The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, JULY 8th 1922 THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 July 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, JULY Bth 1922 THE WEEK.

A. SouTiiiiAND paper of a late date reviews the political situation of the Dominion rather interestingly, in the following leinis: Air Veitch certainly spoke truth when he declared to a Dunedin audience that we no longer had “party polities.” It was Masscyite, Wardite. or Hollandite, not Reformer, Liberal or Labourite. This had conveyed the impression that Parliament was working for the leader, not for the country. It- is too true that the national idea has been obscure I by the personal equation. Air Sodden was autocrat by the. will of the majority, hut Mr Afassc.v is'even, more autocrat against the wishes of 60 per cent of the electors. It is this fact that inspired those who take a sincere interest in polities as a means of promoting the affairs of their country to advocate that a Young New Zealand Party should supplant the old organisations which lmd for too long studied personal ease and comfort. There were still Liberals in the country—there were still hundreds uf thousands possessing the truly progressive instincts—hut the House had degenerated under the influences of that association of parties which could not fail to have a prejudicial effect on these in a minority. The personal factor in politics has been responsible for too much of that convenient policy which has disregarded tile greater issues. At .an election the public are not influenced to such an extent by principles as by the men, and in this way has been reversed the democratic creed, so often pronounced in the old days when democracy was making history.

We believe that at next election tlie:e will be many surprises. The choice of candidates for the Middle Party indicates that men of practical worth are being chosen—in many cases men who have been behind the scenes for a considerable number of years. These are . already experienced politicians and it is advisable that where experience is available in addition to the other essential qualities the candidates possessing it should be chosen. 'The tendency to scout polities may be attributed to a lack of interest in anything that makes for progress. When men or women say they have no tftne for polities they mean that they are quite satisfied with conditions and in no way operate to their disadvantage. They are not interested in the processes of uplifting the tens of thousands who have not had the same chances in life. The genuine citizen of the Dominion is he who admits the light of opportunity to everyone in the country the rest depends chiefly on the individual. The principles of democracy arc agelong and are as imperishable as the Ten Commandments. They are the laws of progress and justice respected by tbe nations regardless of language or religion. It is impossible to respect any policy which ignores the responsibility of the fortunate to help the unfortunate, and for that reason participation in politics is a public duty. There is nothing wrong with the contention that the affairs of the nation are the affairs of every individual, and d politics are too dirty to toudh it is all the more reason why those with a keep sense of right and wrong should assist- in making them clean. The section that lias backed democracy from the beginning of time is the great Middle Party—the party between tbe extremes of selfishness and irrationality. It does not matter by what name it is called, and if Liberal sounds good as part of the title and Labour as another 1 portion, they have done so much for New. Zealand as allies that it will not seem inappropriate to again have their names associated in a magnificent forward move to achieve some of the es- i sential things so long left undone. [

A representative of the World’s Sunday School Association is visiting New Zealand, and in the course of an address at Christchurch this week, the gentlemen, Mr Pearce, in explanation of his mission, said that when lie had been unable to talk of detail and organisation he lind tried to review the great issues involved. He believed that a great many fine Christian people, who appreciated Sunday schools, did not really estimate what were the missions of those institutions in the world. When people saw badly-organised and poorly attended Sunday schools they prolnbly did not stop to ask why. Mr Pearce urged that education was a very vital and determining factor in human conduct. What, they put into the minds and hearts of the boys and girls would bear its fruit in the years to come. After tracing the progress of education in America, the speaker referred to the institution of State

schools. The next step, lie said, was | to face the task of religious education. How could it be met? A municipality with divided forces and all sorts of denominations could not undertake it. The schools were provided by taxation. “We can’t take Roman Catholic money to teach Protestant religion,” remarked Mr Pearce, “and we would not allow them to take Protestant money to teach Roman Catholic religion. They had to face the task of building a system of religious education on the part of .the churches. There was no other way. The public schools were unreligious— and ho did not mean them to mis-interpret this. He did not imply that the Bible must be omitted altogether, for probably parts of it could .bo read. But unless the Church did teach religion, and unless spiritual motives were imparted through the Sunday schools, he feared they were positively in peril of producing a materialism . generation. Intelligence did not necessarily make a good man some of the brainiest men were moral lepers. Mr Pearce u that it was through tile Sunday schools that- religious instruction must lie giveif. The whole . world was a great big neighbourhood | and the task of teaching religion in j order that Christian ideals might preI vail among the peoples was one of the problems. This was the work tkat had been taken up by the World’s Sunday School Association;

