITICIANS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2497, 25 June 1915, Page 3

SELFISH POLITICIANS

"ROTTERS WHO THINK ONLY OF THEMSELVES." Among the Australian soldiers slain at tlio Dardanelles was Sergeant E. R. Larkin, a member of the New South YVales Legislative Assembly. In public life Mr. Larkin liad always shown a strongly patriotic spirit, and a letter written by him just before he left Egypt for tlie Dardanelles he expressed himself very strongly against the continuance of party politics during the war. "If I am to judge/' he wrote, "from the scanty news received here, the party is hardly as united as it should be. At this time one would imagine that public men would be of the one mind —that all questions would be dealt with in the most happy spirit—and that as a result the best thin<; possible m the circumstances would ensuo. But selfishness seems to be the main feature of somo politicians, and it is only to be expected that they should try to glorify themselves, even at a trying time like this, irrespective of the pubfic welfare. . . . When I left, the Labour tiger and the Liberal lamb were lying side by side, .dreaming blissfully of the joy that was to fall on all and sundry through their tentative friendship. Evidently the inherent antipathy asserted itself very soon. . . It would suit a few of them better to be here doing something. Surely they don't expect that we wl# have given up our comfortable homes and all that we hold dear and stepped into the firing line are the only ones to make sacrifices. It is true, all have not the physique and stamina to go on service, hilt all can at least cheerfully accept the altered position into which the war has placed the country. Public men should point the way. The rotters who are thinking only of themselves now will, I hope, be properly summed up when the day arrives." In a reference to the question of defence, he said: "I am satisfied more than ever that Australia must keep busy in the boat-building line, and also give some attention to the formation of a decent standing army. We don't want to fight, but we must always bo ready, and armies cannot be made in a few months. My experience has taught me that. For any successful body of troops there must be at least a welltrained and disciplined nucleus. No one deplores war more than I do; yet it seems that it will always be a possibility, and we m:ist get into and remain in a state of preparedness."

At nest week's meeting of the. Hastings Chamber of Commerce Mr. T. Cliirkson will move: "That it be a recommendation to the Government to make provision whereby payments marlo to returned troopers shall be available at the post offico or Defence Offico in the district where they registered." They all talk about us. The inisiness man for our splondid Customs and forwarding services; the 'householder for our carefulness in removing furniture; the traveller because of our checking baggage 6ystem, which save? all bothor. N.Z. Express Cn„ Ltd.) 87«51 Custombgues