RANDOM REMARKS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 622, 26 November 1913, Page 5

RANDOM REMARKS.

By Onlooker.

The stonewall in Parliament is a striking commentary no the party system of Government, and serves to illustrate to what lengths ou? party legislators are prepared to gu in order to gain a party advantage. It is conceivable that a stonewall can be set up on a question the importance of which would justify the holding up of the country's business, but the impasse which has been reached in re spect to the repeal of lha Second Ballot is entirely the result of the "ms" and "outs" striving for party advantage. It is an open secret that the Government hope to gain some advantage at the next general election by the repeal of the Second Ballot, while it is admitted by the Opposition members that they consider the second ballot would give their party an advantage at the elections. In public neither party makes the bold admission, but shorn of its trimmings of verbiage the issue stands revealed to those who take an interest in the political game. It 53 a simple matter for the adherent of either party to delude himself into believing that what the country wants is identical with what he and his party deairsr It is also believable that it a sufficiently strong party tells the country eloquently and persistently thai it wants a certain thing the majority in the country will come to think that it dees hanker after that particular thing with an uncontrollable yearning. In the case of the Second Ballot seeing that the people are directly interested in its fate, why not refer the matter directly to the people in the same manner in which the prohibition question is dealt with. Such a course would settle definitely the contention on the subject and allow Parliament to devote its efforts to pushing ahead with the business of the country. Party politicians can apparently dabate interminably about the matter j and whichever party is successful the matter will still remain unsettled. It would hardly be wise to open up the whole question of electoral methods for the country to decide upon, considering that proportional representation presents problems which students of economics find difficult to assimilate. However, the old method of the single vote has been roundly condemned by all parties and an alteration is desirable in the interests of progress._ As long as the party system prevails it is obvious that the tendency mußt be for the party in power to introduce a system which will result in the party retaining office. The admitted weakness of the average man for a chance of voting on any subject, might lead to a proposal to have an election every year or every month, but if the party system was eliminated from politics there is little doubt a satisfactory system could be inaugurated without a stonewall. As the season advances the seductions of summer pastimes are being made manifest on various members of the community. Bowls and tennis are being freely indulged in, while the persistent angler may be seen at times in the quiet reaches of the river. So far this season it has not been suggested that any fish have been caught focally, but the efforts of certain wellknown enthusiasts are being watched with interest. Hitherto I have been under the impression that nothing could lure the bowler from the green when the sun shone_. or even when there was a promise of fine weather. However, it remains for Te Kuiti to supply the bright exception and furnish an example of versatility in sport unrivalled in the country. The man who is content to thrash an uninviting and empty stream when he might be drawing the shot or trailing kitty to the delight of an applauding multitude, can hardly be termed a bowler in the true senss of the term. An opinion has been offered that he is not a bowler in any sense of the term, but the remark may be attributed to the soured nature of the person who spoke. We may rest assured that when the bowler-fisherman has assured himself that there are no fish in the stream or that he is really a bowler and not an angler, there will be stirring times for kitty and jack, and some of those who ha?e deluded themselves into believing they can bowl. So great are the attractions of gardening at Te Kuiti that even a bowler could be excused for absenting himself from the green on that account. Moreover with the Show coming on and interest at fever heat as to whose cabbage has the most pods in it, or whose beans weigh the heaviest to say nothing of the beauties of the flower section, there 13 every reason why the householder should take pride in his efforts. The gaidening debate held bv certain enthusiasts early in the season has led to the inauguration of gardening on the cc-operativa 3ystem,and «t*ss3 results are a vaited with more than usual interest. A number of neighbours combine to raise garden stuff, each member of the combination devoting his attention to one particular variety of vegetable. Brown grows peas; Smith cabbges; Roe beans; and so on,the system thus providing an infinitely greater variety than one individual gardener would raise. There is also something about selling a horse in the contract, but who owns the animal has not been disclosed. M« informant mixed up the horse and refreshments in such a manner that I failed to grasp the artistic details of the scheme. However, on the face of things the movement seems to be worthy of support, as tending to promote harmony until the vegetables begin to ripen.