AN INTEREST IN THE CONCERN

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30442, 16 May 1964, Page 12

AN INTEREST IN THE CONCERN

[By

WHIM WHAM)

The Labour Party annual conference decided that if Labour became the Government a referendum on liquor hours would be held ... on whether voters wanted any change to any other hours between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. ... If a majority answered "yes' the local licensing committee would decide the hours after hearing representations from interested organisations —News Item. When Anything really HAS to be done, When the Issue in Question turns out to be One From which even a Government can’t run; When we’ve had a Referendum, for Safety’s Sake, To cover the Risk of a political Mistake No Party in Office or out can afford to make, Don’t expect Us to ACT till we’ve heard And sifted and weighed every Word Of the Remits, the Representations From Interested Organisations— They’ll All of them get Invitations. Sir, I’m only I, and You’re You, I suppose We can call Ourselves interested too, From a strictly unorganised Point of View. We have Votes, when we’re called on to use Them; We have Representatives, triennially we choose Them. We send Them to Wellington to legislate for Us, And there They may muddle Us, vex us and bore Us, O. Sir, 0.K., but NOT when They IGNORE Us And lend their long Ears to the clamorous Chorus Of—Lord give us Patience!— Those Representations From interested Organisations, Or organised Interests! No wonder the Nation s Gets lost in the Clatter of vain Altercations. P. —Sir, doesn’t It perhaps logically stem From all This, that our present amiable P.M. Has an interest in giving Ear to Us, not Them, And giving full Weight in all such Deliberations To our disinterested, unorganised Non-representations?