ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11884, 6 May 1899, Page 4

ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE.

TO THtf EDITOR

Sir, —Surely all who favour an Elective Executive will bo delighted to hear that Mr ' RoUeston has raised that- proposal to the dignity of a fad; for everything that has tended to benefit mankind has been- called a fad. When people are apposed to a thing against which they cannot adduce an argument, they generally call it a fad. Mr Rolleston declares that “ the election of the Executive from the members of the House would be entirely inconsistent with the present system;, of representative government.” Again, he says—“lf an Elective Executive measure wa? carried by the New Zealand Parliament, there would be witnessed one of ' the prettiest scenes of log-rolling and manipulation ever known in Wellington.”. Now, all this is sibiply clap-trap, and Mr RoUeston should know that a majority of the people will not be satisfied with bare assertion. I cannot for the life of me see what advantage an elected Executive could derive by logrolling. In fact', log-rolling is one of the evils which this system is designed to remove. And,. how an elected Executive would be inconsistent with representative government is entirely .beyond my compre- ' hension. , But, whether the system in question is compatible or incompatible with representative government, there can be no question that.it is the only panacea for the evils which are inseparably connected wan party government. There can be no getting ' away from tlie fact that a system which necessitates members voting against their consciences is utterly indefensible. Mr Eolleston also declared that no rational reasons hit 4 as yet been given for the Elective Executive. He must surely have thought that : ; he -was - addressing a parcel of simpletons, ;■ irlwim he, could easily hoodwink. If-Mr It'ilbsLon had said that no rational argument cciilcl be adduced in support of party government., ho would have been very much nearer the truth. Will Mr Rolleston deny that Parliament would be much more likely to elect the best men to the Cabinet than a Prouder would? Party government is Largely a one-man government, as the Premier is careful to select men for his colleagues who arc prepared to very largely subordinate their opinions to his own, somelimes regardless of their fitness; whereas an elected Executive would be at perfect liberty to both speak and vote in strict accordance with their views. A non-party Government would, undoubtedly, accomplish quite as much, in six weeks as is now done in three months. There would be no occasion under this system for members To speak one way • and vote another. Every measure would be discussed on its merits; and the bitterness and bad u-ding which prevail to a deplorable extent under the present system would he almost completely removed. Moreover, the Elect iv.- (executive ’is the. only thing that can ever iinko Parliament a fit place ijr vc-om.Mi to enter. This proposal is uadoubti'd!/ one. of the most important political questions of the day.—l am, etc., H. SEED, Carleton.