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Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1931, Page 4

lx these days of differing times it is not surprising to find a readiness on the part of many folk to revise former radical ideas about the putdic administration. For instance, the time was when there was a fairly unanimous public opinion about the abolition of the Upper House. Since and in the current experience in New South AVal es under the Lang premiership, those views are being revised. There, the Legislative Council is the bulwark between the fads of the Labour Government ' and the distressed public which the Government would fleece with unheard of taxation. AYe see in this country also, evidences of the rapacity of Labour members in their appeal for votes. Al.r Holland and others are pledged to all sorts of financial extravagances if put in place and power. They would restore the wages “cuts,” and impose higher taxation to pay the increased sums. The Labour members even talk of making such legislation retrospective, and paying up back decreases of wages. In Austraia the deinoernry owe it to the Upper House that New South AVales is saved from an altogether chaotic financial position. The time might come when the same branch of the Legislature in this country might be called upon to do the same for New Zealand. Fear of the financial excursions of the Labour party ju power will assist to harden public Opinion in favour of maintaining the Upper House, and on the whole most people will agree it should be a nominative rather than an elective chamber. This does not sound modernly democratic hut demos these days votes so often in cabals and . blandly, that the intellectual use of the franchise is fast falling into disuse. A great change in most- walks of life is hapijening all over the world, and in politics par_ ticularv we seo signs of a desire to conserve rather than liberalise, till world conditions arc once again hack to normal, and the abnormal is put completely to rout.