PARTY GOVERNMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10578, 8 March 1912, Page 4

PARTY GOVERNMENT.

The political events of the past few weeks have not reflected credit upon the system of government by parties, j and recent actions have tended to •bring party politics into contempt. In theory, government on the party system is essential. An Opposition is the strictly candid critic of a Government, and provided all preliminary schemes of the latter are honest in conception, arising from deep conviction and the sense of necessity, then the work of the minority will be helpful to the Government, and thei:--proposals the better for the- criticism to which they are is'essential to the ;;ideal system;-, of .ph.'iy. government that the Government shall bejionest .and;sincere in its efforts for the common good, and that the' Opposition or minority shall be honest I'.tA ,->ncere to tiio uttermost degree in :ts cr:ci'; ; *Mis. Such an honesty and s.iiceiitj are tht essence of true- at i | Toper government by party. It cannot be said at the present time'that in ,New Zealand the attitude of eifiev party to the other exhibits these desirable traits. The result is confusion, chaos,, inefficiency, and failure. Neither party admits the sincerity and honesty of the other. Each accuses the other of selfishness or baseness of motive, and this lack of belief is expressed in violent and often vulgar terms, and thus the standard of public life is lowered, and the present state , of- hopeless muddlement and confusion is; reached. Legislation for the welfare of the Dominion is lost sight of ill the party struggle. The time will yet arrive (we hope it will be soon) when .some means will be discovered for the superseding of the present system of strife and decrimination by something more harmonious -and consistent -with common sense and reason.