Political Prattle

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 87, 15 November 1912, Page 5

Political Prattle

i Professor Anderson Stuart, of the Sydney University, has just returned | from a tour on tho Continent through North Germany. He says: "I was overywhere impressed with the air of prosperity and well-being which seemed to pervade everybody. There was an extraordinary difference in the aspect cf things which prevailed when I was a student at Strasbourg University." The German Socialist movement has grown amazingly since the Professor's student days, hence the extraordinary difference in social well-being which so impressed him. i * » Coulson Kernahan thus deals with "Politics in the Pulpit" in tho "National Review": "In preaching politics from the pulpit the minister is taking a mean nnd unmanly advantage of any member of his congregation who happens to differ from him. In sporting parlance, it isn't 'cricket' to turn your pulpit to a use for which it was never intended, and to play your game in such a way as not to give the other man his 'chance.' You invite him to church or chapel presumably for praise, worship and prayer, and then when you have him at your mercy—metaphorically gagged and bound, for not everyone cares to make a scene in God's house by-rising pointedly from his s< and walking out— you abuse the confidence he placed in you by coming there and degrade your sacred office by compelling him to listen'to statements againsn which his conscience, his convictions and his principles protest." What think you, Dr. Gibb? "It is open to doubt whether the 'Reform' party's threat to 'give Labor a square deal' is not being fulfilled in a manner likely to give trouble to tho party of purity," remarks the Napier "Daily T.'-lograph." "One cannot miss tlm ::,:.goir,..vnce of the eagerness with which tho ."''■!.i:---S(. , y press s-'oi::os upon evcrv opportunity to show its hatred for Labor id.Vis.' . . . Krerial gV.-o is tekn.n in dwelling upon the fact that while Xr. Payne can see R omo element of good even in the 'Red Feds..' Mr. Rolvrtsou finds in this an argument for doubting whether Mr. Payne should bo in the House, and the. 'Reform' party generally girds at the member for Gren In nn for daring to 'see red.' But . . . which party was it thai promised, if returned to power, to do more for ■'h<~- eiitrerno section of Labor than ithad evor ontered into tho Wa: lian mmcl to conceive? It- was the 'Eoforrj' party. Cur. rooult was the. stimulation 'all over New Zealand of the influences making for Red Fed. ideals. The difference between Mr. Payne and the 'Reform' party seems to be that he talks now as he talked prior to the election, whereas the others have thrown overboard all their electioneering blandishments because they are in office.

Nationalisation of the Iron Industry. New Zealand Institute of Architects. Now Zealand Mean Time. Pollution of Water. Public Service Reform. Publication of the Press Under License. Pure Water Supply to Flaxmills. Sharing of Profits of State Monopolies. Shoos and Offices Amendment. State Fire Insurance Amendment. State Note Issue and Workers' Housing. Sunday Labor. Universal Saturday Half-holiday. Unregistered Nurses' Registration. Wnnganui Bridge Amendment. Water-carried Goods and Passenger Traffic. Workers'. Minimum Wage. Workers' Right to 'Wages and Work. Local Bills Dropped. Auckland University College Act, 1882, Amendment. Fox ton Harbor Board Loan. Lyttelton Harbor Board Land. Ornkei Model Suburb Empowering. Sumner Borough Foreshore Vesting and Empowering. Waikato River Board. Wairoa Harbor Board Endowment. Wanganui Harbor District and Empowering. W-aitcmata County Council Empowering. Wan.ga.nui Harbor District and Empowering No. 2. Private Bills Dropped. Thomas George Macarthy Trust.

and apparently think themselves securely fixed there."

Even such a conservative, barnacleencrusted journal as the Melbourne "Age" has a glimmer of sense occasionally, along with a desire to shake off tho harassing, hampering weight of musty tradition, precedent and convention that clogs tho progress of humanity, and to "get a move on" in the forward march. Thus: "It is nothing but a species of madness that makes us cling, to the antique methods of parliamentary procedure." Right for once. * * * A Dominion print despairingly observes that New Zealand hasn't one statesman who could rightly bo called such. But what need of statesmen— haven't we Messrs. J. H. Bradney and A. Harris? One episode that created great interest during tho recent discussion in the House re the importation of a railway manager was a sharp passage of arms between the present Minister of Marine (the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher) and the ex-Minister of Marine (Mr. George Laurenson). So warm did the contest wax that, the ex-M-nister challenged the Minister to meet him in debate' in tho Wellington Town Hall, a building that seats between three and four thousand people. The challenge was accepted. The lists are being prepared— in other words, the thesis settled — and Wellington is agog for the day of battle. « * Of the present Cabinet the most popular man in the House is said to be the Minister of Public Works, familiarly known as "Waki" (abbreviation for Wakatipu) Fraser. Even the Opposition is always throwing bouquets to tho Minister of Publio Works.

The unsophisticated and eminently foolish young man Harris, who was sent- into the House by the electors of Waitemata recently, said that he would keep the Waihi men 12 months in jail on hard labor and one meal a day, or something to that effect. This individual during his campaign was asked: i "Are you in favor of the initiative and I referendum, with the right of recall?" j "Yes, certainly, I am," replied the cani rlidato. After the meeting was over ;he rushed eagerly to one of his com- -. ?vitr-co and r»sl-:rd: "I say, whafi is this right of recall 2 " And of such is the kingdom of politics. Some of the I DnvQnoort workers are promising this politically ignorant gentleman a very harassing reception when ho faces his electors.

I Commenting on the Wellington I "Evening Post's" description of tho j Legislative Council as "an irresponsible, ! unroor.?sontetive 'and s'ii-'ultlv ivni--1 telligont body." the "Waimnte Tvit- . n-aas" says: "Unrepresentative and, to some extent, i r rospowaib!e it may b n . but in point of intelligence and knowi ledge of affairs it is immeasurably superior to the representative Assembly. In the latter are many unlovely types—uncouth, unlettered and paro-chial-minded men of the narrowest and meanest intelligence. That fairly well describes them in the lump. This may seem an extreme opinion, but those who have had any extended experience of politicians in the mass will Viiy/j no hesitation in endorsing it as being both moderate and correct. It may appear outrageously undemocratic to say so, neverthless the wise, man tvi'll infinitely prefer the guidance or direction of the Legislative Council in dealing with the country's affairs to that of the elected Chamber."

The people are deluded with the forms of self-government. They enjoy the fullest franchise on earth. They elect their representatives, give them instructions what to do, tell them hotv to do it. The Ministry is entirely dependent upon their goodwill. They are able to sweep out of existence, any and every government of which they disapprove. And yet the country is not run in their interests! They arc simply duped. They are fooled with tho pretence that they rule in all things, that their will is law, and that those who seem to boss the show are only their servants, acting in their name. But all the time there is a clique behind tho scenes, pulling the wires and arranging the scenery to suit themselves. Every political conflict is a variation of tho previous fight. An organised party takes tho field in tho secret service of the capitalistic clique. Its candidates will talk democracy with all tho glibness of practised hypocrites. They will feed you on fair words, and tickle you with the grossest flattery. But it's all part of a game to "take down tho mugs." It's a confidence trick: and the time invariably comes when you find that you've picked the wrong card, or have bought a gold brick which will not stand the acid.— Queensland "Worker."