POLITICAL REFORM LEAGUE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1749, 13 September 1905, Page 44

POLITICAL REFORM LEAGUE

' MEETING AT THE TOWN BALL. A PLEA FOR PURITY. The Wellington Political Reform -—League came before the public last plonday evening, when a number of prominent politicians allied with it, or tinder its auspices, addressed a meeting iikb the Town Hall. The concert room was rather more than half-filled. Mir A. de B. Brandon, who was In the chair, said the league was one of numerous associations that were being formed throughout the colony by men who recognised that some determined effort must be made to change the order of government , that was now in yogue in New Zealand ; to change it in w , ay of turning the administration but of the groove commonly called the- “spoliation” system. It had taken bold of the colony, and unless it was ■thrown out it would practically ruin the colony before long, by grasping it as bn octopus grasps its victim, and gradually pressing its life out. The associations* were practically Opposition in politics. Their constitutions were all bn the same lines. As a beginning of their programme, they had asked several prominent gentlemen to address this meeting.: SIR WILLIAM RUSSELL. Sir William Russell, ,M.TLR. for [Hawke’s Bay, moved the first two planks of-the platform, referring to the objects of the league, viz.: ££ To secure businesslike, prudent, and honest administration ; the restoration of true Parliamentary government; government of all by all* through representatives freely nominated and elected without interference cm the part of the Executive.” Sir William said there was a saying that every country was as well governed as it deserved. It might be Said then: What right had he to move bitch' a resolution, or as an old member of Parliament, to speak in disparagement of the body- he had been so long Connected with? But one had a right to speak what he thought and believed about the Government. In the first place the government of the country rested mainly with the people themselves. Unfortunately, it was possible g fad ays to raise a laugh when the tour of any public man was assailed, seemed to him a very serious thing t the honour of any public man was of vital importance to the community. (Applause.) If their public men were not what they should be, then they bad elected them to Parliament, and they themselves had some responsibility. The unmeasured abuse to which jpublio men were subject was a very jjerious matter, because it stood to reason if a man was to be persistently abused and his motives were to be persistently misrepresented, his sensibility bmst be destroyed. At the same time, pure and fair criticism was the very foundation of good government. (Loud applause.); Nowadays they found men Cnd women speaking of the revolting conduct of Parliamentary elections,' and ■there was extreme- difficulty in getting jmen of refined and sensitive character to go into politics. Personally, he did not take such a serious view of the position, but the fact remained that a great number of cultured and intelligent men whose services would be of great service to the country were debarred from taking any part in politics owing to the odium that often attached to public life. (Applause.) Since the electoral laws bad been altered there had been continuous tinkering with the constitution, which was not conducive to good government. The functions of the Legislative Oouncil had been materially impaired; the pure democratic form of government had almost passed away, and we were governed by what might be called $n ' almost ruthless autocracy. (Loud applause.) When/ Mr Ballance desired to- make appointments to the Oouncil which would have the effect of making it a partisan Chamber, the Governor objected, and Ireftifed to make the appointments until he Was practically instructed to do so t>y the Secretary of State. The constitution was impaired to this extent that, whereas prior to this the Grown had reserved the power* of final consent before Parliamentary measures became law, its control of the Legislature was vastly modified. The Council became a mere partisan body to record the decision of the Government majority on the Ministerial benches of the House of Representatives. (Applause.) The standing orders, which were granted for the protection of the minority, had practically been placed in abeyance, and the minority was no longer able to control any portion of the business of the House. The conduct of elections required a great deal of alteration. At present the rolls were in such a condition that it was impossible for anyone to find out Whether he was on the roll or not. Instead of that., people should be able to see on the first of every month whether they were on the roll. Surely the man who canvassed for names to be put on the electoral roll was really canvassing for votes for either Opposition or Government candidate at the same time. Them was such a hue and cry before elections, that names were nut on the

