WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1935, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. THEIR OCCUPATIONS. (Special to “Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, July 11The “Dominion” paper very oppoituneiy has classified the occupations of the members of the House ol Representatives and in its columns displayed to the public at largo their labours and their achievements. Members of the House, the public is told, are, or have been, associated with as many as thirty different callings. "All manner of occupations are represented, although the professions and skilled industries have very few followers. Many of the skilled and unskilled workers have not worked at anything haidei than polities for a long time. Indeed several have qualified to he worked as professional politicians.” During recent days the trade of political occupation lias been much enlarged. Whether or not it has been improved during this jieriod is not for discussion just now. “Including the Speaker oi the House, who is beyond criticism, “there arc nine lawyers, of whom five are in the Coalition Government Party, hut none is now in the Ministry. Iwo of the five have held Cabinet rank, both resigning. This is the first time for many years that the Ministry is without a representative of the legal profession.” There is one clergyman, who can claim to have been, in addition to his profession, a radio announcer. There are four representatives of journalism, one being a newspaper proprietor ; one a former reporter, and two having enjoyed the status of editor. • A representative of the “Dominion mentions that a member of the Labour Party with no journalistic training is the anonymous author of a New Zealend novel. One may hope it will be a welcome production. Industries, commerce and skilled occupations other than farming, the public is told, have remarkablly few representatives; but there are enough farmers tb form a national union representing all branches of primary industry. Among the general occupations are two printers; two former waterside workers, a tailor, an ex-coach driver, a commerial traveller, a former brewer, a veterinary surgeon, an - ex-railway porter, a fishmongc/r, and a dozen or more others that now bask-in the House of Representatives after years of labour. Then there me the farmers, the strongest body of all, that must bear respect to both Mr Forbes and Mr Coates, fanners as they still are in measure, “Without counting,” we are told, “those members who might be described as either being on the border line of agricultural occupation or making a hobby of farming with a new possibility to retirement from polities later, there are thirty-five fajrmers, of whom no fewer than thirty-one support the Government, while three sit among the Independents, Tim Labour Opposition contains only one ex-farmer with Australian experience. Included in the formidable 'list of .farmers in a House of eighty members; one is an orcharelist, while another favours tire raising of poultry.” There the occupations of Legislators practically end.