DEMOCRACY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 109, 10 May 1941, Page 8

DEMOCRACY.

Democracy is. or should be, the government of the people, by the people for the people, through their elected representatives and by their appointed Cahinei Ministers. To n« i: appears -~- if n had long ago been forgotten that Cabinet Ministers and M.P.'s arc the servants of the people. .not the masters and dictators of the people. Democracy cannot survive unles- the people are prepared to iight for it. This is not a class or political letter—it is a letter appealing to the people to demand democratic wavs i.r doing thing?. Orders-in-Comu-il or orders by the Federation of Labour are not democratic. My accenting such methods Franc* and other democracies have failed and become slave- of the dictators. Personally. 1 agree with conscription— it is the only fair method. 1 also apree with wh3t is being? o drastically carried out—i (inscription of wealth—long before conscription for military service was wrongly brought in by Order-in Council. Our r-. esent .-vstr-m lake- from fi«* per cent to To per cent of a mans life savj*Ks from him or his relativc.s when he dies, and in some cases over ion per cent of his income luring his life, according to the Hon. Mr. Nash's staiomenis. No country in the world ha- conscripted more of the income and the savings of the so-ca'led rich than ha- the Dominion <:" Now Zealand. And no country in th.- world lias provided more social ad\antaee.-. free -ervices. etethan the Domin on .. f Nov.- Zealand. And again, no country ha- conscripted !c.-- wage- or hours of work- * suggest tba' the tunc has come fo r ion por cm: co onerntion of all the people of th'- Dominion of New Zealand 'o -o.n < •-,< ••o;.- hmer.t on the rich' ;o cro\i:n th< ir ' r orc-cntatrre* and them-e'vo- ! :a'rest the formation of a ref.-roudum association. the member-kip to !><■ non-political non-sec :ar ; an and eve: v member w take a solemn oath that he will. when called upon to do so. register h.s or her opinion on ail legislation affecting the freedo.n of the peopleami that he or -1 ■• wiil definitely register a prote- m the sitting member ami the prime Minister acain.-t all ]<■?< :;.:.•,•■< bv Order-m----t'ouncil. Or.,- I>\ •■ . .<• -uch action < an we hoj e io regain what we have lost I particular! l , appeal to all W* trade union:.- - : no- *o treat this as a political nvcr. n-.- a; one affecting their mo.-i prized asset—freedom. CITIZEN*-