DEMOCRACY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 676, 31 October 1933, Page 6

DEMOCRACY

1TS GRADUAL GKOWTH HAS FOLLOWED INEVITABLY IN WAKE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADDRESS TO ROTARIANS The contcntion that the full ideals of democracy have not yet been realised and that democracy itself is not so much a political movement as a direct result of economic development was made by the Mayor, Mr. T. Jackson, who was the speaker at yesterday's luncheon of the Rotorua Rotary Club. It was somewhat premature to pass judgment upon something which 'had. not yet been tried, said the speaker tin opening. The majority of people imagined that democracy had (been attained but this was not actually the case for its full ideals had not yet been realised. When "he ref erred to democracy, he did not refer to it in its political sense alone. Many people thought democracy merely as the manipulation of political machinery in a certain manner but in addition to its political aspect, democracy was also a social and economic movement. It had really three phases, political, economic and social and of these, its political aspect was really the least important. In 'New Zealand we had become so accustomed to a democratic form of Government that we did not realise always the long struggle which had been made to gain those principles. In England, for instance, until the Reform Bill of 1882, only 3 per cent of the population exercised the franchise and of this small proportion, only about 1 per cent. was effective. The reason for this condition of affairs was that up till this time, the franchise had rested almost entirely in the hands of the land-owning classes and that until then, economic circumstances had not arisen which demanded a change in the system. Industrial Revolution Then had come the period of transition generally known as the Industrial Revolution and with it changes in conditions which had materially altered the whole social and economic order of the counrty. It was as a result of the economic revolution that a tremendous increase had taken place in the manufacturing and marchant classes. This change in the social order had necessitated changes in the franchise to give representation to the growing and powerful classes and this in turn had been followed later in the century by further extensions of the franchise in other directions. The last to be included had been the agricultural labouring class because this class was the last whos^ conditions had changed. The old clos: relalionship between landlord and tenant had persisted for some time after the Industrial Revolution but this too had eventually disappeare^ before the advance of new methods and with the change had also come the necessity for an extension of the franchise. All these extensicns, it would be perceived, had followed in the wake of industrial and econom'e development.

Corrupt System During the period when voting qualification had depended almost entirely upon property holding, recognised historians were agreed that the political system had 'been hopelessly corrnnt. In addition working conditions hatl been extremely bad and well-known writers such as Swinbourne, Ruskin and Carlyle had joined in con-lemning them. So, through years of agitation and unresc, eulminat'ng often in violence the franchise had gradually been extended but it was not until so late as 1917, e^en in Britain which prided itself upon its democratic principles, that it had finally been made universal by its extension to the female population. For years prior to this, the Women's SufFrage movement had waged a bitter struggle to gain the franchise for women and he rememfered personally the h^nger-strike and other demonstrations to which they had resorted in their campaign. But -t vvas a'jL really the women's agitation which had finally earned them the franchise; again it was the chang, in economic conditions, this time brought about by the Great War. Millions of men had been drawn out of all branches of industry into active service and women had been compelled to take their place. It was inevitable, therefore, that realising the new spheres which woman was filling, the British politicians should at last have granted her equal voting privileges. Women's suffrage had come earlier in New Zealand, but here again, it was from economic causes. Women had played such a large part with the pioneers of the country in forming its destinies that it was only natural that they should be given voice in its government. In every ca.se, howc^-r. the growth of tho 'knrm.h; rrinciple of universal il'jv 3 j 110 "- the heel-. v,/,- ('e\ e! ■»i1"-ient. \u Lceu«*T;il .Vlovemeri "1 r.m -n:i fit-d that we" cannot achicve dome * -in' - olely by political > •J i i.i. 'jV'"' ' is> ' n. crary is more an ■ economic thar. a politLal movement and mere a spiritual than a material movement '' concluded the speaker. "We arc irrhig to-day in a rio.l •!* iran.itim irr«»aV>r perhaps -.Pao v.v tt.al;. Ti: ture historians wriving -f this time will write it down as a period when the old order was changine and a new order emerging to take its place. It is largely for us to determine how this new order will affect ouv lives. Changes will take place whether we like them or not for they are as unchangeable as the laws of gravity. It is for us to determine whether these changes are to be rtilised to make better and brighter conditions for the whole of humar.il y or otherv/ise. Certain it is that some of the old traditions, hoary with antiquity, will have to go by the board. Certain it is that some of our ideas resr.rding the right of the individual to do what he likes with' his own property irrcspective of its affect on the remainder will also have to go by the* board if they have not already gone." A vote ofthanks was aecorded the speaker on the motion of Rotarian A. Smith.