The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET, AUCKLAND WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1929 PRINCIPLE IN POLITICS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 807, 30 October 1929, Page 8

The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET, AUCKLAND WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1929 PRINCIPLE IN POLITICS

pOLLIiOAL friendship could go no farther than the length it wont in the House of Representatives last evening when the Labour Party again saved the United Government from defeat. In order to exercise such friendship Labour had to sacrifice one of its most cherished principles. It voted for a 100 per cent, increase in the primage duty on imports, including foodstuffs and many other goods which are dear enough already for the purchasing power of the average worker. This is not a statement which can be described as destructive criticism lacking in that merciful quality of constructive help which the poorest Parliament in New Zealand’s history so badly needs. It is virtually the frank confession of the Labour Party’s Leader in the misery of political embarrassment. “The Labour Party, declared iVIr. 11. E. Holland, “is against primage. It lias always been opposed to Customs taxation for revenueproducing purposes. We have always maintained that Customs taxation should be for the protection of industries natural to New Zealand and economically capable of development.” These words represent an open and presumably a sincere explanation of Labour’s principles and pmlicy. It is fair to note, however, that the Labour Leader also explained that his party had made representations to the Government concerning what mighfbe termed the direction and effect of the Government’s taxation violation of Labour’s cherished principle, and had obtained some concessions. Since it is a rule that whatever is done in secret must sooner or later be cried from the housetops a schedule of the concessions made to the Government’s friendly party has been attached to the Customs Amendment Bill. The enumerated imports are much too_ long to cite on even summarise, but they cover the items which are nearest to the pi'inciples and policy of the Labour Party. Thus, the increased primage duty will not apply.after March 31 next to pickled peas, candied peel, cayenne pepper and caraway seeds, caviare, mustard and the like. The bargain may be a good one for housewives in time, but it will never he anything but bad for the party which sacrificed its principles on the ground of political expediency. No wonder that members of Parliament themselves have denounced the political situation in the present uninspired House as “a mockery.” In view of that denunciation it is not necessary for outside commentators, whose duty it is to study political affairs everywhere, to abuse with honest and unchallengable criticism the three-party system which, with ail its muddle and mediocrity throughout this extravagant session, has made New Zealand polities a byword and a farce. But would it not be better for tile country and for the reputation of its politicians, if the parties together, in a burst of candour, honestly told the people that there is no intention in Parliament of precipitating an emergency general election. Such a declaration at least would liberate the most embarrassed parties in the House from maintaining a sham coalition and from chronic indulgence in bargaining and the bruising of principles. If the working alliance between the Government and the Labour Party be based on something higher and better than the practice of these sordid methods and interests, then the country should be advised frankly about the prospect of a real union of party friends. There can be no legislative progress and no satisfactory administration until something of the kind has been accomplished or, as an alternative, another appeal to a disillusioned electorate has been made. Hitherto, the Reform Opposition, in spite of its faults, has been consistent in opposing the minority Government’s imposition of iniquitous and obnoxious taxes, each representing a deliberate political breach of promise. So far, it has not been able to weaken the combination of Labour and the United Government. It is right that Labour should be given precedence. The party shapes the Government’s policy and politically rules the country because of the United Party’s inability to rule alone. HIGHER TRAM FARES AFTER starting out with high hopes the Auckland Transport Board has simply blundered into a policy and course of action which is alienating all public sympathy and, what is much more important, public support. The latest expedient of the board is a substantial increase in the cost of the concession tickets used by nearly all regular tram passengers. By a curious kind of inverted logic the chairman of the board, Mr. J. A. C. Alluni, argues that, since private motor-cars and taxis are seriously competing with the board’s services, the best way to meet this competition is to increase tram fares. It is a device that is much _ more likely to rebound with disastrous effects to the board’s undertaking. More and more people will endeavour to scrape up the means to buy cars of their own, or else will turn, in such areas as are favourably served, to the railway and other rival systems. A policy of despair appears to have supplanted the courageous and constructive optimism with which the board was popularly supposed to be imbued. Yet even in this negative attitude it embarks on its experiments with a perverse lightheartedness. The debate yesterday did not reveal anything like the analytical dissection or searching examination proper to such an important theme. The truth is that acrimony and suspicion rule instead of well-informed and impersonal exchanges of opinion. Neither the members of either party nor the chairman himself are free of blame for this state of affairs. Mr. Allum lias made some remarkable rulings, and none more novel than that by which he excluded Mr. Morton’s complaint at the opening of yesterday’s meeting. The argument that the incident to which Mr. Morton referred did not occur actually at a board meeting should not have been so readily grasped as an excuse for preventing full ventilation of what is reported to have been an undignified and regrettable episode. In nearly a year in office the board, as now constituted, has demonstrated little save internal dissension. It lias lost the confidence of tlie people, and made the position of its friends untenable. The position of the bus services does not seem to have improved in the slightest, and that of the tram services has admittedly declined. If the decline is irretrievable other than by exploitation of the system’s best patrons, corresponding economies should be instituted to offset it. Figures were quoted yesterday to show that administrative expenses were no greater now than when the undertaking was taken over from the city. But examination of the figures is complete without an estimate of the relative efficiency and popularity of the system then and the system now. If the trams are not attracting the people as they used to. the management as well as the hoard should bear responsibility.