CONFESSIONS OF A MEMBER OF PALIAMENT

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 April 1916, Page 3

CONFESSIONS OF A MEMBER OF PALIAMENT

(By JOHN PAYNE, M.P.) One of the first things which strike a new Member of Parliament is wnat an exemplification of Socialism the Chamber itself constitutes. Inside the Chamber, Premier. .Ministers Members, are equnit, hound by the name Standing Orders, as the Rules of Parliament nre called, having equal ri (r ht to speak on any given matter and having equal voting pcftver on any legislation. Here, there are no social distinction,-;; the Boorish, new_iy rich representative of the squatter .district. finds that while he was a big man at home, where all and sundry grovedled to hihi on account o 1 his wealth, in the House he is just one liltitle unit of eighty such units. i remember wel'it the representative ot a rich squatter district coming down to the House for the first time, m my own first year. For some months he passed up and down the lobbies with his chin very high in the air. Presently he found that no one took ny. 'intico or his airs, and, furt.iei, that when lie did dare to open his mouth in the House, now and again, some "common person" of a Member would get up and make nunre meat ot iiis "speech." And it, was lovely to notice how the swelled head subsided'. Yes, the House resembles Socialism in this one particular, and in this one particular only:—ln the House nothing but merit and ability can count it one is going to make any headway and have any fnHTTenc-e in public opinion. All the money in the world cannot make up for lack oF ideas, and for the lack of the ability to put ideas before the House in clear and practical form,—in other words, all hi.ve an equal cbancc at the stort. and on]y ability and integrity can succeed in /bringing about anything which may bo of lasting benefit to the people. lam just now amusedly watching another case ot "Subsidence" on the part of a new member. Mr. Parr, member for " Eden, came down to Wellington with a big flourish of trumpets, some of the Auckland) newspapers going to the extent of saying that Mr. Parr would be in the new ministry. As a local magnate, Mr. Parr was able to push his wheelTmrrcvw for all it was worth, and such is the rotten state of our municipal politics that <1 pusher enn always play his own game, if he is onto enough. Mr. Parr in Auckland, and Mr. Parr in "Wellington, are two very different gentlemen. ->"o person nl pushing avails a man when there ar> 79 other "pushers" all pla.vmg the sauna game. In fact, m the House of Parliament, one "pusher" pushing too hard is a danger to the vest oF us .pushers, and we push him under at the earliest opportunity. If the land newspapers had seen the smile ot derision of the faces of the <9 pusher?, who were having the. pusher from AuckVind thrust upon them m this wav. they would; have hesitated to publish such bosh, as that a young member, without any special merit, should jump over the lieads of the rest ot the pushers of-the Tory Party. Moral: — Don't push, well, so as it will be noticed, anyhow!