PARTY OR INDEPENDENT?

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 80, 5 April 1938, Page 10

PARTY OR INDEPENDENT?

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—The relative merits of political party representatives in the House or Independent members answerable directly each to the* people'of his own constituency, is a good deal under, discussion lately. .It is noteworthy how many people appear to believe the party system is the sounder, and that it particularly achieves demo-, cratic government. I suggest that careful examination .of the principles of party government •as it actually functions does not support this belief. It has .been- suggested'that by lining up the populace as supporters of one or another competing party-it would be possible for any inconspicuous group with anti-democratic objectives to "divide and rule.". In support of this theory it is further pointed-out that the people soon learn, to regard the elections as a sort of sporting event (of which the sole aim and object is to get their particular party into office. Admittedly the competing parties must offer competitively attractive programmes, but again it is suggested that these may prove to be no more than alternative forms of frustration so far as the people's collective wants are concerned.

Under the party system it has been customary for the parties to decide what programme they will offer the people, and it can hardly be claimed that this system h.as beeji a very conspicuous success in giving expression to what the people want, as distinct from what the, party thinks they should have. Even when one of the main planks on which a party is returned to office happens to be something the people really want, the party system' I still enables individual members of the party to' elude responsibility for its not being put into operation as solemnly promised at,the election. I shall quote one important example. In Auckland-not long ago Mr. J. A. Lee was asked at a meeting of his. constituents why the sales tax had not been abolished as promised. Mr. Lee's reply was that he personally had not' promised it. Thus Mr. Lee avoids responsibility for his party's actions or inaction. Similarly a party politician may elude personal responsibility by blaming the party for failure to do something which he personally may have promised. Either way the result is the same—frustration of the people. -I am, etc., f