THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 247, 16 September 1935, Page 6

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

(To tho Editor.)

Sir, —Now that the controversy in regard to the merits and demerits of the “independents” has quietened down it looks as though puolic attention will be focussed on yet another section sallying forth as the political saviours of mankind, proclaiming a panacea for ail our social and economic ills, the Democrat Party. Seemingly just as it takes all sorts to make a world, so does it take all sorts to make up the Democrat Party, and knowing the political attitude of some of the apostles of the new order, I would be very sceptical of their remedy. To cite an instance of their make-up. Mr Hislop, the leader of the party, has trenchantly denounced the artificial exchange right from the beginning and Mr M. H. Oram, who is reported as being the chosen Democrat candidate for the Alanawatu electorate (I don’t think I have mistaken the word Democrat for Nationalist), 1 remember at a mass protest meeting held in the local Opera House, prior to the Exchange Bill becoming law, calling upon Mr J. A. Nash to vote against the Bill when it came before the House. Mr Oram favoured the Bill and advocated its adoption, although the resolution condemning the Exchange Bill was carried by a packed house with almost acclamation. 1 think my memory serves me correctly on that occasion. Just how the two diametrically, opposite convictions in the same camp can be reconciled remains to be seen. Then the deputyleader of the Democrat Party, Mr W. Veitch, of Wanganui, a qualified exponent of political acrobatics. He has entered Parliament under every available banner, and is again to try a new one, surely a veritable Joseph. The tragic joke of the age is Mr Hislop’s coupling the Coalition legislation with Socialism. Ye gods! it’s like comparing a venomous reptile with a beautiful flower, and if Mr Tlislop is not better informed on the principles and ethics of Socialism it would be prudent on his part to cease displaying his ignorance on the subject. Evidently the Democrat Party see nothing wrong with the present system of society. They just want to push the present Government out and put themselves in to make an alteration in methods of dealing with effects and not the root cause of our social ills, and should the Democrats be returned to power the pills they would prescribe as a remedy would be about the same as the Coafition pills, the only difference being that they would have a coating of Democrat sugar. Man under this regime always has been and always will be looked upon and treated as a profit-making medium, and when he ceases to be such he is thrown upon the industrial scrap-heap. He might eke out an existence by occasionally going to a relief depot and filling his sugar bag with some higher-up's old boots and clothes and a few groceries thrown in, but the dignity of his manhood ceases to exist. Under the regime of Socialism and a co-operative commonwealth the dignity of toil would be established and from the drainlayer to the chancellor of the university by rendering social service to the community man will be deemed an indispensable social unit and by his right he would share the best this earth can give, and when retiring from the labour jnarket’ lie will do so with dignity, with still the inalienable right to share of the best. Of course, we know that the Democrat and most other parties designate the above as sublime nonsense and Utopia, but, sir, right down through the ages social reformers have always been dubbed Utopian and scoffed at and felled by the powers that ruled, but just as one fell so another took his place and so up to to-day the social reformers carry on with hope springing eternal. We are told that huniap nature cannot be changed; possibly not, but by making social conditions and environment compatible, character could be so moulded that it would bring out the best in human nature and that alone is worthy of trial.—l am, etc., TEAMWORK.