rolls for reasons that it was afterwards hard to discover. If it was left to- the people to put themselves on the rolls, then every elector would be a person who took an interest in politics, and knew what he was voting for. (Applause.) MR HERDMAN. Mr A. L. Herdman, M.H.R. for Mount Ida, spoke on “ The reform of the method of making appointments to the. public service by the exclusion of political influence and the superannuation of Givi I servants.” Herbert Spencer had, said the speaker, laid it down “that the ultimate aim of ail statesmen should be to establish a high national character.” When they came to investigate the politics of this country, and glanced over the political history of New Zealand for the last ten or twelve years, at any rate, no one would dare to say that the gentlemen who presided over the destinies of this country at the present time had elevated the national character. On the contrary, the standard of national character had degenerated, and they had it on the authority of the Premier himself. Ministers of the Crown should in this respect be examples to the community; but what had they in a country like ours at the present time ? Ministers of the Grown who were not animated by lofty ideals; who preferred to cling tenaciously to office rather than pass legislation which made for the good of the whole community; who clung to power rather than part with a single inch of the power they possessed. When such elements dominated their public life, the politics of the country were bound to degenerate. Who was responsible for the degeneracy of our public lifeP They had heard from the Premier himself that the Legislative Council should be wiped out of existence, but who had brought it into that condition ? There they bad one instance, but he could point to any number. The principal axioms which guided the present Administration were these: To have complete control over the expenditure of our public money; a teen desire to keep complete control over the public service of the colony; and then there was the third principle which guided the Government all through its career, the desire to keep under a cloud, in a condition of secrecy, a great many of their acts of administration. The Government refused information to the Parliament, and those who read the newspapers would have observed the difficulty there was for a member of Parliament to get any information from the Government. Xf it were possible to separate this completely from Ministerial control, the result would be that the Ministry would be shorn of a considerable amount of power. Recently there had been growing up in the minds of the people of this colony a condition of unrest in regard to the public service. He ventured to say that the unfortunate incident which had. occupied SO much of the time of Parliament, and which was connected with the public service, would not have happened if they had had at the head of affairs in this colony an Administration which was absolutely trusted, and in which the people had absolute confidence. A suspicion was growing up in the public mind that things were not well with the publio service. He was not making any derogatory remarks having any personal bearing, for in our public service there were men who would, do credit to any publio service in the world—(applause)— men of high ability and infegritv, but the power of control of this service should be removed from political influence and patronage. Since 1893 the number of departments of the public service in New Zealand had increased to twenty-three. When the present Administration took office'J?he number was. fourteen. The Government had this vast service under its control. In order to get admission to only a few of these departments was it necessary to pass a public examination, in a large number of departments—Tourist, Commerce, Lands for Settlement, Advances to Settlers, for instance —it was not necessary to pass any Qivil Service examination. The appointments to these offices rested entirely in the hands of Ministers of the Grown. Political power actuated Ministers in making appointments, which were given as a quid pro quo for some service rendered; boys and girls were appointed for the political influence their parents could exercise in their particular communities —bound fast to the Premier. The setting up of a Publio Service Board woxild completely destroy this power of Ministers. It had worked with success in New South Wales ever since 1894, and if they read, the reports of the Board in that State they would find that its whole career had been marked with success. So long; as the Premier was in office, however, he would never part with any of this great power he now possessed. He trusted that the people of this country would come to realise that if they desired to haye purity in their publio service it could only be accomplished by a non-political Board, instead of the present cUsoreditable system, which had; demoralised "the whole or our publio life. (Applause.)

MR W. F. MASSEY. Mr W. F. Massev, M.H.R. for Franklin, spoke on ££ Rerorm of local aovern-

ment by the establishment of a sound system of local finance and economical expenditure of publio money; the jefonm of the land laws —by encouragmg land settlement—leasehold tenure, the homestead system, and by giving Crown tenants the right to acquire the freehold.” He had a cordial reception, and opened his remarks by congratulating the promoters of the Wellington Reform League upon its inauguration. The other side had a strong organisation, but it was true that the electors of Wellington had always done justice to themselves,, and he believed they would do so at next election. The more they knew of the Government the less it was liked ; and when the people of other electorates were similarly educated the voters there would see the necessity of local government reform. It was just as necessary in the country as in the cities. They had all been waiting for the Public Works Estimates to be brought down. A large proportion of, the money voted on those Estimates was not, he was convinced, used for public, but for political purposesMinisters nowadays, after holding office for a few years, had little conscience left, and practically no conscientious scruples; and as for other members, they became so utterly wearied and tired that the expenditure of a few thousands extra could not keep them hanging about Parliament House; whilst some Parliamentary members from, the country knew perfectly well that the expenditure that was necessary for their district would not be granted if they did not keep on good terms with the Government of the day. That fact had been proven by a statement made not so long ago at Whangarei, when it was said that all other things being equal, it was unreasonable and unlikely for a Government to 100-i with the same kindly eye upon those districts which returned non-Govern-ment supporters. , (Cries of “Shame.”) He maintained that the politics of electorates should no more be, interfered with than the politics of 'individuals,, and the present system was demoralising throughout the community, from the Premier right down to the most insignificant individual in any electorate. (Gheers.) The operations of the local government system should go upon principles, and upon the rates themselves. It should be a system which would help those who were willing to help themselves. (Hear, hear.) The adoption of such a system would do away with the present demoralisation of the whole political life of the country. They required a system which would do away, so far as expenditure was concerned, with political influence, and do away with the political control of the roads and bridges. (Hear, hear.) Until they/ did away with the political influence, and the now existent system by which a Government could reward its supporters and punish its opponents, they could not expect to make the advancerpeirb which was possible. (Ap-_ plause.) Be wished to see Parliament taking up its proper position aa the real Council of the nation. (Loud cheers.) In such a Parliament as he hoped to see it would 'be possible to discuss every question upon its merits, and it would be possible for every member to walk into the Opposition lobby if he so chose without feeling that the people he represented were being punished on account of the fact that he had voted against the Government. (Continued applause.) As to the land question, there was only one aspect of it that he (Mr Massey) would touch upon. Last session the Opposition forced upon the Government the necessity of amending the land laws and bringing them up-to-date. The Government did not face the position squarely, but they appointed a Royal Commission. That proposal was opposed by members on the other side of the House, but the motion was carried. . However, instead of appointing two or three intelligent men oh that Commission, the Government appointed ten gentlemen—and it was to be remarked that nine of them were Government supporters. Up to the present time the House had not been able to find out how much that Commission had cost, but they knew the members of it received twenty-one guineas a week and the expenses of their locomotion. (Voices: Oh, Oh.) It had been expected that the Government ■Would bring down a bill based upon that report; but instead they had only brought down a series of resolutions such, he believed, as had never been brought before any other Parliament in the British dominions. '(Hear, hear.) The Government simply said, “We are not capable of formulating a policy, and we ask the Opposition to formulate one for us.” (Laughter.) In his view, if & Government could not bring down a policy, it was no longer fit to hold office, (Bear, hear.) He would not at that meeting express his views at fur.ther length with regard to the land question, but he intended to express his opinions very fully later on. (Applause.) MR JAMES ALLEN. Mr James Alien, M.H.R. for Bruce, said education was of paramount ance to any community. Was their national life of no value to them ? They could never be a great community, successful in industries, unless tbey were educated. They would nave tb keep

