WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

UNITED POLITICAL PARTY. DERIDED BY MINISTERS. (Special to “ Guardian ”.) WELLINGTON, May 18. It looks at the moment as if the ridicule the Prime Minister and one or two of his prominent colleagues have been heaping upon the disunity of the United Political Party during their pro-sessional electioneering tours had proved as meat and drink to the youngest of the political organisations. Only a few weeks ago the United Party was receiving little attention from anyone outside its own little group of dreamers. It was the butt of every merry jester in political circles. Today. however, many observant people are beginning to take it seriously and the humour of Mr Coates and his colleagues is losing its point. The Uniten Party already lias in the field an array of candidates for parliamentary honours which compare favourably, man for man, with any group to he found in the present House of Representatives. It is true that it still has a policy to propound and a qualified leader to discover; hut if it progresses as rapidly during the coming month as it has during the receding month it will he in a position In provide itself with those essentials before the meeting of Parliament.

POLICIES. As for the question of policies, the United Party, by way of retort to the jeers of Ministers, very well might ask the Government where it has its policy hidden away and when it will bo produced. Previous to the last general election, now nearly three years ago, the Prime Minister let it he known that until ho obtained a direct mandate from the electors lie,would merely continue to administer the policy of his great predecessor in office. The electors gave him an over-whelming mandate at the polls—a majority nearly as big as the largest Mr Seddon ever had enjoyed—and yet only the shreds and patches of a new policS -have been produced. It is true that Mr Coates has tried two or three experiments with tho administration of the Railway Department, that the Minister of Finance has reversed some of Mr Massey’s methods at tho Treasury and that Regulations and Ordcrs-in-Council have been substituted for legislation. They arc merely the passing whims of the Ministers concerned.

•‘THE LEISURED CLASS.” When addressing the members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce at the beginning of the week, the Hon. W. D. Stewart, tho Minister of Finance, expressed regret that well to do people with the advantage of a liberal education and no great business ties did not devote some of their leisure to the public life of the country. The

•‘Dominion” forthwith took the Minister to task for having stigmatised such people as tho “ leisured class.” There were, practically, no such people in the Dominion. Rut, it explained to its own satisfaction why men of sound experience, learning and ripe judgment do not seek election to Parliament. “It is easier to tickle the ears of the mass body of electors under adult suffrage than to appeal to their brains,” it said, “ and those who would prove good law-makers frequently have neither the inclination nor the gift of ear-tickling on the hustings.” This was not very complimentary to cither the “leisured classes” or the “mass body of electors,” hut it may pass for what it was worth. THE MINISTER DISCLAIMS.

This morning Sir Stewart disclaims the words attributed to him. “In speaking in Auckland,” he says. “ 1 did not use the words 'leisured classes.’ In fact the main burden of my speech in Auckland was to the contrary effect. That is to say, l stated that business men should not ho criticised tor not actively engaging in politics. I pointed out that in a young country with very little accumulated wealth and no long established industries, probably the greatest service the business men could render was to devote their energies to developing the trade, commerce, and manufactures ol New Zealand. I therefore exempted the business mon from tho accusation that they criticised public mon without offeiing to do the work themselves, I then added that notwithstanding this, there were individuals in the community who had no business tics who ought to be helping in public life.” It seems never to have occurred either to the newspaper or to the Minister that it is a clumsy system of voting, not class prejudices, that is keeping men of experience, learning and judgment out of Parliament.