The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1905. WANTED-EXPERIENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 288, 2 December 1905, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1905. WANTED-EXPERIENCE.

for the eamse that lack* «i<ita«c«. For the wrong that neeitt rctutanc*, Tmr the future in the dUtauet. A»4 the pood that toe eon Jβ.

The journalistic organs of the Opposition in various parts of the colony have been congratulating the country for some time past upon the number of young New Zealanders who have come forward to contest this election. And we cordially concur with our opponents that it is well for the country that our young men should take an active interest in politics, and that they should look forward to a political life as the natural object of their ambitions. But it is too much to expect that men who have had so far Neither the time nor the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the details of public business or the complicated problems of public life should be capable of supporting the heavy responsibilities of Parliamentary representation so well as older and more experienced politicians. Youth and inexperience are not insurmountable obstacles to success in a political career; at all events they are difficulties which in the natural course of events will tend to disappear. But this is a very different thing from admitting that youth or inexperience is a useful qualification to a man starting upon a public career. Wβ may concede that a young and untried man, in spite of his disadvantages, may under some circumstances deserve the confidence and support of a constituency. But it is only under very exceptional conditions that the electors would be justified in returning to Parliament such a member, and ignoring men of wider experience, and therefore of greater public weight and political influence. For these reasons while we are pleased to observe the increasing interest taken by young New Zealanders in public affairs, we trust that the electors will not forget that youth and lack of public experience—though as deficiencies they are neither permanent nor unpardonable—may yet constitute a serious positive weakness in a candidate for Parliamentary honours.

The bearing of these remarks upon the political situation in several of our city constituencies is nr.t far to seek. The type of member whom Auckland requires just.now is not the intelligent and enterprising young maji who hais juet risen to a sense of his public responsibilities, or the neophyte who proposes to gain

his political experience at the expense, of the electors. More than ever bsfore we need men who have already achieved a reputation as capable and trustworthy representatives of the people, and whose presence in the House will lend weight to any cause they advocate. Auckland City East has one such representative ready to hand in Mr. Baumc, and Grey Lynn has another in Mr. Fowlds. We need not, just now, do more than remind our readers of the. good work that these two members have done for the city, the district, and the colony during the past three years. But the bare fact that the names of both Mr. Baumc and Mr. Fowlds have been widely circulated of late as likely Ministers in a reconstructed Cabinet should be enough to convince the electors thai they cannot afford to sacrifice the best interests of Auckland by rejecting Mr. Fowlds or Mr. Baunie. Everybody knows that Auckland is inadequately represent- ■ ed in the present Ministry. But it is absolutely futile to talk about Auckland's right to Cabinet seats and portfolios if we do not send to Parliament members thoroughly competent to undertake Ministerial duties. No Premier could venture to put into a Ministry a member who, through youth or inexperience, would carry no weight in the House. And the electors must remember that even the leaders of the Opposition recognise and admit the fact that nothing can prevent Mr. Seddon from coming back from the polls with a strong majority. In that case an Opposition member could not be a candidate for the Ministry; and, so far as Auckland is concerned, the return of Dr. Bamford or Mr. Farrell would leave us as far off as ever from adequate representation in Mr. Seddon's Cabinet.

Apart from their political views, no doubt the Opposition candidates for Grey Lynn and City East would make creditable members for Auckland. But the questions for the electors to answer are—what would be the amount of influence exercised in the House by Mr. Farrel! or Dr. Bamford? and how would their election improve our dinners 0. , getting our re"rescr.t.ition in the Ministry? The electors must see that the case for Mr. Bnume and Mr. Fowlds is, from this point of view, ex ceptionally strong. But the general argument in favour of well-tried efficiency and long experience of political life ap pies to many other instances that we might quote; and notably to the electorate of Parnell. In Mr. Frank Lawr has a represent!)tive who h s proved an able advocate of Auckland's neds. He can point to a Jongancl vai ie ' public career as a guarantee of his po"i tical efficiency; and at the time when aJ' the political weight that Auckland can cast into the balance will be nreded b\ us in the House, it would be a grievoim error in judgment to prefer to Parnell' : woll-proved member elthr of his rel tively inexperienced opponents. I k only by consolidating o::r forces and organising our political fighting power that we can hope to secure justice permanently for Auckland; and these ends will not b? attained by the election ci youthful or inexperienced politicians. Nor, we need hardly add, will they be attained b.v strengthening the lands of Mr. Massey and his followers, who this year, as in man 3' other years, have so opeily manifested their willingness to sacrifice Auck land to party interest aJid party feeling.