NATION BEFORE PARTY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 103, 4 May 1933, Page 10

NATION BEFORE PARTY

Discussing a recent letter on the New Zealand Legion, a correspondent, Selwyn King, writes:—"This slogan 'Nation befpre Party/ struck- me a^ being familiar. The Forbes-Coates Coalition Party used it at the last election, and it helped to do the trick. The 'Nation before Party5 Coalition Government secured a hugo majority, and a free unpledged mandate to govern for three years in the interests of the people of the Dominion as a whole. Never waß a Government given greater freedom to do that which is > right,'but alas, what a failure. Selfish , section.il interests have been-specially favoured to the tune of millions of pounds per annum ;by the manipulation of the exchange suid ' contractual obligations (the inviolability of which are fundamental to the security and progress of society) have been broken by Acts of Parliament, instigated by the Forbes-Coatcs Government. 1 . . The Legion's aims and objects are studiously nebulous or unsatisfactory. It .stands for the electipn of 'unpledged' members to Parliament and hence it stands for a repetition of the 'blank-cheque' farce of. the last General Election. It stands for j a contraction of the national and local Kocial services, with its resultant hardship to the poorer classes. It stands for uu alteration in the -machinery' of Parliament, but not for an alteration' in the 'membership' of Parliament, as if it \us the machinery and not the members which had enacted th« contract-breaking laws

jof the past few years. . . . Prior to I the Wellington public meeting the 'following questions were sent to the office of the Legion with a request that they should be answered by the Legion's speakeis at the meeting:—(l) Does the Legion stanrl for the inviolability of all lawfully entered into contracts or agreements, whether they concern wages, interest, rent, or capital? and, if so, (2) will the Legion help to elect honourable members of Parliament who will undertake to rlo theiv best to rep.eal all the contract-breaking legislation enacted by Parliament during the past three years? (3) What is tha Legion's attitude towards the Government which has been responsible for the enactment ol the, said contract-breaking legislation? (4) Will the Legion endeavour to have the- present Government replaced by one that will honour our country's financial engagements? No answers were forthcoming, and the excuses' giveu by the president of the Legion after the meeting, for not answering the questions were:—(l) That tho Legion wanted to know the name and address of the questioner, and it was not given. • (2) That owing to the mixed composition (politically) of the audience, and of the Legion, they wcro not willing to answer the questions at the meeting.' Here we see political 'expediency' controlling, the actions of the New Zealand Legion. What use can such an organisation be in the present state of our country and its Statutes?"