The Daily News THURSDAY, MARCH 8. POLITICS AS A PROFESSION. TARANAKI LICENSING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8060, 8 March 1906, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, MARCH 8. POLITICS AS A PROFESSION.

TARANAKI LICENSING.

It is rather an astounding evidence of the progress of things political and democratic in the Old Land that a member of the House of Commons lias been found with enough courage to advocate the payment of members of that august body. Cabled that Mr W. 11. Lever, M.P., will movo to that end. Here we have another example of the colonies leading the Mother Country. There is, of course, a proportion of people i n this colony and in the States of the Commonmonwoalth who doprecato the payment of members, ai.d no one lias yet been found who did not deprecate the voting by the members of our own House of Representatives of an increase in salary. But the principle of such payment is an eminently just and demosratie one, # # * #

In the past, in Britain, men representing the poorer portions of the community have been financially supported, not bv the State, but by the poor people aforesaid, so that it has been a matter of great difficulty to get, men to come forward who will really and truly represent the masses. In some quarters, and particularly in some quarters of New Zealand, it has become an occasion lor epithet when any man becomes a " professional politician." There is no man who is likely to do sucli good work for the people he represents as the same professional politician. The curse of (politics in the Old Land in the past lias been that politicians have undertaken the great duties because it is " the thing." In fact, personal aptitude for the billet has been quite subjugated to heredity, position, wealth, and considerations that ought not to count. * * * *

About three-quarters of the members of the House of Commons in the past have been dilettantes, who have considered the spending of great sums on their return to Parliament as the 'correct thing, and who in no sense represent anyone but the few people of their own set. In this colony, of course, the majority of'members are really and truly of the people, and a large pioportion would not be in the House if it wore not for the salary attached to the office; not, of course, because they are representatives purely and solely for the emoluments of the office, but merely because they are the best men offering. It is one of the absurdities of a certain party in New Zealand that members are accused of mere greed of money. The members are what the people make them, and no man can become a member " off his own bat." If a member is to be accused of greed, then the people must be joined with him for condemnation.

* * * -J Thukk is no dearth of good men, either in tho Old Country or in this colony, and the very best men for tlie representation of the community are not always the monied class. A politician need be none the less capable of groat things because he drops an "h " or lias no university degree. Shortly, tlie man who is worthy of a place in any Legislature is worthy of a salary. Any man who uses his time and talents for the general good should be paid for the time and the talents. The payment of fltOO a year to members of tho Houso of Commons will have the effect, in the years to come of bringing forward men who are not seeking seats merely because they believe in the tradition of 'Mike grandfather, like grandson." If we in New Zealand depended for our 1 louse of lteprosent.itives on rich men who took to politics as a bobby —and who, in consequence, would have to obscure their failings by a llow of cash—wo should have great dilliculty in raising a House at all. There is nothing to prevent single sotiled politicians, either here or in the Old Country, from passing tl.eir ichequix over to charity or leaving it in the Treasury. *** * .

Sunt: extra-special politicians in New Zealand are alleged to Jo this sort of tiling. At least they mention it as a special virtue. There is no virtue in it. A laborer is worthy of his liire, and the better the hire the worthier the laborer. The refusal of sal ary is an acknowledgment of dilettantism, and wo don't want dilettantes either here or in the Old Land. If politics are worth going in for, they are worth going in for as a profession, just as law, or medicine, or bootmaking are. About half the politicians in New Zealand, and about two-thirds in England, waste the country's time and the country's money by not attending to their duties. If politics were a " profession " perhaps this would not be so pronounced. If a politician is paid to be. in his seat in the House, he should be obliged by his employers, the people, to do his work. * * ■ * o

One of the most pitiful sights in Wellington during session is the frightful lack of .interest in the uroecediugs taken by a very feeble sprinkling of 'men The point is that these men, and the others, who are probably away travelling with a free pass on the railways, playing cards in the lobbies, or otherwise wasting the time of the electors, have all previously promised the said electors that if returned tiiey will be regular gluttons for work. A few hardy souls stick to the guns, and ultimately complain between times that it is very wrong of the Premier to keep them up of nights, and it is milling their esteemed health, and all the rest of it. 11 is said tb.it, " two heads are better than one." Similarly, a full complement of members is better than a. quarter muster. Suppose that yon are an employer ol labor, and you pay a man CSfOO a year to look after yum business, oi a branch of it. You expect him to be on the spot" when the boll rings," so to speak. You employ every member of the House of llopraser.latives, and your British brothers are the employers of the Commons, and will be still more clearly masters if the Commons are paid a salary. It is iib.cnrd to allow the members of Parliament very great, liberties for fear of overworking them. No man need become a politician, niul if lie is able to become a politician, he should become a professional politician, and put. t,lie same amount of energy ii,t > the profession as he would probably do if be were grubbing gorse at 7s Gd an acre, and hoped to make a crust out of it.

Nu billet within the gift of the people should be a sinecure. Every politician should be paid, and every politician only paid for the work be does, and not foe the work lie pretends lo be doing. A member win: does not turn up at the House should be lined. A member who is absent Iroui bis place more than a. speeitied number of times should be ".sacked." I lie member who is cullod away iih every possible occasion for "urgent private reasons'' has no right to a seat iu tl.e llouse, and no light to the .salary he isn't earning', 'J ho printor jn the (ioverimient printery who |offc the .setting of some tit the spoken gems of thought, and cleared out. for the urgent private reason that ho wa.s going fishing, or had sump land transactions to arrange, would be dismissed by men who me paid by the same people. but who are not answerable t.o the same joojile, except at election

times, If a politician does his work, and does it well, ho deserves his pay. If lie rides as a mere hobby-horse lie ought to be heavily lined for cruelty to animals.

The Licensing Committee for Taranaki, elected on Monday, no doubt will have the confidence of the general community. Their duties for the next term should not be onerous. There is no question at prevent agitating the public mind and likely to give them much concern. Generally speaking, tlie hotels in the electorate are well run. The hotels, as conducted in New Plymouth, are, as a matter of fact, a distinct credit to the licensees. Few hotels are more capably or more conscientiously conducted. Which is satisfactory, and as it should be. And while this is so, licensees will be well served by the public, who, on the whole, know when and where to bestow their approval. The said public's representatives—tho Licensing Committeewill, we are satisfied, carry out their duties impartially and fairly, and conserve the interests of the people and do justice to the hotelkeepers,