PUBLIC OPINION RULES

Southland Times, Issue 23768, 16 March 1939, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION RULES

DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES OF INDIVIDUALS “It is not party politics that rule New Zealand; it is public opinion. Party politics are just the expression of public opinion and no person can shirk the responsibility of helping to mould that opinion which receives its chief expression at a general election,” said the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) in a short address at the annual luncheon of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce yesterday. “We want to stand by our democratic system,” he said. “It has plenty of weaknesses, but we want to see that those weaknesses are not capitalized by any party. Great Britain is a shining example of the method of handling a democracy. I do not think any other country in the world has greater prestige than Great Britain which, under its democratic system has governed wisely and well.” Every parliament and government was an expression of public opinion, and so long as a government interpreted that opinion in a democratic way a better form of government could not be found. Individuals were naturally self-interested, but that must not dominate their whole being; they had a duty to the country, the Empire and even to the whole world. Unrestricted individualism was not wise because men were social beings as well cr, individuals. Unrestricted competition had its limitations, also. Business stood for competition, but some restriction was necessary. Governments were charged with too much interference in business, but much of the demand for interference had come from business. It was necessary for individuals to enlarge their vision and in all their activities they had to keep the main stream clear. If the country’s business was not managed wisely other forms of business could not succeed. All should take their part in helping to form public opinion which ultimately was the government. Party politics could not be avoided in democratic government. Public opinion went into different groups and a political party was merely one of the groups. It was frequently difficult to keep the number of parties down to two because frequently there were more than two groups of public opinion.