The Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JULY 30, 1907. THE “INTELLECT” OF PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3769, 30 July 1907, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JULY 30, 1907. THE “INTELLECT” OF PARLIAMENT.

The intellect of Parliament requires examining but by unbiased laymen. During a recent stupid “ stonewall,” in apparent opposition to a Noxious Weeds Bill, the combined intellect-ofthe remarks made in the country’s alleged seat of thought wasn’t brilliant enough to sell matches or drive a dray. Students of politics (or what passes for politics) must have noticed that there are members who do nothing ordinarily but vote for their Partj r except when there is something particularly futile, idiotic, and useless to be done. Then the minds that are incapable of intelligent thought at any time revel in matters that are sufficiently puerile to attract them. It does not matter to these overgrown infantile babblers that the whole country is paying for the expensive and extremely poor vaudeville. It does not matter that there is exhibited in the N.Z. House of Representatives less refinement, less education, less of the instinct of decency than in any body of men who gather together in New Zealand. The heavy artillery of the tussock grafter’s wit is alternated by the absurd remarks of the ‘ ‘ bullock driver. ’ ’ It is on the whole highly uncomplimentary to the intelligence of the people in about 50 electorates that men who are mentalty inferior to the average third standard schoolboy should be returned to Parliament. We do not hesitate to say that the personnel of the House of Representatives represents the people’s absolute apathy. They don’t care. Apparently the controlling influence is absent, or the House takes no notice of it. There is apparently nothing to prevent a mental decadent from staggering into the House, making a grotesque bow to the audience, and falling into his seat —a case for the police. There is nothing to prevent such a man from anticipating his entry into a mental asylum, and of making meaningless, placid, and utterly useless remarks about any subject his paralysed intellect is capable of grappling with. This verbal 'garbage is carefully re-

"orcled by men who are paid £6 a week for 52 weeks to do 16 or 20 week’s useless work in a year. The decadent, or any person, who, understanding English, can be ob-

tained to assist the incompetent, “ revises” the “unalterable” record of Parliament. The only use for Hansard is that in the years to come it may be quoted to the downfall of a speaker. There are a few keen, bright intellects in Parliament, and the marvel is that these should not shrink from association with the atrophied element which is there for spoils, and spoils alone. The honour, integrity, utility, and power ot a large part of Parliament could be hidden with a handkerchief. Fifty per cent, of Parliamentarians require to go to an infant school and through all the stages of elementary teaching, both regarding the common school subjects and deportment and manners. Many Parliamentarians could, with advantage, wash themselves with water oftener, and refrain frequently from* ablutions in alcohol. It is in the last degree pathetic that inches of intellect, persons merely with an aried desire for jam uppermost in their mind —substitutes, should represent people who for a large part are; ordinarily intelligent. Free, secular, and compulsor}' education has existed for too short a time in New Zealand for the great mass of voters to be able to distinguish between brains and a vacancy. .In 21 years’ time few men who are now in Parliament could hope for a place therein,' and many such men would have no place in life except behind a pick and shovel or a cheap-jack’s waggon. There is no political height to which the member of Parliament with the chaotic intelligence may not reach. He may be as big a fool as he likes once he is in the House, the bigger the better, because he is “sate.”