THE POINT OF VIEW.

Observer, Volume XL, Issue 17, 27 December 1919, Page 3

THE POINT OF VIEW.

The Ins and Outs

THE view of a correspondent about political candidates is so novel that one hastens to put it into print without endorsing the expressed ideas. I notice that there were among the innumerable candidates in the late unlamented election many men who sought preference on thi* grounds that they themselves had been "successful in business." Usually "success in business." connotes some form of robbery, and if my expression of what I believe is "rough," I hope you will excuse the lapse.

The candidate who has said that he is appearing for the good of humanity, the cutting down of prices, and so forth, has in so many cases been a vampire that one continues to wonder how he can have had the conscience to expect another £600 from the people. lam perfectly aware that the M.P. at present obtains a mere £300 a year, but I am as certain that as night follows day, the palpable human mediocrities who are in Parliament, of whatever brand, they maybe will double their own wages.

It is on this account that many of the extraordinary persons who pretend they are fit to rule us entered the contest which closed on December 17th. - The correspondent is, of course, biassed. He might know that in the late election every candidate who appeared would have appeared if there had been no emolument offering; that politics are now, and have always been, spotless, and that no gentleman who has gained admittance to the New Zealand House of Representatives, is other than a friend of the people and NOT a limpet on the body politic.

The correspondent has unfortunately obtained the view that politics is a "game," at which the lucky wins. He is obviously a kind-heart-ed man who wishes to be just. To him it may be said that if the 21U candidates who strove for seats in the New Zealand Parliament on December 17th, knew before they strove that there could be no cash benefit; no notoriety; no publicity; and no "job" hereafter; they would, being honourable men, wishing only to work for the benefit of humanity, still have undergone the dreadful ordeal of an election. May God bless the defeated candidates!