The Washington times., 1922-12-22
FINDS business
and POLITICS
WON'T MIX
Retiring Member of British
Parliament Tells How Time
10 Wasted.

toeH kn0s0n there. Sir Ch0fiss q
retiring from Parliamsxt bscGxss
he finds business ind q political
life are incompatible. He has sst
forth his rsasOrs in the folloscin0
article: n 3. y
by SIR CHARLES HIGHAM, NJ. r.
Written for IDternatiensi News Service.
There are many reasons why .
Member of Parliament who 10 a
BUSINESS man could come to n
,lefinite conclusion that he cannot
at the same time.
The business man entering the
House Of Commons IL surprised at
the vast amount Of time that II
wasted by many members who talk
on every conceivable subject vheth-
er they know anything about It or
not. There are one or two men,
bers of the house who rise on
every occasion. and more often
than not catch the speakers eye.
They talk and talk and talk on
some amendment Or other. and the
rest of the members Of the house
are supposed to sit and listen to
them. We presume that they
could not talk 20 long without hav-
ing given some thought to the sub
ject, and 30 we hope to get an idea
of what II 10 all about. In the hope
that we may cast our vote intetii-
gently.
Rarely does that knowledge come!
Usually the division bell rings.
and the supporters OF the govern
ment 20 one way, and thoss who
vote against the government 60
the other gay.
Too Much "Hot AIR"
1t is not very encouraging TO the
business man who views q proposi-
ton on merits In his ordinary conn.,
mercial life to sit In the House OF
Commons and see a vast amount
of Legislation. affecting the busi-
ness community. passed without
his having a sound knowledge Of
the matter. simply because he can
not sit for hours listening. to
Speeches In the
House should be limited TO fifteen
minutes. .r
Then. again. the business man
gets discouraged by the methods OF
the House. He goes there at 2:4S
p. m, II he has no committee meet.
ing In the morning. II he II on
a committee he finds he spends
days Of wasted time. as the reports
of most committees might as we'll
have not been written, 20 little at
tention II paid to them. He has
to sit and hope that his question
is reached. II It u over No. $50
he usually gets q written answer.
and he could get that Without visit
Ing the House at all. Then the
debate begins. and from to IL, or
sometimes later, he sits in the
hoping to learn and to play a part
in the business Of the nation.
II he sits a speech through he II
usually fed up and keen to get up
and saw 70 and try to bring the
debate back to common sense. Does
he get the chance. Not likely. I
rose six tiHses one night to tell
the House my ideas. as q business
man. of the effect on the business
of the country II they passed GER
tain LEGISLATION. Finally gave It
up and went to the smoke-room.
wondering when the debates on leg
islation affecting trade viii be con-
fined to members Of the House who
II.
HAVE ULTERIOR MOTIVES, !,
Someone told me once. when 1
that members only
spoke for three reasons: to; hear
for Hansard, or for
their local paper! II that Is 90, It
is well that the Cabinet OF our
country decides what laws the
country wants. and puts them
Then. again, the member
OF the House who IL in business
does not feel like being voting
machine. Yet II Is part Of the cam
paign against q member. when Pc
stands again, to hold up 70 the
voters tho fact that he only at
tended 'so-s,.ti.so' divisions"
I know ro1y members Of parlia.
ment who vote all the evening and
do nothing else! They have a good
record: but Whist haye
they actually done to get the poor
woman an increased pension, the
ex.soldier a job, or by their vast
knowledge and experiences 10 add
words OF wisdom to the debate that
ha. created legislation that haa In
creased trade or diminished uneTn,
...
Prefers Men to Policies. !.
AsI have said. and repeat 'agsin:
Politics and business do not mix.
The private member counts for lit
tie. II II pleases ones vanity land
II shouldD to be member OF the
British parliament. well and good.
But II a man wants to really help
his country be should devote all his
time to legislation--tAke up one Job
in the house that Interests him and
do Il. Trying to putin" on EACH
and every occasion--to be a know.
all" on every subject--is as uhwise
as II is futile. ',;tNtN-E
NV idea Of the Parliament OF the
future Is that the people should
choose men, not policies. Find out
what their prospective member has
done In life-what he IL doing now
what he will do--how much time
be will put In the House--what he
is going to try to do--why he
thinks ne can do it--apd for him
to agree to report each month In
the local paper what he has done
mot what he. has talked about"
Then. and then only. will we get
rid OF waste Of time and energy,