BUSINESS IN GOVERNMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 13 February 1930, Page 2

BUSINESS IN GOVERNMENT

A CRYING NEED

"* (Taxpayer.)

Jn the course of an address be delivered to the members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce the other day, Mr W. Machin, a widely known Christchurch business man, 'gave it as his opinion that “it would be a good thing if the Government asked more freely of the commercial section of the community for advice when dealing with the various problems facing it every day.” ♦ In a way the suggestion was quite admirable—in the way, that is, of emphasising the need for legislative and administrative reform—but in existing circumstances it i,s wholly Impracticable. If the Government took to seeking the advice of the commercial section of the community, it would be compelled by expediency, to say nothing of courtesy, to seek the advice of other sections of the community, several of them, larger than the commercial

section and most of them more insistent. The “New Zealand Herald,” referring editorially to Mr Machin’s suggestion, says in effect, that the real trouble is not lack of co-ordin-ation between Parliament and the commercial community; but the carelessness with which legislative power is entrusted to men lacking the qualifications of knowledge and experience for its responsibilities.

FUTTLIB TO COMPLAIN. *Mr Maehin, who probably is not so well acquainted with the ways of New Zealand politicians as the experienced editor of the “Herald” is, seems to have had it in his mind that Ministers of the Crown have time hanging heavily upon their hands which they might very well employ in making the better acquaintance of business men and their views. The Auckland journal summarily dispels this illusion. “It is futile,” it says, “for the commercial community, through its recognised spokesmen, to complain of the mischievous experiments of legislation, to protest at the expensive methods of national administration, so long as the constitution of Parliament is neglected and the electors are offered no better choice than between amateurs in administration and doctrinaires in political economy. The idea of consultation between the Parliament and the commercial community is impracticable. The real remedy is obviously for the commercial com-

munity to enter Parliament, where it could exert a positive influence upon legislation and administration. Surely it is time to recognise that business in government will he established only when men with business brains and business experience are placed in Parliament and in the Ministry.” This is plain enough for everyone with any understanding to

WHERE IS THE REMEDY

It will bo noticed, however, that tlns authority, which declares business in government to be the crying need of the hour, says not a word as to how this sovereign remedy is to lie applied. It is true it deplores the neglect ot “the constitution of Parliament,” but how the “business brains and business experience” are to be obtained it does not indicate at all clearly. The existing constitution of Parliament certainly does not provide for the end desired. In the present House of Representatives there are no more than eight members who by any stretch of courtesy can be regarded as essentially men with “business brains and business experience.” Of these, all representing eicy seats, only one was returned by a majority of the votes polled in the constituency lie wooed and this lucky individual encountered only one opponent. As for the remaining seven, they were all returned bv minority votes, that is. a majority of the votes polled were east against them. One secured only 39.59 per cent of the votes polled in his constituency; another only 40.21 per cent, and a third only 40.59 pier cent. The percentage of the remaining four ran from 41,39 to 47,04. It is all very well for Air Machin and the “New Zealand Herald,” to call out for more “business in Government but their next effort should he to indicate the means by which this end might be achieved,