their hold on the national education an 4 conserve their rights. He asked his hearers to look back to 1887, when tbs present Minister of Education was opposed to public control. He was opposed to the Education Boards. They were to be done away with ; wiped out of existence. The whole system was to be centralised in on# body. But that gentleman had changed his opinions under pressure of public opinion, as he had changed on the land question. (Applause.) In the Boards was concentrated the intelligence of the country in the management of our^education system. The national system was only partial. They had first the primary education, and to that they had tacked on the secondary. But they had to go further. They had to go to nature, and make the primary education of the child a practical one that would not be put off with his school coat. They had to devise means whereby the meanest child in the community, if worthy, should be allowed to go right on. (Loud applause.) It was not an easyproblem to solve. Then the secondary system should make their captains of industry, to give the highest scientific and technical training, which were essential to produce the leaders of our industries. We had the material, and were able to do it. We had already turned out a Rutherford and a Robertson. (Applause.) It was necessary to. establish the training colleges about which the Minister and Parliament had been talking for four years. It only lay with the Minister to establish them. Wellington should have had its training college three years ago. Every town school should have a garden attached to it. That would help to attract the townsmen to the country. Parliament had never refused to grant money for training colleges. But what was the good of granting it? The Minister meant well, he believed, but he had too much to do, and consequently everything was being neglected. The mere amount of money they were expending was not enough; for want of attention and study and brain-power it was being wasted. He congratulated Wellington on its University, and hoped it would lead many a man to the path Rutherford had trod and Robertson was about to tread. There was a lot to be done in. the way of scientific research in developing our commercial resources. With scientific and practically experienced men they could do a great deal. The public school teachers were doing a great service for ■ the country. There were not enough men joining, though—only 35 to every 125 women. Therefore, they would have to encourage the best of their men, and Parliament was doing what "it should have done years ago. It was placing on the statute book, be hoped, a Teachers’ Superannuation Fund to provide for teachers in old age. When the bill came down from the Education Committee, the teachers would find it much improved. Women would find their position much improved, and those teachers now in the service of the Boards who were between forty and sixty years of age would find their position improved. He hoped Parliament would take upon themselves the responsibilities that belonged to tbem, and not leave it to posterity to pay the piper. Nothing could be more degrading than that. (Loud applause.) MR DUTHIE. Mr J. Duthie, M.H.R. for Wellington, dealt with the late sittings of Parliament ancl the object of the Opposition in contesting the Estimates. The reason for doing this, he said, was out of a strong sense of public duty. Members of Parliament did not receive that credit at the hands of the public which they ought to receive for the efforts they made in the interests of the publio service. The vote for the Lands andl Survey Department was contested in the House early on Saturday morning, because members could get no lucid explanations of huge votes lumped together from the Minister in charge. When they read of members sitting long hours, he asked them to recollect that members were not wasting their energies for nothing, but they were there through an honest zeal for the publio interest. Parliament had in a large degree lost all control over the publio expenditure, and it was through the fight shown that the Government was afraid to go too far, for it was by this means that members were able to control at least some of the expenditure. It was necessary' that, there should be a change in the Parliamentary system. He trusted that at the coining elections the electors would give effect to the views contained in the programme of the Political Reform League. (Applause.) CONCLUSION. Mr J. G. W. Aitken, M.H.R., said he would not make a speech on that occasion. If that league selected him as one of their candidates at the coming elections, he would take an opportunity of addressing the electors at an early date. (Hear, hear.) 6n the motion of Mr Duthie, a vote of thanks -was passed to the various speakers and to the chairman.