The Gisborne Times PUNLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 1933. A NOVEL TYPE OF POLITICAL PARTY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11946, 17 May 1933, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUNLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 1933. A NOVEL TYPE OF POLITICAL PARTY.

There must, he a- good many people who may be excused i°r being at a toss to understand how the aims and objects of that new organisation which has taken to itself the name, •‘The New Zealand Legion” might be achieved. It is quite plain, however, that what is at the back of if* author’s mind is a. very sincere belief that there is a great deal wrong in connection with the present Parliamentary system. The Legion’s aim docs not, of course-, constitute a novel idea, but the methods which it intends to adopt are quite impractical. Ever since.' the party system of political warfare was introduced critics have had no difficulty in picking holes in it. It is, indeed, not unlikely there aro in this country today thousands of people who would support the elective executive system of* government and. also the application of the system of the referendum and the recall in respect to all important national questions. But the fact remains that, in Britain, where is to he found the Mother of all Parliaments, the party system is. Still ■ retained. If we ate not

greatly mistaken, Dr. Campbell Begg ■who has provoci'“so active iff connectiort with the ai'gttnwdtio'ix of tH-e Legion,- seemg to hold- that. the ; ■ present Parliamentary, system attracts a weak type of aspirant for political honors. At ai) events, at Christchurch last week, lie averred: that, if it became necessary, members 'T the Legion would be prepared to go into the Ilotise, breri at the expense of giving up their homes and businesses. Wo do not know if this were intended as a humorous remark but, according to tlio reports of the proceedings in the press, it. created quite a lot of hilarity,. Dr. Bcgg scorns to overlook the fact that, in the past, idealists liaVe, from 'time to time, presented themselves boforo tho electors, only to be very sadly disillusioned. It may, of course, bo at ouco agreed that tho best possible tyPo of candidate does not always seek political distinction. What may he doubted, however, is that, even with the backing of an organisation such as tho Legion, the class of man Dr. Bogg lias in. mind mighv not find Parliament sufficiently attractive to allow himself to !>o nominated. For one thing, if the Legion had not become a party, lie would 'require to stand as, an Independent mid, as is well-known, electors, as a, rule, display verv little interest in a non-party candidate. In effect, what Dr. Berg says to the electors is that, in the past, they have been mainly to blame in that they have supported candidates willing to promise them anything for office. So it inay he assumed that candidates can hardly ho blamed for giving pledges, seeing refusal would only mean courting defeat. One of the Legion’s groat aims is, therefore, to induce the electors to listen, only to a candidate who is not, prepared to "bribe” them! It appears also that it is quite a- mistaken notion that .Dr. Regg and his friends wish merely to educate the electors on. the necessity for a different type of member. At the mooting to which wo hare referred, he said, quite openly, that the ultimate object of. the Legion was to form a. new political party, which would stand ayiarfc from the present parties but which would consist <f tho best of each! In the- circumstances, it is impossible, to reconcile with that statement, what Mr. Gambrill had to say on the matter at the Gitt Hall on Monday evening. Mr. Gamhrill said, in effect, that the Legion aims at the elimination of party altogether ‘‘Wo do hot aim at the formation of a new party,’’ he said, ‘‘for we believe that tho party svstem is wrong” 1 Presumably, the party Dr. Begg has in mind would require a leader, but Dr. Begg did not, refer to that aspect of the matter Ho went on to say that the only candidate? that would be supported by the Legion would bo men "with minds trained in the functions of governfiicnt.” Ou o would imagine that candidates of this, type would not require platform aid, bub Dr. Begg says that members of the Legion will bo aya ilable to speak on behalf of candidates wearing tho Legion label! The. most extraordinary portion of his remarks, however, was that in which he laid it down that, although the Region, would have a policy, candidates who got into Parliament under its banner would he quite unfettered by the National Committee of the Legion. It is clear that tho further Dr. Begg went the further he got out of his depth. This criticism is not intended as indicating that it. would npf bo very helpful if electors could he educated up to a higher ideal of their national duties. Tim first step in' that direction, we hold, should be the introduction of the principle, ol' compnlsorv voting. Tf all electors found themselves under a penalty for the non-exercise of iho franchise, moic of them would interest Themselves in national problems.