SPARKLING WIT

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 83, 9 April 1934, Page 10

SPARKLING WIT

MR. SHAW SPEAKS

BIG CIVIC RECEPTION

PARTY SYSTEM CONDEMNED

PRAISE FOR NEW ZEALAND

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day

Christchurch today .saw tho greatest civic reception that tho city has ever extended to anybody, apart from Boyalty. The Civic Theatre was crowded to the doors for a reception to Mr. George Bernard Shaw. It was an exceptional occasion, and tho fact was demonstrated by the tendency of the big crowd to start applauding early in tho proceedings. When Mr. and Mrs. Shaw arrived they mad© their way through, a cheering multitude whose enthusiasm reached a climax when the visitors stood smiling on the platform. Over two thousand people attended tho reception, and tho gathering was so large that it had to be changed from Ihc Council ■ Chambers to tho Civic Theatre. Speeches of welcome were made by the Mayor (Mr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P.), the Deputy Mayor (Rev. J. K. Archer), and Professor Shelley. ■ Mr. Shaw made a sparkling and witty •speech, and again stated that Parlia? mentary institutions had outlived their usefulness, and that a change seemed desirable. He praised New Zealand, and said'that if he was starting over again he would come here and make jS'cw Zealanders sit up. (Laughter.) .'However, that was only a threat, as his career had practically ended. • Mr. Shaw commenced his speech ■humorously, remarking that it appeared as though he had at last been thoroughly found out. ■ "I came here," he said, . "with' the reputation, so I gathered from your newspapers, of being perhaps the most; ill-natured man on earth. You evidently have discovered the pitiful truth, that I am the -most amiable and harmless of human beings." HIS MOST USEFUL HOLE. Mr. Shaw referred to the fact, apropos of the pleasure which he said he took in '■ civic receptions, that for six years he was a member of a muni.cipal council, "I was probably more useful during those six years than I have been at any other period in my career," he said, "and yet nobody ever congratulates me on that. Years hence, ,when all my plays are forgotten and all my. novels are out of date and there is no literary enthusiasm about me, possibly it will be remembered that Shaw represented South Saint Pancras. I learned,a good deal from that experience. Usually I was in a minority of one. I never voted on any question except on the merits of the case." Mr. Shaw stopped speaking and faced a silent, audience. "I can feel in that silence," he said, "your incredulity. No member of Parliament can make that statement. No member of Parliament on any single occasion has been ablo to vote according to his convictions on a question before the House. The question may be one of education, it may be one of foreign politics, or one of any number of innumerable questions, but when a division is taken ho votes not on the question but. on whether or not his party is to remain in power or whether he is to face an .election in tho next fortnight. Under these circumstances, as far as Parliament, is concerned, the country docs not get governed at all by Parliament; it gets governed very effectually by gentlemen who are outside Parliament and have no reponsibility —financial gentlemen and industrial gentlemen." OUTSIDE DIOTATOESHIP. ' Mr. Shaw referred to the fact that people accused him of wanting a .dictator. "What," he asked, "do you •elect men to govern you for?. How can any Government govern without dictating? If government goes on under your present Parliamentary system instead of under your municipal system it cannot govern, because it .does not dictate. You have no dictatorship of Parliament but a dictatorship of financiers and industrialists outside Parliament." After pointing out that this could ,never lead to tho right system, Mr. .Shaw said that the real dictators did. not argue with those who sought reforms.', "What do they do?" he said. "They say: 'That man is an enemy of liberty. That man wants to put an end to democracy.' ': '"I do not want to make, slaves of you," ' said Mr. Shaw. "I want to rescue you from being slaves." The majority, of people he had mot, he said, had been slaves. THIS FEEEDOM. '■In this-country," he proceeded, "you call yourselves free and you are politely called free, and I dare say you have the sensation of being free, on Sundays perhaps." , Dr. Thacker: We have to do what we are told on Sundays. Mr. Shaw: Yes, but you are not "told 'anything'on Sundays. On other days you are' getting told thc_ whole time, and you have to do what you are told, and the people who tell you what-you have to do are not elected or responsible persons. They are your absolute, .masters. Take the case of the free and independent farmer. I have met men of that description. It was a glorious thing to think that they were on land that belonged to them, and they were working, say, sixteen hours a day to pay the interest on their mortgage. I did' not like to tell these poor fellows that they were just slaves of the mortgagee, or perhaps of an absentee." ~-'•■ A NICE PLACE, IF ." "I will make an admission," said Mr.. Shaw, '' that New Zealand is a rather- desirable place to live in. If I were beginning my life I am not sure that I would not start in New Zealand, and I would make things .hot for you. You need not be alarmed. My career is practically over. I can only go and tell people what a nice place New Zealand would be to live in if only you were free and if only you would get rid of your Parliamentary system."