ETHICS IN POLITICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21296, 24 September 1932, Page 8

ETHICS IN POLITICS

PARTIES' FIGHTING FUNDS® CONTRIBUTIONS AND FAVOURS^ EX-PREMIER'S OBSERVATIONS :||§§ OWN CORRF.BPON"DEIiT] BYDNEY, Sept. 15 During the Royal Commission on fhe | granting of licences for mechanical hare racing in New South Wales there have been several references to contributions to' the funds .of the Labour Party, emphasis being laid on the. fact that one man prominently associated with the sport had guaranteed the advertising of the Lang Labour Party during the last federal election campaign. The propriety or otherwise of so contributing to a political party has formed the subject of many an interesting discussion between counsel and the Royal Commissioner, Mr. Justice HaL-e Rogers. Mr. W. A. Holman, K.CI, a former Premier of New South Wales and now a member of the Federal House of Representatives, said that party funds were one . of the inevitable by-products of the party j system, especially with elections becoming more and more intensive and more expensive. Parties invited subscriptions to their Ijl funds and these were frequently given iu anticipation, no doubt, of favours to come. Commissioner's Remarks The Judge asked, amid laughter, whether funds were not almost universally given for that reason, and not merely frequently, and slr. Holman replied that he was trying to be moderate. He said that the Judge might think that his client had an idea of currying favour by making gifts to party funds, but a great gulf was drawn between a man who made subscriptions to party funds —a practice that was encouraged by the circumstances of public life to-day—and the man who was guilty of corruption. The Commissioner: So far as contributions to party funds are concerned, whether here or in England, depending on the lively anticipation of benefits to come, and as regards a person making contributions for that purpose, he is no less guilty morally than a man who makes a contribution to an individual. I do not see any difference so far as the person who makes the contribution is concerned. Mr. Holman's Confession Mr. Holman said that he himself, during his political career, had solicited people to send money to party funds; but he did not think that anyone who had participated in that act could reasonably say that he was to be condemned. The Judge replied that from a point of. view of public morality one thing appeared to be obvious. If a party received large contributions from any individual, then there ought to be the most scrupulous care with regard to dealings with that individual in the future in relation to any matters with which he had association with Government departments. That might be a counsel of perfection, but it was a point of view that could scarcely be challenged on the ground of public morality. Mr. Holman said that that standard had not been achieved even by the most honourable Governments.