NEW ZEALAND LEGION

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 120, 24 May 1933, Page 11

NEW ZEALAND LEGION

BRANCH AT -PETONE

POLICY/IN FORMATION

'A well-attended public meeting' called by tho New Zealand Legion was held last evening in the Oddfellows' Hall, Pctone. Mr. G. Kndlay presided. The speakers were Messrs. A. W, Free, K. C, Anderson, J. R, V, Shcrston, and Dr. Campbell Begg. . Mr. A. W. Free said he was glad of the opportunity of dealing with the Criticism of those who said the Legion aims wore, too idealistic and that they would not work. The aim of tho Legion was to get the people to put their heads together and sco if tho present system, could not bo altered, and that was surely possible. The removal of obstructions to progress was liko tho removal of ah obstruction 'from the road. Tho best way of getting the job done was for those concerned to work together and remove it, and not depend on the Government, which would merely pull against its opposition and accomplish nothing. ' For too long politics in New Zealand had been considered as a game played by tho "ins" aud tho "outs." There had been, it was true, a team spirit, but it had functioned in tho wrong direction, for party aud sectional interests instead of for a great national Ideal. There was a twofold economic job to be done —to see that everyone- was able to exchange what they had for what they wanted and to 3co that tho national life was so organised that there would be no recurrence of tho present trouble. The way out was neither by Fascism nor Communism. Now Zealand should find its own remedy, and the-Legion was offering the machinery whereby this could be done, through tho pooling of the thoughts of the community. Everybody was capable of contributing something to national thought, ,md the Legion aimed at being the collecting agency for that body of opinion. Air. K. C. Anderson spoke on tho contribution youth could bring to the help of the national life, and stressed the interdependence of humanity and tho need for co-ordinated effort freed from sectional domination in tho solving of tho national problems. Government as it existed today was a farcical expression of the opinions of tho people. The Legion ■ sought the welfare of tho whole nation and was a body of men who were prepared to sacrifice self and give scrvico for the national' good. The present was a time to make ideals a reality and not keep them as a mystical hope. ' DR. BEGO'S POSITION. Major J. E. V. Sherston, secretary -of the Legion1, outlined the history of the movement and showed how it had originated out of a conversation he had with Dr. Campbell Begg while tho speaker was studying the country's economic problems in Wellington. He paid a high tribute to Dr. Begg. An attempt was made, he said, to initiate the movement by correspondence in other centres, but eventually it'seemed essential that Dr. Begg himself should visit all the divisions. This was only made possiblo by the co-operation oiSDr. Begg's partner (Dr. Bruce Ronnie), who, was just as ardent a supporter of the Legion as Dr. Bogg himself. He was glad to say that tbo intensive drive put into the movement had enabled a position to hi reached in which Dr. Begg would be able to remain in Wellington and attend to his own private practice, on which naturally he was just as much dependent as any oth^r professional man. ■Ho took this public opportunity of stating thai any rumour that Dr. Begg had given up his practice for the sake of tho Legion movement; was without any foundation in fact. It was only through the lucky chance, that he, was in partnership that it was possiblo for him to give up tho time he has already dono. ' , ABOLITION OF PARTY SYSTEM. ' Dr. Campbell Begg said the movement was now getting to the stage when the promise made when the Legion started would have to bo fulfilled, and the time, was soon coming when a pronouncement would bo. made of what tho Legion had set out to do. The Legion's aims had necessarily been vague because it had been in process of being moulded and how it would function would be determined by the body of opinion behind it. ' There were several possibilities. It might bo that tho Legion would advocate the formation of 'New Zealand in one constituency returning by proportional representation some 20 or 30 members to the House, or it might be that the interrelation, of local and general Government would be sought. ■ The main question at present was i'or the Legion to'give expression to the views of its members. . Dr. Begg quoted from an article in tho "Fortnightly Review" showing that thought in England w^s •tending towards the abolition of party Government, and also quoted what had recently happened .in South Africa, where party politics had been wiped out. _ The Legion was prepared for criticism, but it must be fair, criticism and not tho spurious ty.pe which searched to- find, loopholes and misprints and wrenched statements away from their contexts, instead of trying to find the real aims and aspirations of the Legion. In answer to a question, Dr. Begg freely admitted that the Legion must form a party to abolish party government but when, that had been done the function of the party would.hayo ended and tho government of the country would be carried on in the same way as a local body functioned. There was no difficulty in abolishing party government; the only question was why the people had been fools enough to countenance it so long. , \. largo number- of new ■ -.members Binned the membership cards and an executive was formed to control the Pctone branch.