NEW ZEALAND FOR NEW ZEALANDERS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXI, Issue 3268, 22 May 1895, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FOR NEW ZEALANDERS.

CoJOTBIBUTJED. Education in New Zealand being \ free, secular and compulsory, and having been so for over 20 years all New Zealand born subjects should be fairly well educated, and I think it would be hard to find many over the age of 12 years who have not more school learning than some of our present legislators whom I could name. Statistics prove that the proportion of those who cannot read and write at present living in this Colony is diminishing rapidly, and of these there is only about -001 between the age of 10 and 20. 1 (In all my references to New Zealanders I exclude Maoris). With all our schooling I regret that it is a fact we, as a rule, arrive at manhood's estate with little or no knowledge of our responsibilities, and the greater proportion of the rising generation whon old enough to be permitted to do as they like, attend public meetings, for whatever purpose such are called, purely and simply to see what fun can be got out of them. There is a saying that one cannot put an old head on young shoulders, but I think a Colonial's love of fun, which is allowed, full sway when he is young and therefore runs to seed, remains with him even when his shoulders are old. Far be it from my intention to try and suppress the natural outflow of animal spirits in our youths, but there -is a time for all things, and at a political meeting, whether local or general, fun should not be the sole object for which our young men attend. Again among those who have opinions upon the utterances of the vaiious speakers there is hardly one in a hundred who has the moral courage to express the same in public, but for what reason I know not. Not only is it iv general elections that lack of interest is shown by our young men, but nearly every member of our County Councils, Borough Councils, School Committees and what not, claims some other part of the globe as his birthplace. This is certainly not as it should be, and if our young men were to take their places in these they would soon learn those things which are good for them but are not taught at school. There seems to be something wrong in the way we are allowed to grow up, for I assert in all seriousness that the average New Zealander on arriving at the age of 21 years, and having got his name on an electoral roll, whether attending to the same himself or waiting for someone else to do it for him, would be ignorant of the process by which a vote is recorded. And what is more the chances are ten to one that he would be too happy with himself to enquire. When an election is about to take place, whether local or general, the probabilities are that the great majority of the voters wili decide upon who they will support not so much as to what the man can do or is in favour of, but because one of the candidate's! friends, who is a friend of the voter, intends to do so, or because the oppos- j ing candidate had done some other! friend an ill turn or was unable or unwilling to do something he wanted.j Another great reason given by voters! for supporting any particular candidate is that the said candidate asked him for his vote and interest. I Know] perfectly well that many a man whoj has promised his vote and interest, i^ some cases signing a requisition to that effect, regretted having done so before the election took place, for at the tinxe of promising there was only one candidate in the field, but before the voting* took place several others had an-^ nounced themselves. The reasons given above for supporting a candidate are the ones given as a rule, yet more absurd arguments could not be used. It is the duty of every voter, whether young or old, to hold himself free anyway until tne nominations are announced, and then insist on each candidate giving utterance in public to his opinions upon the subjects in which he is mostly interested and for which he is wooing the electors. When he has concluded this he should answer any questions of policy which are asked him, then the electors would have reason ior voting one way or the other. As it is Bill, who is a friend of the candidate, informs Tom, an undecided voter, that the candidate is fighting for this, that and the other, and then meeting Jack, who he knows is of adverse opinion, tells him the candidate is of these latter views. The candidate not having told anyone what his opinions are, usually astonishes those who voted for him by throwing them over in voting. Measures, or in other words, what good a candidate is likely to do, should be the cause of support, and not the man, and my own opinion is, in local elections at least, that the very f aot of a man going round asking for votes, without first having expressed his views in public, should be a good and sufficient reason for refusing to vote for him at all, I dare say it will be aaid that if such was done there would not be many votes recorded, but if a candidate will not or cannot do what is required of him, then he is not the man wanted. Men and women born and bred in this Colony know the requirements of their districts best and also have a very fair idea of what is wanted in the Colony as a whole, but they do not seem to care to take over the reins of Government. Take Tauranga for instance, who wili say that it would not be better if its affairs were regulated by young men who have lived in the place for a considerable time, instead of having old fogies, who are years behind the times, in power.

There is nothing in this world like youth. People who have lived a long time say certain things cannot be done, perhaps they have tried and failed, and therefore do not try again, in any case life is too short for them to trouble themselves, but with the younger members the difficulties are not so apparent, nor look so big, and the chances are that this very fact will accomplish the object. R. R. TO BE CONTINUED.