TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19565, 2 May 1935, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Parliamentary Revolution On the score of economy it has been urged from time to time that our Parliamentary representation should be reduced. The great prairie State of Nebraska in the United States, which has an area and population not very much loss than that of New Zealand, has decided to make a clean sweep of both its Houses—the Upper House of 33 members and the Lower of 100 members—and substitute one House representing not less than 30 or more than 50 districts, in each of which a member shall be elected on a non-partisan ballot for two years. The total allotment for salai’ies is fixed at 37,500 dollars, which with 30 members would give 1250 dollars each, and with 50 members 750 dollars each —not a very large remuneration compared with what New Zealand pays her legislators. The main reason given for making the change was not economy, but dissatisfaction with the waste of time and “ the bickering, backscratching, log-rolling, horseplay, and general blowing off of steam to which democratic assemblies are addicted.” It was also contended that “ special interests would be able to exert less influence over a single small body ” because the actions of a smaller number of members could more clearly he followed, as “ a single House by simplifying the law-making process ” would compel the members to record their votes without hope of having them l-evised by another body.

According to a recent issue of Current History, whence the above information is obtained, Nebraska is the first State to bi'eak away from the time-honoured bicouncil representation, and therefore it is noteworthy as one of those efforts to reform from within the practices which lead to so much waste and con-uption, pai'ticularly in the United States, from all accounts, hut not inapplicable to most countries of the world.

The Universities and Their Danger “ Thei’e have been dark ages before in the world; unless we take action against their onset, there is no inherent reason why they should not come again,” writes Professor Harold J. Laski, in the New Republic.

“ Surely, of all institutions, universities have the obligation to arm themselves against their coining. They can only live well as the freedonx to speculate is respected. That is the condition of effective teaching; it is the condition, also, of creative research. “ A university that does not question accepted doctrine over the whole field of its activities is in no full sense a university at all. The obligation it has to serve, truth is also an obligation to refuse to set boundaries to the possibilities of thought. No doubt, thereby, it is engaged in an adventure that, by its very nature, is perilous to vested interests, to settled doctrine, to orthodox opinion. * “No doubt, therefore, also, it will harbour uncomfortable men, unconventional men, mon who seem dangerous to all whoso first thought is to dwell at ease in Zion. That is the university’s glory. That is the contribution it ought to make to the enlargement of the hoi-izons of the human mind. For the degree in which it can do this very thing is the measure of its power to fulfil its end. And the criterion of its honesty of purpose in that advonturo upon which it is engaged is it's willingness to fight for that freedom without which it can neither dignify nor create.”

Socialist Taxation in London. The expectation that with the Socialists in command of the London County Council rates would go up has been promptly realised, says the Spectator. The new Budget involves an increase in the county rate of 10Jd in the pound, or an addition of about £2,700,000 a year lo local taxation. It is the intention of the Chairman of the Finance Committee to aim at stabilising the rate at this figure. Some part of this expenditure is due to improvement in certain indispensable social services—education, housing and hospitals. But provision will have to be made to an unknown extent for the demolition of Waterloo Bridge —an example of wanton expenditure for which the Socialist Council has made itself responsible. It is also somewhat disturbing to find that whereas in the last two years (he Council set aside £BOO,OOO a year for redemption of debt the present Council i ; s only providing- £250,000. The real increase in expenditure is greater than the apparent increase, and one would like to be reassured that the spending eoiwnitta~» mto koeoimr a firm hold on routine expenditure!.