WRIGGLE OR NOT?

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 344, 4 October 1932, Page 4

WRIGGLE OR NOT?

The new member for the SouthI ern Maori, Mr. E. T. Tirikatene, made his first appearance in the I House only a fortnight ago; but : in his maiden speech delivered a few days later, he demonstrated that he has already assimilated something of tlie political atmosphere which broods over that august assembly. "I have learned since I have been here," he said, "that one must not only be a good fighter but a good wriggler." It is not necessary to become a member of Parliament to appreciate this fact, although

to the man who is able to preserve sufficient detachment, it is more obvious probably from the inside than the outside. The new member's sophistry probably drew an indulgent smile from his audience, for obviously it | could not be seriously intended. j The greater audience, however, which perforce suffers the deliberations of Parliament in silj ence, will perceive in the remark j the sting of truth. It is only too j true that very many of the | world's politicians may be broad- ! ly divided into two classes — one | the fighters who make their re- , putations on their aggressive championship of everything that is likely to earn them votes, and the other the wrigglers who exercise their ingenuity in extricating themselyes from positions which they have spent their ingenuity upon getting into. In addition, of course, there is that other and perhaps larger class ; which, to all effective purpose, j does nothing but stop, look and | listen. Mr. Tirikatene's observa- ' tion, if we may hazard a predicj tion, will be particularly applicable during the next few days when the House of Representatives will be faced with the decisions (or lack of them) arising out of the report of the National Expenditure Commission. As we have already pointed out, the report places the Government in a most embarrassing position. A niimber of the siiggested economies are definitely impracticable for the sufficient reason that they would eause more disorganisation and hardsliip than l^ould be justified by the savings which they would entail. Others still are outside the range of practl-

cal politics, or perhaps it would be more correct to say, are politically inexpedient. With past experience as a guide, it is probable that the recommendations which will receive the most prompt endorsement are those which can be carried out with the least politically harmful results. It wiil then be for the country to determine the sincefity of the reasons which will be advanced for avoiding or shelving the remainder. The Government attitude towards three, at least, of the proposals, will be interesting. The suggested centralisation of hospital and education controi, and the eliminatioii of overiapping in iocal body government are ail means by tvhich substantial savings can be effected but they are also means which are likely to prove unpppular with various irifluentia: sections of the community. The Education Boards have already made their voices heard in protest against their suggested ab"olition, and the hospital authorities and local bodies may be ex-

pected speedily to jom the outcry. It will be interesting to. observe whether these proposals are among those which will be shelved or whether the Government will have the courage to undertake the commission's recommendatidns in whdle br. in part. The commission was upab^e. to estimate the actual saving^ ; likely fo be derived from reorganisation under these three difI ferent heads, but in each case it pointed out that the multipiicity of divisions of controi was plae-

ing a very heavy charge upoii : the ponimunl'ty. Cehtralisatiqn and the elimin'ation of overiapping, broadly speaking, were tne objects which the commission 14commended not only in thele three ayemies of exp/nditui4, but in tfie ddinlnistrktibn of tlte State departments as well. Will 4hfe Government have the courage to pursue this p.olicy aloilg all the suggested avehitOs of ecbnomy, or will it prove itself lr[ tne Maori member s words, "a good wriggler"?