NOTES FROM CAPITAL

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18931, 28 April 1933, Page 8

NOTES FROM CAPITAL

NEW ZEALAND LEGION.

CALL TO ACTION.

(Speolal Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Thursday,

The New Zealand Legion has made distinct progress during the past week or two,- if only in capturing the goodwill of the two local daily newspapers. "A Government formed to end sectionalism and with a national purpose has gradually but -certainly itself become sectional," says the evening journal. "The national aim has become obscured. Men of greater vision who were able to see where this narrow and selfish outlook would lead have been enabled to oheok the drift. The Government Itself has failed to perceive the dire consequences of .its own policy. The Coalition, which should have been the rallying point for the nation, has failed to command support. It is essential now that action should be taken to restore public morale and establish a new foundation for publio faith.” Having denounced the Government to this length, and -more, the Post declares that the founders of "tlje Legion are ready to give a “lead,” and that it is for’the people themselves to respond to the national call for action. National Ideals. The morning paper is not quite so ready as is its evening contemporary in accepting the evangel of Dr. Campbell B.egg and his colleagues. “The sentiments expressed by the two speakers,” the Dominion says, “were candid and downright; such plain speaking on our political shortcomings as a self-governing democraoy has rarely, if ever, been heard from a public platform. It should have a bracing effect." In pleading for a national regenei’ation of political sentiment the speakers made ( no attempt to disguise the aims of the Legion. “It Is said,” remai'ked Dr. Begg, “that the New Zealand Legion is a political body. So it Is. Every man or woman who exerolses- the franchise takes part in politics.”

Of oourse that is the case. But while admitting that the Legion has a sphere of construction and valuable activity, the Dominion, more markedly than its local contemporary and the man in the street, is looking about for the advent of this national development.

The Parliamentary Maohlne.

At the large gathering in the Town Hall the other night to listen to the speeches of Dr. Begg and Mr Evan Parry, the chah’man thought the occasion appropriate to express his opinion of the members of the House of Representatives. “The Parliamentary machine,” he said, “cannot function toy reason of the defects that have grown up with It. It can in no sense be termed a deliberate council of free men. Every member of the House is .pledged to the platform of his party; he is completely Under the domination of the party whip, and, in addition, is subject to all sorts of undue influence from outside sectional interests. In short, every member of the party is a viotim of the machine. That I believe to be a true general statement of the position. Any man who has had the unfortunate experience of being elected a member of the House of Representatives knows it is true.” All one can say is that the knowledge remains exclusively with the offenders. Throe Years Hence.

However this may be, Dr. Begg and his associates, in establishing the New Zealand Legion, will have a great deal more to do than they yet have accomplished, or it would seem, attempted. First of all, in the ordinary oourse of things, the next general election will take place in 1935, in November or December, and the new Parliament will assemble in June, 1936. By that time the Legoln will have had time to arrange its forces, and If it happens to have a majority in the House of Representatives it will be in a position to mount the Treasury benches. In that 'event it will be in a position to propose the removal of the present system of election (as it is understood Dr. Begg has promised to do) ; to abolish the Seoond Chamber; to further reduce the honorarium; to prohibit party dissensions; to “stop strikes by stopping the cause of strikes," and to make everything sound and harmonious in this much perturbed Dominion.