THE REFORM BILL

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3212, 4 August 1932, Page 6

THE REFORM BILL

This centenary of the passing of the Reform Bill is a summons to thought and urges the "Manchester Guardian." 'We here believe that it is better for a people to govern itself badly for the ultimate good of its soul than be governed well (as might happen for a time) by others, by despots however efficient. But it is also true than when self-govern-ment becomes too bad to be endured longer the despots have their chance. If it is to survive, democracy must be made better than it is to-day. We must, for instance, sit easier to our traditional Parliamentary machinery. The time is over-ripe for a radical overhauling of our cumberous methods of legislation. Some measures of revolution, in order to avoid the frittering away of Parliament's time on unimportant issues is badly needed, "i'ii? sheer woric of government tod;iy is of a scop- and a complexity quite unparalleled before, and it is sufficient work for the Central Legislature to determine the general direction of policy, leaving the details to others but keeping watch on what those details are."