"DEMOCRACY," "BUREAUCRACY," OR WHAT?

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13938, 21 December 1908, Page 3

"DEMOCRACY," "BUREAUCRACY," OR WHAT?

Sir, The letter appearing in your issue of 4th inst., above the signature of W. H. Horton, M.B. (Dargaville), contains much that calls for intelligent endorsement. However, in the concluding paragraph of the doctor's letter, ho laments a "political anomaly," which is more seeming than real. He says: " Another political anomaly, which only needs pointing out to be demonstrated unfair, is our very careless use of the word ' Government.' The careless use, or, rather, misuse, of this word leads to confusion of the 'State' with the ' party in power.' " Continuing, he refers to the State Departments, such as tho Railway, Insurance,! and Labour Departments; to "Government" pensions, "Government Advances to Settlors," etc., and in concluding the reference he states " that we need express no surprise when we find that to the unthinking elector the fate of such Departments, institutions, and property is ultimately bound up with the fate of the "Government." The misuse of the word " Government in these connections should be discontinued." Now, as I have already asked, is not the anomaly complained of more seeming than real? .The bare contention of the doctor's may be right that the word " State" should supplant Government." We need only imagine for one moment that, as the result of some. remarkable political phenomena, tho Opposition party is in power, contemporary with the beneficent Liberal legislation we to-day enjoy in connection with departments the doctor referred to. Under such circumstances, the use of the word "Government" in connection with, say, the advances to settlers, for instance, would, indeed, bo anomalous, and probably it might bo well to change the designation to provide against any possible political contingencies. But tho doctor wrote with some reference to the election contest just closed, and the chief burden of his contribution is an obvious complaint that, in his opinion, the' Opposition candidate was at an "unfair" disadvantage because of the alleged . misuse of the word "Government" in reference to the Departments named. But his is not a fair statement of fact. For whatever anomalies might exist under the present ' system of nomenclature, should the Opposition get into power, and however desirable it might bo to adopt a designation for State Departments that can convey no misconception to electors, we must all agree that in the recent election contest the Government party are, certainly not given any "anomolous" advantage by the association in the minds of tho electors of the term Government" with the Government party. It is admittedly right to render unto Caesar that • which is Caesar's, and, while the doctor laments that " to the unthinking elector, the fate of such departments, etc., is inti- ' cately bound up With the fate of the Government,' 1 it would probably be a more correct i rendering to attribute the splendid Government victory throughout the Dominion to an intelligent appreciation on the part of electors of the benefits conferred upon them by the Government as a result of the I advances to settlers, railway concessions, Insurance Departments, labour bureaux, pensions (all named by tho doctor). These Departments, institutions, etc., are now " State " Departments truly, but they were inaugurated by the " Government!, ' and 1 this in the face of the bitter opposition of the Conservative party. Dargaville. Arthur Stallwobtht.