I'hk Hon. G. W. Russell has been writing to the papers this week on the subject of government reform. He went on to state that in 1910—omitting the railways and interest, etc., on the public debt—-the expenditure was £4,325,271. By 3919 it had grown to £9,171,235 (including £1,200.000 war pensions), and by 1921 to £14,026,000 ('including £1,748,000, war pensions.) This is the ordinary expenditure of the country, excluding the railways and interest and sinking fund on all loans. Is there a remedy? If so, what is it? I make bold to say there is one way, and one way only, namely, to restore to the people the rights of self-govern-ment by a return to provincialism in a modified form. If this were done, not only would there he economy. Free play would at once he given to the native genius, the enterprise, the individuality of the people of the various provinces. These have disappeared under centralism, which has given the Dominion Government a domination that has destroyed 75 per cent of the national spirit. My idea is that in the North Island there should he the provinces of North Auckland, Auckland, Hawke’s Bay-Gisborne (united), Taranaki ,Wnnganui-Manawatu (united), and Wellington. In the .South Island Nelson-Marllmrough (united), and Westland, North Canterbury, South Canterbury-North Otago, (united). Otago and Southland. These provinces should control, within their borders, education, public health, police, agriculture, acclimatisation, valuations,public works (except railways), lands, immigration, mining, electric supply, and all purely local questions.

Tin; Contial Government would ileal with Imperial relations, defence, foreign and overseas interests, lunacy, the judiciary, pensions, national finance, post and telegraphs, lighthouses, railways and prisons, It is hardly necessary to point out the tremendous effect this proposal would have in the way of simplicity and economy of government. At one blow the people would lie given the power to rule themselves. The power of the bureaucracy would he broken in a day. Instead of presenting themselves as mendicants on ministers’ door mats the university heads, the educationists would work out their own salvation through their councils. So. also, with all other Ideal interests. Armies of officials would disappear into a private life. And why do I say this? Company the management of our four large cities and harbour hoards—or even the secondary towns—with any Government department, and then answer for yourselves. In them the people do largely govern themselves, and the result is economy and efficiency. Why should not the same consequences follow ill the larger areas if the scheme I suggest were followed? I venture to say that the waste and unoccupied lands of Auckland, Otago and other districts would he developed and occupied under provincial control infinitely better than has proved to ho possible under the bureaucracy. 1 have no hesitation in saying that the people of Canterbury and Otago would get better results in all departments, including land settlement, if left to govern themselves, than are attained now uiulei: the centralised system. 1 need not further elaborate the point. The economy of the scheme will he apparent.

The needs about tbe Otira tunnel this week indicates that the delay foreshadowed as a result of the loss of plant and material from the Wiltshire, is going to impose a, little more delay. This is very regrettable, but having waited so patiently for so long, a little extra patience of a oouple of months or so, will not lie an intolerable ordeal. The refreshing part about the statements on the subject, is the ring of certainly about the expectations now, that by Raster next at the latest, the through line will be in operation, Master in 1023 will be on the Ist April, so that the Minister’s statement that the line a ill ‘be operating in March next may be expected as something definite and final. Meantime it is good to learn that from September next, dairy produce may be railed through the tunnel, and tiiis will be, not only a boon, but also a great concession to the dairy farmers of the Coast generally. The tunnel thereby will have a very practical and valuable use. As to the service in general it will be found probablv during tbe height of summer traffic that there will be a degree of congestion on the coach service and it might bu found necessary to partially, use the tunnel for relief. At all events j the works should lie well enough advanced by then to permit of use in cases of emergency. Indeed that is possible now when the coach road is interrupted by local causes. The satisfactory feature about the present position is that ■Government- and contractors are concentrating in unison on speedy completion of tbe work, and that the big job is to be got out bf hand as early , The public will appreciate , this united effort, and the feeling that now we will not lie long before we enjoy the privilege of direct connection east and west.