SIR OTTO NIEMEYER'S VIEW OF NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20093, 24 November 1930, Page 17

SIR OTTO NIEMEYER'S VIEW OF NEW ZEALAND.

TO THE EDITOB O» THE PRKSK Sir,—lt is somewhat reassuring that Sir Otto Niemoyor gives us a better report than he gives to Australia, but one almost doubts if his tale would be so hopeful if he knew as much of our domestic policy as we taxpayers do. Bofore we pat ourselves on the back and say, "Thank God we are not as our neighbours are," it would be well to ask ourselves a few pertinent questions. Wo have a Public Debt of a great many millions, made up of: (a) Railways, a progressively losing proposition. (b) Hydro-electric undertakings, which have acquired a somewhat uncertain reputation. (c) Advances to settlers on land, which security is rapidly decreasing in value. Our other State undertakings may be fair security on the loans, and some few of them interest-earning; but even so they cannot possibly supply the direct loss on politically controlled railways, nor the losses on other State undertakings. So we come back to this, that we in New Zealand are really no bettor off than Australia. We really aro worse off, because at any rate Australia and New South Wales have definitely a Labour Government in both power and place, while we have Labour in power, but incompetency in place. Take on* instance of this, "the spending of £20,000 in turning the Acheron into a dry plaia. and expecting the water to find its way down to Lake Coleridge. No one who has not seen it can realise what & piece of grim humour it is. If tho £20,000 had Leon given to the uneui ployc-d straight out, it would have been better. It is no worse, however, than the South Island Main Trunk Railway. If the millions being spent on that railway were thrown into tne sua, it would be infinitely better. For with the money thrown away no further loss could be made; but witb tho railway mada and finished, it is going to bo an increasingly losing proposal. Tf only one had a guarantee that there will be an end; but with Labour driving the cart, the Liberal team will only spend the more, in order to keep themselves in place.—Yours, etc., A.P. November 22nd, 1930.