PRESENT DAY POLITICS.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 372, 24 July 1908, Page 2

PRESENT DAY POLITICS.

(to the editor.) Sib,-—Your correspondent “Diplomat” made some suggestions re touching up tbe town for Fir Joseph Ward’s visit and properly nrp- :h<» io entertain the visitors in a iiuaner tieiOD.iug their po»i nona, but the tnia rtrnsuu he gave shows ‘ fl® did not really desire te do honour to New Zealand’s Premier, but rather to obtain some concession or privilege from the Government. “Diplomat’s" state of mind is that of many people and serves to emphasize the rotten state into which the Government of this country has drifted during the time past. Sir Julies Vogel’s great scheme of a Main Trunk Railway to open up the country was rained, or indefiuately P- stponed, by thia narrow spirit of parochialism, every little local politician wanting the railway to go past his own door. It was the narrow mindedness of the Dunedin merchants that drove Dr Monsies te start the Province of Southland. It is yet within tpe memory of many how Mr Vincent Kyke was sent up to Parliament again and again subsidised by th® Merchants of Dunedin to urge the construction of the Centra Utago railway, instead of the line from Waipa is t o the ciutha River, because tbe latter line would have diverted the traffic of Central Otago to Invercargill. The best line was no consideration ; tbe interests of Che country were as nothing to the benefits J® oe derived by Dunedin through the central line coming there instead of te Inver cargiii, qh e thing goes on, and more so. At present a vote has been passed °* • ftnlway from Lawrence to Roxburgh a Hne through some of the roughest and least useful country in New Zealand, while lor less money a line of equal length would connect the fertile and progressive Waikato country with the beautiful and good harbour of Kawhia. Again a vote for £3OO nas been passed for a road to Mount Radiant

, a l)arron ®u 1 inaccessible mountain nt the head waters of the Karamea Biver. 1 here happene to be a problematically valuable copper deposit there in which it ia aaid some of those high in the Government are ntereetea. How much more profitably to the country the money could have been spent in the “roadless north.” The Government compels localities to support it by returning members in its favour, and with- °. ? expenditure from those opposed to it. Our Parliament has been the J’' ace *' her ® the P 60 ? 1 ® 9 representatives go tor the sole purpose of getting a* much wl Bpent in particular district. When a country has reached a lt iB P° BBibl « tor districts to be punished for their political faith with a universal protest from the people, the potical morality of that country requires awakening— the electors require their political consciences to be pricked, and the eyes of their minds to be opened, When m e a °°nntry are contented and satisned with their own surroundings that they do not care whether the administrrtion of public affairs is on clear straight lines or not they are like a blind man walking to an unknown place without a guide. Desiring roads or railways, punts or bridges, and not caring two pence whether any other part is being neglected or not, it but natural that a very large number of th electors will be of the opinion that the man for a member is that one who gets the most for his district Thus the Home of Representatives -8 a reflex of the constituencies ; ShL a « rt ?? 8 7 Tant . csn 6011 P ret tv well what sort of people there are in a district oy the man they return to Parliament. The disease that the country is suffering fro m is P p’h' <° f 6be matterin Z" which we back block pioneers give vent to when we have any spirit left from one struggle for existence the bulk of the electors are satisfied. The agitators in towns are soothed by huge sums spent ln mUwv Btatio post offices and barracks, and the farmers powla do not matter, for they .re political, ly too much divided amongst themsel-ee to count at an election, which Is all the G,,vernment cares about. If the present metbode are allowed to go on the position will be come intolerable and th. political sickMO. wtaohgrowingonall people. Lv? the labour party, win ooutinw till Mme Strenger and more virile power cornea along. ' Ve “ e l,kß the ‘nd the kiwi-they got °° •‘ ’’.L 0 ' 11 ' W “0 enemies ; they dropped their wings and became quiet «td inoffensive creatures, but when the Maoriand the wild cat came along they disappeared. When a Government gets suffi. oient patronage to feel secure in power hr aj udioious distribution of the National wealth, it gets a self oonftdenco which leads n hTu"v a Th,t J a Wh ? t . ho Honourable Kobert M Nab spoke eo independently to the farmers delegates in Southland recon tly—ho knew that half of them would vote for him anyway in the hope of getting their roads metalled. I'anoohialism was the curse of the Maori and led to hla being beaten by the white man and brought under a Dominion which will eventually lead to his extinction. Itia the curse of the New Zealander of to-day and keeps him under the heel of a system of Government which will ultimately .bleed him and his couutry to death. Where parochialism ‘ prevails

national virtues, such as love of country, forsight for coming generations, and mutual protection against the external enemy are not developed. In their place the vices of local pride, personal aggrandisement, and a false sense come and warp the higher instincts of the people. We are at the parting of the ways. As we choose now between broad national principles and the narrow time serving fostering of local interests for political purposes, which is the method of the Government party to-day, so shall the future be for weal or woe. Wo want courage, character and disinterestedness in public hfe rather th*n a band of professional politicians who rise from poverty to opulence in the Government. We want men whose only ambition is to do what is best for their country—men who do not require to supplement the regard the people bear them by political tricks to II’P ia °^ Ce ’ fc be people look to these things ; let the farmers combine and arm themselves if necessary to defend their country and their honv s against tho despoiler. Let those, especially who were bora in Ne»v Zealand, combine into one huge association for the National welfare and National pr.<ress of their native country.—Your’, etc., WORKING BULLOCK.