TRUE DEMOCRACY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 21, 26 January 1938, Page 11

TRUE DEMOCRACY

NEW ZEALAND'S NEED

CONSTITUTIONAL LEAGUE

NEW ORGANISATION

A new organisation known as the Constitutional League has been formed in VTollington.^ Though only a few months old, this body has a very satisfactory and enthusiastic membership, and an active, progressive executive. It is a body which hopes to play an important part in future New Zealand politics. The following statement has been issued by the organisation:—

"The executive and members at the moment are mainly young people from about 18 to 35 years of age, who are opposed to any form of State absolutism, be it Socialism, Fascism, or Communism, but who desire to re-es-tablish in New Zealand the democratic State. These 'isms' are the products of modern propaganda. Let us analyse that which is closely allied with the life of the people of New Zealand —the present Government's efforts towards an absolute state of Socialism. When voted into power they certainly did not receive a mandate from the people to this effect, yet they are using their power without serious regard to constitutional rights, and are doing their best—a truer word would be utmost—to bring' about a social and economic upheaval. Socialism is an ideal, but it is being forced on the people, and as soon as force is used ideals cease to be ideals. What will be the effect of Socialism on the personal character of our future generation—a spineless mob wholly dependent on the direction of Government officials, destroying the incentive to individual effort and prudence. Surely enlightened public opinion which, in the past, has abolished slavery and sweating, to mention only two, can be relied on to progress with the times, and to help each of us to have toleration for the other fellow's point of view. REWARD FOR EFFORT. "The democratic state truly reflects the instincts, traditions, desires, and, aspirations of the British people. The democratic state has been claimed by the Constitutional League as the foundation of their political belief, because, it considers that in political life only a democratic state will give the two things of most importance in such matters—the greater possible degree of economic security, side by side with the greatest possible degree of individual liberty and reward for effort. While admitting that an absolute State might tend to give a greater degree of economic security, the Constitutional League contends that the price to be paid—the complete loss of individual liberty—would be too great, and the resultant system, wh'- 1- :"nild only hope to function unck. . _-, as shown in Russia, Germany, xtaly, and Japan,,would be intolerable to the nature of British peoples. "From this form of democratic state springs the Constitutional League's economic system, which, it claims, must be based on private enterprise. On this it builds its political expression of representative government. "The Constitutional League claims that the democratic state—the system of private enterprise and representative government—are ""'mutually inter-' dependent, arid that excessive State interference with any of these integral parts must result in a collapse of the whole system,' and would lead to the establishment of some form of absolute State, which, as history shows when representative government is overthrown, can only be imposed on the people- and maintained by a Government prepared to entrench itself behind force. CONFLICT OF INTERESTS. "The Constitutional League accepts democracy as its form of State, because it believes that democracy always has been based on a conflict of economic interests, such as the farmers, manufacturers, wholesale houses, retail shops, professions, and labour competing among themselves as a whole and against competitions in their respective fields of economic life. The Constitutional League claims that if this comparatively free competition is removed from the State, then largescale organisations will result and the State will become the dominant factor, and the essence of democracy will be destroyed "This league upholds the system of private enterprise for two reasons: Firstly, because the incentive. of private profit, which is the substance of private enterprise, is the only effective means, apart from force, which will induce people to exert themselves, and secondly, because it Ms private enterprise alone which has as its motive and does, in fact, cause a reduction in the cost of living. "Although the Constitutional League is prepared to admit that representative government may be somewhat cumbersome, and at times a little unwieldy, in the long run it is more effective than a single party, and is more likely to give expression through its legislation to what the people want, 'than a single party which would try to impose on the people what it thought was good for them, Thus a representative government is more likely to remain the servant of the people, whereas a one-par,ty government would tend to become 'their absolute masters. THREE MAIN PRINCIPLES. "Building upon its form of democratic State, economic system of private enterprise, and representative government, the Constitutional League aims at an expression of political policy, and these are their three main principles:—(l) Defence; (2) constitutionalism; (3) social reform. "The Constitutional League claims that in a world where there is no possibility of international harmony, then the' first duty of any Government must be the defence of its country, its people, and its Empire. He supports this contention by submitting that history shows few cases where a nation, an Empire, or a civilisation, has fallen because it was strong, but many where they have fallen because they were weak. Strong Imperial defence is the first principle in the political policy of the Constitutional League. "Its second principle, constitutionalism, aims to uphold representative Government, which they claim must be based on the democratic State and private enterprise. If this constitutionalism is allowed to collapse, they claim that democracy will fall—temporarily at least. Social reform is the third principle, but the real aim of the Constitutional League. The league contends that true social reform is impossible unless in the first place a country or a commonwealth of nations is in the position to defend itself from pirate nations, such as we see all around us today—in the East a? well as in Europe—and in the second place, true social reform —the raising of the character and material conditions of our people—is impossible in a British country unless constitutional Government is retained. j SECURITY AGAINST ATTACK. "Defence—that is, security against foreign attack—is regarded as a worthy and desirable object, only because it ■will help vis to be at peace, to, solve

our social problems. A strong flexible constitution is desirable because it will help us to work out our social reform more effectively than a rigid, rickety, bureaucratic system of centralised control in conjunction with State absolutism. But though social reform is the real aim of the Constitutional League, it believes that it is dependent upon defence and constitutional Government. It contends that social reform must remain subservient to defence and'constitutionalism, for it has been upon this order of political principles that the British people have become the greatest in the world and the envy of all nations. "Politically, the Constitutional League aims to be conservative in principle, but elastic in policy. It considers that all sections of the community have a right to live, and to live as well as the productive capacity of their country will allow. The Constitutional League does not stand for big finance or big business; nor does it stand for any other form of class government. It stands- to uphold the principle that in a British country all sections have a fair say in what the laws of the land should be. It draws no distinction between the navvy and the financier, but it claims that each should have his equal individual say—but no more—in the control of affairs through elected political representatives from otft the democratic State. PROVIDING AN ANSWER. "The Constitutional League feels that its beliefs and principles are the answer to the average man in New Zealand today who is confused in his political opinions, and is seeking for something solid and sound on which he can build his hopes as an individual, as a member of a family, as a citizen, as a social being, and as a patriot. "The purpose of the Constitutional League is to assist the man in the street to find liis feet politically, and to assist in the organisation of a body of political opinion which will make the representatives of the people the servants of the people—as they should be in a democracy—and not the masters as they tend to become today, no matter which political party is on the Treasury Benches. • "The Constitutional League is not, and does not intend to become, a political party, but is a political organisation whose aims, as expressed above, should be clearly understood by all those who have their country and its welfare at heart."