VIRTUES OF HUMILITY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 338, 27 September 1932, Page 4

VIRTUES OF HUMILITY

A public with experience of political euphemisms is justly seeptical of "happy family"- reports concerning political caueusses. The tongue is prone to find it way into the cheek and remain there until it is dislodged by some non-official statement that presents the position in rather more convincing, if less benignly satisfied phrases, than i those which are issued from the | party headquarters. The recent ! caucus of the Coalition party ; appears to be a case in point. ! The Prime Minister, at the con- | clusion of the gathering, releas- ; ed a statement which in its studI ied window-dressing upheld the i highest standards previously set. | "The whole of the discussions | were of a very friendly nature and there was no discordant ■ note," he stated. Latter disclosI 7 ures, however, indicate that if j there were no discordant notes, this " was simply because the members of the party likely to supply this incidental music, are saving their protests for a later and more public occasion, Messrs Stallworthy ancl Samuel appar- ! ently are well on the way to join i Messrs G. G. Black and H, ' Atmore who last session strayec ; from the folcl of the faithful into ; the ranks of the Independents. - In addition, other possible de-

I fections are suggested, and these 1 with the Labour allegiance oi the new member for the Southern Maori, are likely to place the Government in an awkward predicament in a critical and contentious division. The highly debatahle legislation' which was ■ put through at the last session undoubtedly strained the unity i of the Government party to the breaking point; on the pensions i division, the Coalition had only : two votes to spare. It appears unlikely at present that any similarly contentious legislation will come forward during the present session, but political prophecies are at the best inspirec : more by the wish than the conviction. With matters in their present position, and with the ; temper of the House and of the ' people distinctly critical, any- ' thing is possible. The Opposition

' may be relied upon to make the i best use of its opportunities and : it appears likely that the ses- | sion, far from being the placid ! procession which the Prime Min- ; ister has prophesied, will dej velop into a strategical encouni ter. From the standpoint of the j country and its people, which ! politically speaking is not always | the most important, this is extremely unfortunate. This is no time for political opportunism but for conseientous hard wdjk and energy in the cause of reconstruction. The country will inevitably suffer if the time of the House is wasted in skirmishing and political straw splitting, but it is difficult to believe that the politicians will be able to deny themselves this entertaining diversion. It is also extremely doubtful whether an election at the present time, apart altogether from the question of expense, would serve any purpose at all beyond further complicating an unsatigfactory position. The insurrection of Government members, however, if it does nothing else, will impress upon the Government the virtues of humility and perhaps moderate the unduly autocratic attitude which has so far charaeterised some of its measures. We are convinced, however, that New Zealand's salvation at the present time does not He in political wrangling but in hard work and honest endeavour, not oiily on the part of the people, as a whole but on the part of their Parliamentary representatives.