NEW ZEALAND PROBLEM.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18256, 15 August 1921, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND PROBLEM.

DANGERS OF APATHY. IS OUR PUBLIC LIFE DEGENERATING? We have before us an interesting letter from a correspondent who writes to justify himself m criticising our public men, the public service of the Dominion and some misdeeds of the Government. The writer is evidently an old Colonial who deplores the too great laxity of our people in respect to their interest in public affairs. He need not have been in the least apologetic in regard to handling these questions. In a democratic country such as New Zealand it is most desirable that the average citizen should speak liis, or her mind freely. The gravest danger is that our democracy goes to sleep and leaves entire control to those in office. Recently one of the greatest, most experienced and wisest pf the critics of modern democracy, Lord Bryce, has told us in very plain terms his estimate of our public men. In being told that our Parliamentarians and public men generally are mediocre in intellect; lacking breadth of vision and the bigner standards of taste, we are not being flattered as a people. Our correspondent gets to the root of the matter when he urges that the ordinary people are to blame. We agree that to-day there is less general interest shown in public matters by the average citizen than was shown twenty to thirty years ago. The early Colonial was keener in enquiry and more alive to voicing his views, whether of assent or protest, in public meetings than we find the people now. It may be due to more of the Home country Britisher being here, who has been used to growling, privately and leaving it to the. authorities, or owing to the Dominion’s expansion we have been drawn into some petty concerns and interests as to have our minds diverted from the matters of public policy. City pleasures, with town and village imitations of same, nave largely taken hold of our people to the exclusion of more serious interests. To secure the attendance of the public for the consideration of public questions the concert programme is being found a necessary attachment to the meetings called. APATHY AND INDOLENCE. Whatever the cause, the spectacle faces us of general public apathy. It is a serious menace when the democracy thus shows its indifference to its own affairs of business. in. vain we talk of “Government of the people by the people” it the people simply decline to act. Leaving it to the office holder and the office seeker is the great temptation to autocratic rule, intrigue and in general misgovernment. Our correspondent thinks that the poorer class ot M.P. to-day is due to the pay and honour, with little of other consid. eration. He says: “the old style or member was generally a man of a force of character and ability above the generality of his fellow citizens; and who on the whole had the public welfare so much at heart that he was prepared to spend his time, his money and bls talents in the service ot the country.” The present M.P. he states is, with few exceptions, one who is content to hold his seat, attend to few local routine and social affairs and leave the important matters to the Government. If this is so, or if there exists a scarcity of men of large capacity in the political and general public life of our country. we think that the people themselves are to blame. A people who are apathetic and indolent, or wholly engrossed in money making or pleasure cannot expect to have representatives ot great ability and high ideals. The representatives will be like those they represent. There has been of recent years far too much of a semi-fatalistic relying ot: chance and calling upon the higher powers to do everything for us, forgetful of the fact it is' the people who create the higher powers in a democracy and on them rests the responsibility for good Government or bad. Our correspondent writes of "neglect of precaution being a deadly disease which shows every promise of utterly destroying our apple 'industry.” Who of the public cares? yet, the state of every industry in the Dominion concerns us all.” THE CALL TO ACTION. Having fought our way through the great war we have as a people to face the stern necessities of the fight for peace. Not a peace of apathy; of mere indolence; of each tor ourselves and first the country to take its chance. There is an insistent call to all of us that we take a real live interest in public affairs. The public services require examination because the national expenditure has increased until it has become a matter of serious concern. All Departments of the State should be examined as to their costs and the results secured. This should be examined not in a spirit of panic and certainly not in a mood of indifference to the just claims of the public servants for years. The call of the average citizen to think about public affairs, to organise and discuss matters with their fellow citizens las never more required than it is to-day. The habit of considering matters only on a class of sectional basis should be laid aside for the higher course of public discussion, as citizens. In the earlier days of this Colony when public questions arose the people came together readily to discuss them (without the bribe of a concert or dance to attract). Then the public moved up and down the countiy and" spoke on the leading questions of the time. Freedom of speech was everywhere respected and education advanced accordingly. The call is for such activity now amongst the people ot all communities. It is only by throwing aside our apathy and recognising that if we are to have good government the people themselves must act, that we can make the Dominion what it should be. It is a work for all and the call is to each and every one of us. (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League).