A WRITER’S OBJECTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1930, Page 8

A WRITER’S OBJECTIONS

TO FAMILIES IN PARLIAMENT

United Press Association—lly Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. J

LONDON, April 18

A striking onslaught; iO,nt']ie family character of the present House of

-ommons is made in ‘a* ‘featured article in the “Daily Express” lieadd: “It may be the mother of parlia-

lents hut it must not be a family party.” The article refers to the ~utLn speeches of Miss Megan Lloyd George and the Prime Minister’s son upon whom a host of fathers, brothers, sisters and mothers beamed' from the galleries ajid from the floor of the House. It declares family reationship is all very well in the family circle but the less we have of it mixed up in the stern business of the House of Commons or indeed any Parliament, the better. The Assem-b----v should consist of alert, even ruth;ss competitiveness and efficiency, which is unlikely to l>n engendered by the amiabiity of family ties. A certain amount of family tradition, of ■ourse, is inseparable from the House >f Commons. This within limits is no undesirable. The old accepted idea was of father and son in succession. Nobodv could cavil at an oc-

casional example but with the arriv--1 of women m the House of Commons tho relationship has taken 'range turns, and we may soon have mothers and daughters, likewise sis‘••ors. One reason why the French •un all over us at conferences is because they refuse to take seriously the nation which now admits women to Parliament and even to Cabinet. This sort of thing is all right in Finland vnd even in America, hut the Conti>ent does not expect it from traditional Britain.

Many may see no tiling' absurd in the idea of mother, daughter, husband and wife sitting in Parliament which is still the capital of the Empire with masculine problems like Tilda and Egypt, to solve, but mil'ions of others do.