What Our Readers Are Thinking.

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 1, 20 June 1949, Page 4

What Our Readers Are Thinking.

POWER CUTS Sir, —If the people of Whakatane would wake themselves from the apathetic coma into which they have allowed themselves to slide they would not be suffering the present power cuts. They might also have a town in which they could take some .pride. The Borough Council is not able to conjure power from thin air. The responsibility rests . with the peoples If they are not going to save then they will go without power. Similarly if they don’t take an interest in the town and what goes on in the town then it will fall asleep too. I believe Sir, that Whakatane today is a true mirror of its citizens. Yours etc., DISGUSTED. Whew!—Editor. A RATEPAYER’S PROTEST Sir, —“A dirty little bit of business” and a few other uncomplimentary personal remarks by the Waimana Riding member at last month’s County meeting constituted a contemptible and unfair attack on a ratepayer. This concerned three loads of metal spread out only in the wheel tracks of an unmetalled piece of a County road —part of a two and a quarter mile outlet road for two farms, for which £lO worth of metal was allotted by the Council for maintenance for the year. The metalling of the road was under the control of the assistant engineer and he gave the contractor definite instructions about the delivery of the metal. These instructions were not carried out and consequently a further small quantity was asked for the unfinished part of the road. Yours glc# THE RATEPAYER CONCERNED. MAORI ALU BLACKS Sir, —Compared with the publicity accorded the New Zealand Rugby team now in South Africa the amount given the New Zealand Maori All Blacks in Australia has been pitifully small and has not shown the true worth of the team. I can think of several reasons why the publicity has not been forthcoming but I should not like to think I am correct.

This Maori team by its performances certainly compares favourably- with any sent from this country to Australia. It would not be so difficult to give a few more inches to a New Zealand team which has already shown its worth, even though it is comprised of Maoris.

I have also noticed with concern the apparent “don’t care” attitude adopted by the, Rugby Unions . in Australia concerning the travelling and accommodation arrangement's for the Maoris. Perhaps they have taken the view that it is only a “Maori team anyway,” which to New Zealanders should not be tolerated. I hope the New Zealand Rugby Union will take steps to see that the same position does not arise again. Yours etc., NEW ZEALANDER. THE PAWNED NATION Sir, —A leading article (Herald, May 27/49) “American Pressure on Sterling.” Which discloses some basic facts as to why the British people are being reduced to economic servility (this means you, New Zealand). The writer gives quotations from economic authorities that the dollar standard was. the dictatorship 20 years ago (and still is).

This means that those countries who have accepted Bretton Woods, Havana and the Marshall plan have sold their birthright (economic independence) for so much paper as a debt producing contract, a welllaid trap to control world finance. These countries are denied the flexibility of their internal finance which Wall Street retains. So why be tied to a shadow government? The writer continues: “But even after adjustment (appeasement) by devaluational (deflation) it will not help if that country allows wages and salaries to rise with a proportionate rise in prices which is in vogue today.” If there is such a thing as stabilisation of internal currency, there is no solution to the problem under international dollar or sterling control, or from those professors of economics who advise our Governments on behalf of the international banker. Yours etc., W. BRADSHAW. TAXATION . EXEMPTION PROPOSALS

Sir,—l would be iglad ‘ if; you would allow me a* liftlp . ; br your valuable space to outline, briefly, a scheme which I consider will increase food for Britain, and, at the same time, increase the real wealth of all sections of the community in

New Zealand. This desirable end could, ■in my opinion,' be achieved without interfering with the benefits which we enjoy at the present time.

We could, as an example, . take m the case of a dairy farmer, al- ’ though the scheme can be applied* V to all classes of producers. Taking the output from a dairy farm at the 'highest figure for the last five years at the following: 20,0001 b butterfat, 20 calves reared, 100. fat pigs and any other production, what incentive could be ruc-d to make him increase production? I suggest that the only likely incentive to urge him to increase his production is, if he increases his output over and above the figures I have quoted, that he should be exempt from.all taxation oi> the increased portion of output. In the same manner where a farmer employs a sharemilker, if the milker would be exempt from tax on his share of the increase, this would give him a greater interest in the herd. • „ ■

Where a coal miner, freezing worker-, or any other worker engaged in connection with production earned more by working longer hours, or harder, than his, fellow workers, he (or she) should bo exempt from * taxation on the increased money earned. Such a scheme should be tried ■ for three years to show what could be done in the way of increasing production in New Zealand. As an illustration I take it the scheme would work out something like this. If the total production for New Zealand in any given year reached the value of, say £120,000,000, and taxation was £80,000,000, this would leave a balance to the people of £40,000,000. If, under the suggested scheme, annual production reached £130,000,000 with taxation at £30,000,000, this would leave a balance to the people -of £50,000,000. In other words, there would be an increased purchasing power of £10,000,000. Yours etc., * A. G. POTTER^ Waiuku.