RESPONSIBILITY OF VOTERS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22388, 29 April 1938, Page 10

RESPONSIBILITY OF VOTERS

apathy shown at

ELECTIONS

APPEAL BY NATIONAL

PARTY LEADER

“OPINION OP COUNTRY NOT

PROPERLY REGISTERED”

“The figures show that on the average there are nearly jOQP voters in every electorate in New Zealand who do not exercise their privilege to vote at the general elections,” said the parliamentary leader of the National Party; fhe Hon. Adam Hamilton, in an address, to electors at Qhoka last evening. ' Mr Hamilton made- a strong appeal to all voters .to see that they meet their political responsibilities by voting. Electors were trustees for a great heritage, which had to be discharged responsibly, and which could not be shaken off. Mr Hamilton told the people In Ohoka that he had looked up the voting figures, and discovered that 1350 electors in their electorate did not vote in the last election. Such a defection could have made a very big difference in the result. The majority of the abstainers were “our peopld,” Mr Hamilton said. It was up to all electors to see that they exercised their vote.

“You cannot shake off the responsibility," Mr Hamilton said. “There are those who say that the members of Parliament themselves are not doing the job. But it is the responsibility of the people of New Zealand to see that they elect the members to do the job. It is the electors who »are the bosses, and to them the members must answer. The electors choose the members, and have to accept the responsibility for the members or the party they put into office. Of course, the electors made substantial changes at the last election. We ieel that they will make substantial changes this time. (Applause.) It is for New Zealand to see that satisfactory changes are made on this coming occasion. The Labour Party got into power in New Zealand by legitimate and constitutional means, and had a duty to govern the Country according to the responsibility placed en.members by the electors. They are doing it, and it is their duty. We cannot blame them for that v Majority Parliaments It was claimed by Mr Hamilton that in the last election public opinion had not been properly registered. It wan above all necessary to see that the Government elected represented the majority of the people of New Zealand. But at the last election, because of a multiplicity of parties and of cross-currents inside and outside .the National Party, the poll had resulted In what amounted to a betrayal m the democratic systenf of New Zealand. The Labour Party, with only 46 per cent, of the) votes cast, secured more than 70 per cent, of the seats in the House of Representatives. Labour succeeded in that because it was a well-organised and _ well-disciplined ; party, and a minority so organised and disciplined could often defeat a disorganised majority. That was the experience of the last ’ election, and showed the value of efficient organisation. All credit was due to Labour for a superior organisation. But the National Party had to see that such r thing did not happen again. t Mr Hamilton was interrupted when claiming that the Easter conference or the Labour Party, controlled by the Federation of Labour, was the main governing body in New Zealand, and the organisation laying down the policy for the Labour Party to follow. “No! No!” asserted a member of the aU Mr n Hamilton: Yes, that is the posiU A‘voice: You admitted that they were democratic. , _ . “Who runs the National Party, anyway” asked another man. There was loud applause for Mr Hamilton when he retorted: I am the boss just at the moment. ’ «

Party Objectives •'When we came to vote, let us clearly understand the objectives of both parties,” Mr Hamilton said. The Labour Party believes that we have been wrong to allow private wealth to accumulate. We say they are all wrong. They say they are out. to overthrow the capitalistic system; they say that the past history of New Zealand has been one of failure. We say. again, they are all wrong. There are not many countries in the world where wealth has been as equally distributed as in New Zealand, and where poor people have been as well cared for. They stand for collectivism. We would emphasise individualism. There be something in what they say about organising collectively in politios, bu you cannot allow, >that philosophy t enter Into all walks •of Me here. Minorities, for instance, .have their rights, and must be, considered. The mass mind can be; mighty hard and coercive on the minority. We must prevent that.. We cannot allow the collective, mass-mind idea to enter into every part of the private lives of our people. Our emphasis is laid on the rights of the individual to live his own life in the community." ■ Mr Hamilton’s visit to Ohoka was the conclusion of a tour of th e sula electorate and others adjoining the city. He had a very big gathering last evening, and was enthusiastically received, while on a previous evening, at Kirwee, he had one of the most successful meetings for some H had big meetings, too, at Okain s Bay and Duvauchelle, on the Peninsula. Mr Hafnfiton was applauded warmly after his speech last evening. He was accorded a vote of thanks, on the motion of Mr A. E. Brown. “We could not have a better leader. Mr Brown said. -