THE LEGION

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 29, 3 August 1933, Page 13

THE LEGION

APPEAL TO MEMBERS

"MUST NOT COLLAPSE"

DR.. BEGG SPEAKS

Members of the Wellington division of tho New Zealand Legion attended a rally in the Concert Chamber of tho Town Hall last evening and listened with close attoution to an address by the president of tho Legion (Dr. E. Campbell Begg). Dr. Bcgg spoke mainly on the lines of former addresses, but "devoted considerable attention to the duties and* responsibilities of membership. Ho urged the need for members to stand by the pledges they had made when signing membership cards. Councillor M: F. Luckio presided, and there wero few vacant seats in the hall. Dr. Begg Said tho Legion's purpose was to mobilise thought, to encourage all classes Of people to study matters of political, social, and economic science, to be-a clearing-house for tho constructive : ideas of the individual, and to submit such ideas for discussion in hundreds of groups throughout tho country. Tjiey Wanted to develop indopdndencey fearlessness, and moral courage,- and substitute those qualities for captious criticism and other ineffective processes. The tangible | aim of the Legion was to secure forms of Government worthy of a free people, to ensure conditions that would enable Iho most capable of its citizens to give their services to the State in central or local government and administration without any restriction to tho exercise of their intellect, their judgment, and their, conscience. ( Tho Legion imposed neither on its members nor On those whom it would support any test as to their vlews # on economic questions or current political ones. That shoxtld be firmly kept in mind. The organisation would attempt to sift out, with the help of its members, sound thought on economic hues, but it would not attempt to stifto the criticism Of those who disagreed. _ Dr. Begg went on to speak of the Legion a plans for tho reform of tho Parliamentary machine, and criticised the waste of time Which resulted from the Address-iu-Reply debate and from the discussion of no-confidence motions. Although thoso moving a no-conMcnca motion might have a very fair case, Ihey had no chance of getting the motion through, except under special circumstances, and their caso could bo very well stated in some other way than hy wasting tho time and money of the country. ■ r ■' ■ CABINET'S POLICY. The speaker expressed the view that it was entirely wrong for a Minister of the Crown, to represent a constituency. . It was not fair to ask a man whd was giving his whole time to national affairs to suffer tho handicap of being tied to a constituency, which was making certain demands on him. There was no doubt that largess in the shape- of public works and so on had been distributed in tho past in order to please certain electorates; in tact, tho principle had been condoned by a certain statesman. In his view, no Minister of tho Crown should be exposed to such a temptation. JJr. Besff also criticised the system under which Cabinet Ministers were expected to support the policy of their Government'whether they believod in it or not. Their ouly alternative was to resign from tho Cabinet, and they had an instance hbfto'ng ago whbro a statesman who'had given valuable service to the. country bad had to leave tho Government because he disagreed with his colleagues on an important policy measure With an-elective Executive there could be no.such happening. Under the> pr, ; sent pSrfy System the Prime Mintatoi was virtually a dictator, as ho had inIds hanfls the distribution ot all the so■SlleTtweete of office. They all know that members who were opposed to.eeltain measures voted for them because they .were tiod to a party. TO AVOID COLLAPSE. Dr Bece appealed to members of the Legion to see to' it that the movenumt which, they had started did not colSse- tS they got thousands of men , demanding the people should stick to what they have signed and .that they should not sign anything A»>" l, o fly who is. not prepared to go the S of the way should »ot so part ot it You aro not in. the Legion to look 'after your owa investments and vom- own privileges. --\ou aie in th.. Legion to look after tho people ivho hale no investments 'and no privileges. . Hi thought, the Legion ww-going to favour the interests of one class I would not be in it for one moment. The secretary of the Legion (Majoi SherstoiO gave a brief account of the. Access which had attended tho Legion's • and also an indication of the steps, "hich liaa been taken to organise the. ntrnLtg^losed with a vote of thanks to the- speakers.