Dear Sir

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 93, 19 August 1942, Page 4

Dear Sir

Letters to the Editor must be clearly written on one side of the paper only and where a nom-de-plume is used the name- of the writer must be included for reference purposes. The Editor reserves the light to abridge* amend or withhold any letter or letters. DEBT-FREE MONEY Sir—At the recent conference of the Bay of Plenty Sub-Province of the Farmers' Union held at Tauranga, delegates reported on the Dominion Conference held in Wellington last month. An Auckland remit which received publicity in Wellington papers, but not in the Auckland papers was defeated by 29 to 24 and aroused a panic stricken editorial in Wellington's evening paper. The remit was that debt and interest free money issued by the Reserve Bank should be made available for the rehabilitation of returned, soldiers. The opposition was, as usual. based on the inflation bogey, while the President made the -»ext'raordinary statement that there was no such thing as debt-free money with any value. In spite of this narrow defeat the fuLtire looks hopeful that more and more people are beginning to realise that debt-free money or credit is no more inflationary than the bank debt money now being issued. Actually it is much less inflationary. Any attempt ! to rehabilitate returned men' and their families on interest bearing debt, as is now being planned by the Rehabilitation Board is doomed to ghastly and shameful failure. The demand for . debt-free money is simply a demand that what' is physically possible be made financially possible without unpayable debts being written up against the community. Congratulations to Captain Rushworth and his Executive on their efforts to save this country from being led over the precipice by authordox finance as has been done in ! Ihe past. Yours ctc., FARMERS' UNION. p " f BIRTH RATE HIGHEST SINGE 1922 Sir, —New Zealand's birth rate last year (22.81 per 1000 of population) was the highest since 1922 (23.17) and the number of births (35,100) was the greatest in the history of the Dominion. From 1922 to 1935 the birth steadily declined, il's lowest level being 16.17 in 1935. Then the Labour Government came, into office and introduced its humanitarian legislation. The result was that the birth rate began to ris'e immediately. In 1936 it rose to " 16.64 1937 saw a further rise to 17.29 1938 to 17.95 1939 to 18.73 1940 (after the maternity benefit had been introduced to 21.19 _ s and 1941 to 22.81. 4 This represents a rise of 6.64 in thte rafe'since Labour took office at the end of 1935, and an increase "in the number from 23,965 in 1935 to> 35,100 last year. No greater tribute to the humanitarian policy of the Labour Government could be given than the story told in these figures in a period in which the birth rate is still declin-i ing in most countries, in the worlds When this war of destruction is over, let us hope tliat whatever Government is in power we will have more of this humanitarian legislation. Yours etc., SOCIALIST. .. j