POLITICAL REFORM.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2662, 3 August 1889, Page 2

POLITICAL REFORM.

TO THE KHITOR Sin,—Of late a good many letters and articles have appeared in your columns, reflecting somewhat severely (and not without cause), upon the reckless and extravagant manner in which the business of the country is being conducted by our representatives in Parliament. But in putting the blame on our " M.H.R.s," are wOiuitesure that we are laying it upon the right sh .ulders, are they not to blame, who having the power, scud these incompetent men, to conduct their public business for them? Without wishing to dictate, which would be absurd, 1 venture to say, that almost the whole of the extravagance and utterdisrogard of tlieeoiiiitry's welfare, which is manifested by our colonial "statesman may be fairly laid at the door of the electors themselves, and the sooner we recognise this fact the better. The system under which our members of Parliament are chosen and elected requires altering, and that without delay. As it is, instead of the electors of » district uniting and selecting whom thay may consider to be the best man, judging by the qualifications of honesty, independence and common sense (for it these attributes are required anywhere they certainly are in our New Zealand Parliament): and then assuring such candidate his safe election with little or n > expense, at election time wo wait until tho eleventh hour, and until tho candidates, so to speak, force themselves upon the electors, with the resultthat our choice is limited to the few, who havo either lots of cunhdciict , . and assurance, or who, having failed ut other pursuits, think they might an well try that of politics, and during this time the reliable practical men, who are plentiful enough in every district, are loft to follow their own vocation. It may be argued th.it it is equally optional with good men, as well as badj to come forward as candidates, but we may depend upon it that while! here is the uncertainty, the exnenso and anxiety at present attached to contesting an election. thofO whose time is valuable to them, who havo some stake in the country and. consequently, something to will not found among Parliamentaiy candidates; they are not prepared to sacrifice thentime and their means on benevolent principles. It is (to use a vulgarism) " not good enough." The remedy lies with the electors themselves. If political committees, or chilis, wore organised in the dilferent centres of our electoral districts, and at, or before an election, each club named a candidate, either in their »wu, or any part of the electorate, and the candidate nominated for Parliament who received the largest support from the clubs, this plan, though, perhaps, crude and illmatured, would have many advantages over the present illregulated and haphazard system. The member of Parliament would be calmly chosen, and practically elected, at little or no expense, either to himself or to the constituency. The electors would tie spared the loss of time in attending so m-iny meetings, and the Hood of political clap trap poured forth by every candidate for I'arlumentary honours atelection time, the volume and density of which, by tlm way, ai e usually regarded as the best test of their quahheations, would be a thing of the past, and finally, if a member of Parliament, when safely elected, found it inconvenient to keep to his pledges and stated policy, which I may add, without being more specific, is not altogether an unknown occurrence, the electors could, through their clubs, make him understand in unmistakable language, that they disapproved of hiR actions. I have penned the foregoing m all respect for my older and more expetienced fellow settlers; but I think all will agree with me, that if what I havo proposed is unsuitable or impracticable, the plan we follow at present, judging by its results in Parliament, and its effects upon ourselves is inostunsatisfactor}'. If, however, what I havo suggested, is regarded favourably, even as a step in tho right direction, I will ask the privilege of inserting anothor note. —Yours, respectfully, IC. C. Sili-TiiEiin. VVhatawhata.