WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1933, Page 8

WELLINGTON TOPICS

NEW ZEALAND LEGION

A CALI, TO ACTION

(Special to,“Guardian.”)

WELLINGTON, April 24

The New Zealand Legion has made distinct progress during the past week' or two, if only in capturing the goodwill of the two local daily newspapers. “A Government formed to end sectionalism ard with a national purpose has gradually but certainly itself become sectional,” gays the evening journal. “T o national aim has become obscured. Men cf great vision who were able to see where this narrow and selh outlook would lead have been enabled to check the drift. The Government itself has failed to perceive the dire consequences of its own policy. The Coalition,! which should have been the rallying point for the nation, has failed to command support. It is essential now that action should he taken to restore public morale and establish a new foundation for public /aith.” Having denounced the Government to this length, and more, the “Post” declares that the founders of the Legion are ready to give a “lead,” and it is not for the people themselves to respond to the national call for action.

NATIONAL IDEALS

The mrruing paper is not quite so ready as is its evening contemporary in accenting; the Evangd of Dr Gamphell Begg'!'"and his colleagues. “The sentiments :i Expressed bv the two speakers,’-’ ‘the'- “Dominion” says, “wore candid and downright, such plain speaking on our political shortcomings as a self-governing democrat',\ has rarely, if ever, been heard from a pnbPc platform. It should have a bracing effect.” In pleading for a national regeneration of political sentiment the speakers made no attempt to disguise the aims of the Legion. “It is said,” remarked Dr Begg, “that the New Zealand Legion is a political body. So it is. Every man or woman who. exercises the franchise takes part in politics.” Of course that is the case. But while adm tting that, the Legon has a sphere of construction'arid valuable activity, the’ “Dominion,” more markedly than its local' contemporary and the’ man in the street, is looking about for the advent of this national development.

THE PARLI AMENTARY MACHINE

At the large gathering in the Town Hall the other night to listen to the speeches of Hr Begg and Mr Evan Parry, the chairman thought the occasion appropriate to express his opinion of the members of the House of Representatives. “The Parliamentary machine,” lie said, “can not function by reason of the defects that have grown up with it. It ca‘n in no sense be termed a deliberate council of free men. Every member, of the House is pledg'd to the platform of his party; He is completely under the domination of the party whip, and, in addition, is subject to all sorts of undue influence from outside sectional interests. In short, every members of the party is a victim of the machine. That I believe to he a true general statement of the position. Any man who has had the unfortunate experience of being elected a member of the House of Representatives knows it is true.” All one can say is that the knowledge remains exclusively with the offenders.

THREE YEARS HENCE

However this may lie Dr Begg and h\s associates in estnblihing the New Zealand Legion will have a great deal more to do than they yet have accomplished, or it would seem, attempted. First of all, in the ordinary course of things, the next General Election will take 'place in*‘-1930, in November of Decernherf and’ the now Parliament will assembledn June 19,36. By that time the ; Legion will have had time to arrange its forces, and if it happens to have. a majority 'in the House of Representatives it will be in a position to mount the Treasury Benches. In that event it will be in a position to propose the removal 0 f the present system of election (as it is undestood, Dr Begg has promised to do) ; to abolish the Second Chamber, to further reduce the honorarium ; to prohibit party dissensions; to “stop strikes by stopping the cause of strikes,” and to make everything sound and harmonious in this much perturbed Dominion.