INTEREST IN POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20628, 29 July 1930, Page 11

INTEREST IN POLITICS.

BUSINESS MEN CRITICISED.

"AN UNFORTUNATE POSITION." OPINIONS OF HON. J. B. DONALD. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] NAPIER, Monday. An appeal to business men to take a greater interest in tho government of the country was made bv tho PostmasterGeneral, Hon. J. B. Donald, in an address to tho Napier Rotary Club to-day. "Tho men who tako tho least interest in politics," said Mr. Donald, "aro tho business men. Only when tho shoe pinches or on such an occasion as tho issuo of u Budget do they wake up. When it comes to standing for Parliament they usually let tho other man do it. If this country is going to prosper the business community has got to wako up to tho fact that largo interests aro at stake. "It is easy for a Government to spend money, because it is spending someono else's. Moro business men are wanted in Parliament. Tf they were moro interested they would be more familiar with affairs. All along the lino the business community is the first to suffer from any trouble, vet wo havo only one or two business men in Parliament. Men who havo minds of their own and men who know what they are doing aro wanted. I am satisfied that if you havo men who havo made a success of their own lives you will get people to vote for llicm. "Some of the troubles that New Zealand has experienced of late would havo been obviated and we could faco tho position with moro confidence than wo aro doing had wo moro business men in politics. It is to be emphasised that individual Parliamentarians represent tho whole country. Even members of the

Cabinet get tho idea, into their heads that the country cannot do without thein, instead of realising that they represent the Dominion as a whole. The electors have a duty even to a man they have not supported to help to maintain ihc standard at which they have aimed. It is up to the men and women to support the Parliamentarians. I do nob liko to bo called a politician," said Mr. Donald. "It always savours of something that is

not quite straight. "It'is an unfortunate position, because the greatest compliment a district can pay to a man is to elect him as its representative. When a member of Parliament is mentioned people usually shrug their shoulders and say ho is in it for something. They are insulting themselves and their own judgment." The view that tho standard of politicians was not so high as it was 20 or 30 years ago wt-s expressed by' Mr. Donald, who held that the cause of such a state of affairs was with tho people. "They should look up to their politicians more," ho said. "If they tell their man he has a good reputation ho will try to live up to it. If they snigger at him he will say, 'I will be what they want me to be.' "