"LITTLE PEDDLINGTON"

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue XC, 7 October 1915, Page 6

"LITTLE PEDDLINGTON"

At intervals observers of events and movements have cause to say that New Zealand people, in the mass, have not yet a proper appreciation of the war. Yet the public can plead, in excuse, that some members of Parliament are not apparently conscious that the British Empire's existence is at stake in a world war. Some men who should be helping to lead the people prefer to "follow the crowd" — and others are much concerned about trifles and petty grievances. For example, yesterday, in the House of Representatives, a section of the Assembly , wasted much time on an application for leave to introduce a "Protection of Members", Bill, though the period for consideration of private members' Bills had, gone by. Yet in the busy closing hours of the session an opportunity was seized to precipitate a futile discussion, which detracted from the dignity of Parliament, as Mr. Massey rightly declared. The legendary spectacle of a Nero fiddling while Rome burned is comparatively mild by contrast with the attitude of politicians who "fiddle" away the taxpayers' time while a whole Empire, far greater than Rome's, is in the fire of war. New Zealand., in these days of crisis, expects members of Parliament to be more active for the protection of the country than for the protection of themselves against alleged curtailments of privileges and alleged unjust criticism.