The Waikato Times. With which is Incorporated. The Waikato Argus. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1928. REPRESENTATION.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17485, 20 August 1928, Page 6

The Waikato Times. With which is Incorporated. The Waikato Argus. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1928. REPRESENTATION.

The session of Parliament is now in progress, and the choice morsels of their discussions which are supplied to the public arc not edifying. The reports deal chiefly with a very rough description of abuse. It is safe to say that such talk is not commonly heard amongst any class of the population. It may be indulged in on occasion, but is not usually heard anywhere outside the House of Representatives. We have no means of judging whether any more serious discussion takes place, because the reporters do not trouble to let us know of anything more than sparring distinguished by an entire want of wit or satire. We have prophecies that the speakers’ party will be in power after the next election; interjections that they will be left in the cold; accusations that support of the Government is due to anxiety for a seat in the Cabinet. There Is nothing of any value in what is reported, and it is much to be hoped that the public do not read it. They can scarcely be expected to retain any respect for the body which passes our law and imposes our taxes. The offences are not confined to any one section of the House, but are to be found fairly distributed, and as this kind of verbal disputation serves no purpose and infallibly sets a mark on the man who indulges in it, it is hard to understand why it is employed. It is much to he regreLted, because it is bringing government by discussion into bad repute. There are people who deride the system of government by discussion in Parliament and think we should be better off witli a dictator. They always picture io themselves a dictator of their own way of thinking and would probably not be satisfied for long even if they had him. A Parliament in which ail points of view are represented is Uie coarse

which promises the best result. To

obtain that, however, arguments must be brought forward, and they require a certain amount of research and study, while abuse can be supplied ready-made-

The weaknesses of Parliament begin with the system rf election, which makes it possible for half the voters to return three-fourths of the members. The weakness is well-known and universally admitted, but no Government is prepared to bring forward any remedy. They are simple-minded enough to believe that a system which has given them more seats in the House than their numbers justify will always work in the same way. It is, of course, equally likely to give them fewer scats than they should have. This is not the only objection. We try to arrange constituencies of approximately equal numbers, and to attain this’ commissioners cut and prune the existing constituencies, taking off a corner here and adding a corner there. They work on maps and plans that are out of dale, so tiiat growing areas commonly show larger numbers than were expected as soon as the rolls are mad: up. Tliir- trying to make constituencies of even size results very often in tying together districts that have nothing in common, so that half the people are not represented. Proportional representation would enable the unrepresented minority to vote for a candidate who met their view’s. It would also do something to cure the parochial outlook which is the chief bane of our politics and keeps many good men out of Parliament. When a candidate goes to his constituency it is with a tale of some favour extracted from the Government, sometimes justified, more often not. Public works are the motives by which members keep their seats, and Ministers retain their majority. In consequence money is wasted and taxpayers have to pay foi being fooled. We have quite an imposing list of railways that cannot earn working expenses, and there is every reason to believe that some of those now in course of construction will figure in that list. Mr Downie Stewart relies on his Budget surplus to impress London financiers and lead them to lend money. He should show them the list of public works that the country stands up under; it would be a greater certificate of Hie wealth of the country. As long as our existing system of representation is maintained, public works will be the chief factor in the return of members and economy will be an impossibility. We could cure that by proportional representation, and in addition we might hope that our members would show some slight interest in the larger questions that affect the country. If any reference is made to Imperial matters it is painful to note bow few members have anything to say. On the gold standard they maintain a silence which may bo prudent, but is not entirely creditable. When the tariff is discussed they have no views on the general question, but

confine themselves to efforts to obtain protection for the products of some friend or acquaintance. The public pays, and it is worth consideration whether it would net cost less to pay an honorarium to members which might attract more ability. An alteration of some kind must be made if Parliament is not to sink into impotence and leave the government of the country in the hands of the Civil Service. Proportional representation would not provide a remedy for every political evil, but it would cure some. Every political party is in favour of it while in opposition and changes its mind when in power, and their attitude to this question is sufficient in itself to show how little consistency and candour are to be found in the politics of to-day.