THE PARTY SYSTEM.

Evening Star, Issue 14637, 5 August 1911, Page 6

THE PARTY SYSTEM.

WHY IT SHOULD BE ABOLISHED 15 NEW ZEALAND. [By G. B. Nicholls.] , It stems to me that, owing to th& lamented aeath of Mr T. E. Taylor and the openirv of another session of Parliament both occurring together, and both emphasising the utter absurdity, even absolute viciousness, of our present parliamentary system, the time is opportune for firing a sort of first shot in what I hope will bo a sustained effort to get rid of tnac which, more than anything else, mars public life in Sew Zealand. The following article must be regarded as purelj preliminary. There is a universal not; 1 . .inpatient* with the party system of government running through- most of tho debates and newspaper articles of the day,- but though this impatience and this condemnation are so widespread no one arises who seems prepared to bell tha cat and make an active move to have things altered. The only move in this direction that I recollect lias been the repeated introduction of Sir Wra. Steward's Elective Executive Bill, which did not receive the support it deserved. This was not~ surprising, however, as no Government, when in power, can bs expected to commit the happy despatch and deprive itself at one stroke of all the advantages that flow from the possession of office. It follows, therefore, that the attempt to alter conditions, if it is to succeed, mast .be made from outside Parliament, and not from the inside. It is a melancholy and generally acknowledged fact that to-day politicians are not the leaders of public opinion, but are the followers some little way after that opinion. Therefore public opinion must be formed, ot if it is already existent, as is probably the case in connection with a condemnation of the party system of government, it must be voiced and organised. This will speedily react upon Parliament itself, and I believe that by these methods we could very soon rid ourselves of this thing which nearly everybody grumbles at, but which we all put up with in such a seemingly hopeless and helpless fashion. —Prevents Land Settlement.— My Teasons for bracketing the opening of Parliament and Mr laylor's death in the writing of this article just now ave these: In the debate at present proceeding in the House Mr Wilford, who onght to know, said that the settlement of the Land Question and the quicker placing of people on the land was beim; hindered by party squabbling. That this was true was made plain by the next speaker, Mr Ell,'who, because Mr Massey had outlined a certain policy at Cheviot, attacked him hotly as doing it- for party purposes. Mr Massey replied in a speech breathing party party party right through it. .\'mv nihil Mr Masi-ey said at Cheviot may. or m.;v not. have been his •i'-oal opinion :n» to \i i •:'. was best for the country—-it may, or may not have been tor the purpr.-o of catching votes. On© thiny; .i.s certain, neither side could say anything anywhere that had merit in it, ar.d therefore eonic likelihood of being popular without the charge of " vote catching " being hurled. However, while politicians are equal) Wing, the. population in the towns is growing larger and that in the country growing smaller. 2so one who has seen much of Sydney or Melbourne will contemplate this with equanimity, and apart from questions of morality and the quality of the race, this concentration in towns i,> universally recognised as a calamity from the mere viewpoint of genuine and sustained prosperity. The land question is merely a typ,> of many other matters which are he'd back by the party'system. —Spoils Our Best Men. —

I Though Mr X. E. Taylor died generally i beloved by the people of New Zealand, I think few wjil deny that, his political lifa was made far less useful to his coantry than it might have been as a result of tha party system. How can a man of firm ! convictions and strong principles be a good party man in Now Zealand? Here there is nothing but a sordid struggle between the ins and the outs for place and power. Even supposing, which I take leave to doubt, that there is necessity and uso for the party system where there are two great Mictions* as in Great Britain, with widely differing ideals, there is no such necessity here. The. politician's whole life in New Zealand is a succession of compromises. One day lie votes for some measuro which he does not like at all, in the hope that a Government which hj& works with, but only supports on some points, will bring down another measure which he docs like. When this latter measure comes along, it finishes up by being only another of those beastly compromises that pleas© nobody, least of all the men who Iraro given that particular question most study. But what is the man to do ? For all era' • ticaJ purposes private members' Bills of any importuned have no chanca ,- v i c'L They nave not enough time- allotted io to allow for discussion, and if contentious never ge.t near the top of the Order Paper, or if they do get there are b+onowalled to block some other unfortun;i(e private member's Bill, ar.d the time allotted talkf.d out. How can a man liko Ine late _\lx Taylor fit in such, surroundings? It- is enough to drive oven a. teetotaller to drink in order that his thinking powers may be> narcotised and blunted. Keen and vigorous mentality must of netotiiity be constantly up in arms against such belittling and thwarting conditions. Are not men of conviction, men of principle, men of tire, and mon of individuality the great requirement of New Zealand as of every other country? Why should wo be cuived with a .'-yei-em that means (he inevitable

—Triumph of Mediocrity,— and of the man whom we can well imagine saying: '"Them's my sentiments; if they don't suit, they kin be altered." Cios'e adherence to party means inevitably a very flexible adherence to moral standards and to principle. If, however, the Referendum and Initiative and the Elective Executive system were adopted, by which the Executive is appointed from all sidas of the House, and for the parliamentary term, the greatest experts in the various departments being given charge of th.os>e departments, and members to have ample opportunity for the introduction and discussion of private Bills, while Bills introduces by the Executive would be discussed o-n tlie-ir merits, the Executive itself voting and speaking for or against all measures introduced, just a* they thought fit, how different the political atmosphere would become. Kewi and outstanding men like the late Mr Taylor would then be- righting nil the time for"the acceptance of the principles of some earnestly-supported measure, and would .stump the country in support of it, and would not waste their strength in hitter party fights. The politicians would then become the leaders of thought, and the most gifted men would come forward, and not. as now, hang back because politics as at present mean, to nearly all who go into the maelstrom, deterioration and eventual time-serving. It can easily be shown, too, how the influence of the Press is largely spoilt by the. party system, also how the' workers are deprived of the fair representation of their needs, and many other bad results accrue, btit what has been said must for the present suffice.