LEGION AND PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 120, 24 May 1933, Page 8

LEGION AND PARLIAMENT

(To the Editor.) Sir,—We have heard a' considerable amount ot praise and criticis-m ot the New Zealand Legion' of late, and last evening Mr. Parry, LL.B., made a few enlightening statements during a discussion at Victoria College. Asked, when the New 'Zealand Legion will have a policy to work on, Mr. Parry tells us that it will be/formulated in ■ approximately. five months' time, during which time the' council, intends to recruit as many membejs as possible. Then, id five months 1 time, they arc going to tell them what they have to support as far as a policy is concerned.. Without breaking the Constitution' of New Zealand and pledging loyalty to King and Country," the Legion intends to make an economic and social reform of New ilculand!' Mr. Parry state* also that he, and the Legion, too, I -presume, -is. absolutely opposed to Hitlerism, Fascism, and any form of dictatorship whatsoever.. He_ i» also opposed to Coinnrunißm or Socialism qnd the present Capitalist-system. Somehow,'the Legion is going to formulate a sort of happy medium.- between the two. The opinion of1 the University students seemed, to be somewhat opposed to it, in the sense that it is not possible to do this, with equal, benefits' to all classes, which, by the Way, the Legion aim l in uniting into one. - , Of course, the policy of the Legion may fail, says Mr. Parry. It will "be a sort, of experiment, I presume, and if it is successful perhaps New Zealand may lead the rest of. the world. He does not tell us what will happen if it fails, though. It will be of great interest to the community to know the Legion's policy, however, some time during October. —I am.. C *"' LEGIONNAIRE. May 23. "It scorns to be becoming nioie and more popular, to run down the Government ot New Zealand and our piesent Parliamentarians (wi'itos "Anti-Sniper"). I wonder if anyone pauses to consider just where all this propaganda is going to lead us? I'm sure the majority do not or they would discountenance it at once. It will surely bring us a Socialist Government and a repetition of what happened in New South Wales. I have heard with disgust in various parts of New Zealand slanderous statements about ov)v public men.i Some of the stories are m> fantastic that it is hard to believe that credence could be given them. . . . All this sort of thing is gradually becoming a huge campaign,, of ridicule, slander, abuse, and wholesale criticism of members i of Parliament and the Government. Those who are attempting to sell the unpopu-, larity of the Government and its leaders | are directly assisting in this campaign, and are surely making a rod for their I own backs.' Where are we going to get men-to stand for Parliament? Every day likely candidates are being lost because i of the abuse'of "our public men. Then,, Sir, we" have the Legion doing■ untold , harm, preaching^ dire disaster, destroying confidence, find insinuating all manner of things against, our Parliamentary system. . .-.-The Legion, will fail because it:"ie building on sand, but the donors of the' humble shilling and greater amounts will find' they have wasted their money and assisted in retarding the return to.better times. Surely it is time fair-minded .citizcus made an attempt to- get fair play for an honest Government. The present members of our Parliament . were elected openly by the people. They were not afraid to submit themselves to.s the vote. The National Council of the Legion prefers to obtain the power of Parliament by- shifting the political rights of the people to itself."

"A Mother," writing as onn who attended a meeting addressed by Dr. Campbell Bcgg, commends the aim of the Legion. "New Zealand is less than a pin point on the map of the world, but to New Zealanders born and bred it is a /wonderful country full of possibilities. Now is tho opportunity for our young men and women to came forward as never before, to help a scheme whereby the best, brains of the country can be brought to the fore to form an honourable and wise council."