APPEAL TO DEMOCRACY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18089, 16 May 1933, Page 5

APPEAL TO DEMOCRACY

IDEALS OF N.Z. LEGION MR. R. F. GAMBRILL’S ADDRESS ANIMATED DI.SCTWSTON FOLLOWS Declaring that selfishness and greed, manifested through various organisations inimical to the true spirit ol democracy, were responsible tor most, of the ills of the world to day, Mr, K, F. Gambrill gave an eloquent address last evening to a large gathering in the City Hall, under the auspices of the New Zealand Legion. He appealed to the ideal of democracy in this country for the elimination of inimical organisations, and the devotion ,of individual and collective effort to achieving a social order based upon a solid foundation.

.In introducing the speaker, .Air. (J. A. Smith, chairman for the evening, outlined briefly the conditions existing to-day in the Dominion, as they appear to the eye .of one whose business largely deals with finance. He pointed.out that the so-called balanced budgets of past years bad been balanced by raiding every existing source of reserves, until at present those sources were completely dried up, and—worst of. till—there seemed to be no policy in the measures now being taken to rehabilitate the country’s position. The objective of the New Zealand Legion was to remedy this position, and its appeal was made to all sections of the community.

The claim that to-day’s, crisis is more grave than any hitherto faced by the Dominion, was made by Air. Gambrill, who pointed out that the 191-1 crisis was a material one, created by a physic-ill foe capable of defeat with physical weapons. To-day’s crisis was the more deadly because unseen forces and impalpable influence's wore at work.

‘ WEAK IIN ST AIJ i,E AIACHT XE ' ’

"Wo suffer blindly, sustained by pious hopes that soon the corner will be turned, or that the bottom of the slump will he reached. We look in vain to our politicians for succour, and revile them because they are powerless to lead, us from, the wilderness,” In l added, pointing oii.t further that the morale of the country was being seriously threatened. Instead of the firm rock which was fondly believed lo he the foundation of our social structure, the Government now appeared to be a weak unstable machine, capable, only of offering palliatives, the wherewithal must he found front the pockets of oven the poorest among the population, and anxious only 1 o give tin: people what it believed the people asked for, in return for continuity of office. ‘‘We say that democracy has .failed, and some cry for a dictator,” continued Air. Gambrill. “Our constitution provides the machinery for democratic government, but that ma-

chinery, implemented with superfluous cogs in tho nature of the party system, has long since failed to function to enable government of the people by tile people and for tho people. Democracy has not failed. It ins never been tried in this country in mi i* o*otip rn.Hori . 1 ’

PRIVILEGES NOT VALUED

The blame for this state of affairs must rest upon the people themselves, the speaker argued. Instead of jealously guarding the, electoral privilege and political rights which perhaps had been too- easily won in this country, the people had let professional politicians, office seekers and sectional interests do their political thinking for them. They had surrendered their votes to a party ■system in exchange for ready-made ideas and platforms which the people had had no voice in shaping. It was to remedy this position thal the Legion had come into being, and one of the main channels of thought which it hoped to inspiro was that leading away from sectional and district interests to the consideration of truly national objectives, on a democratic basis. Unless the crisis of to-day cbtilrt. be overcome, the social fabric must inevitably fall. On the other hand, a united country with a truly democratic government could face the crisis with equanimity.

The speaker dealt at some length with the appeal to ideals advanced by the Legion, and quoted the experience of the Returned Soldiers’ Association in maintaining tho morale of its members. Something 'of thin spirit must be spread throughout tlm country, be declared, fol if New Zealand was to win through to better times, it could only’ he bv establishing and maintaining a better morale.

NUMEROUS QUESTIONS Discussion on the material put forward by Mr. Gambvill was animated, and a number of questions were put to the speaker, many of them having to do with the obligations of Legion membership in relation to other obligations which might have weight with the individual

One questioner asked whether the present circumstances of the people were not brought about by the same influences which occasioned the crisis of 1914. Mr. (lamb-rill replied that selfishness and greed were largely responsible for to clay’s conditions, just as they wore for those in 1914. In reply to further questions, he said it was the duty of everyone to relievo distress by individual effort, but that to bring about a change of governmental systems it was necessary to proceed slowly and. constitutionally He felt that financial 'questions were not yet within the scope of the Legion, Mr Gambrill told another questioner.

“Is it not the first aim of the Legion o secure power?” asked a member of lie audience.

“Certainly not. We do not aim to establish a party, for we believe that the party system is wrong. We want free and unfettered representation in the House,'’ replied Air. Gambrill.

LEGION AND LABOR PARTY Another member of the audience stated that the Labor Party had foreseen the present, crisis 20 years ago, and asked what was wrong with that party. Surely it was better than a party which could not st e as far as to-morrow,' the questioner urged. “Tho Legion looks ahead to the day after In-morrow.'’ was the reply, with the added comment that in time to rime the Legion might he of great- assistance

to the Labor cause. As,bed Whether a man could he a mem her of Hid Labor Party and also of the Legion. Mr. GaAdnill replied that that would depend on what pledges had been given to the other party. He believed that the Legion's aims did not clash with the best objectives of any parties. On Min subject of organisation mid action, the, speaker pointed out the folly of action before organisation was eomnlete. For the same reason, the formulation of a policy could not he undertaken at present. To adopt a policy now would mean the smashing of the Legion,. he believed. Air, Gambrill stated, in reply to further questions, that tho future of tin*, country must be of consequence to every parent. “I am