VESTED INTERESTS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22509, 17 September 1938, Page 22

VESTED INTERESTS

TO TM UITOX Or Tn PBEBS. I Sir, —"Thrift," writing in "The Press" this morning, asks what the' Prime Minister means by the term "vested interests." He cites his own case, and those of friends of his, in which con- j siderable savings have been amassed out of wages or salary through a number of -years—savings which, are largely the fruits of self-denial and careful forethought oh the part of wage-earn-ers. These savings, ■': invested, become vested. Interests, and upon'them supporters of many of' whom never deny themselves anything they want, arid never try to save a penny,, cast covetous eyes. I, too. have saved J (though not a . great sum) over many years of ing. My parents before me saved.in the same .way. It was never, very easy, and meant self-denial and careful planning. / But what a heart for work they had! They started with nothing 'but their - own willing hands, and all they asked for was work to do arid strength with which to" do it. My .father's earnings were small, and these he supplemented by .; keeping cows and selling their produce.'••; He never smoked, never tasted",.'.. strong drink, and was one. of Nature's gentlemen. - My; mother (than whom never lived a person more cheerfully, industrious) and we children helpe'd with the work involved, finding ourselves tied to the suburban few acres, ihany a time when our friends and neighbours were away from hoirie enjoying "themselves; We*ijiad fe\v pleasures and few toys,' flndlpg in the animals our chief', source o*t-Pleasure and en\ tertainm'eritl but a .contented mind' is treasure;.beyond price. • " .■•'<,..;•.- My parents have passed to their rest., the ola is sold, and we are' left to travel our road. ' To their foresight arid industry, we owe the training that enabled- usj to earn something; more than «t mere living wage. From these earnings we have saved; but our savings and resulting investments are taxed almost dry before we handle them: and for .what? To provide sustenance not only for unfortunates,-but for many who don't want work, and won't take-it when they can get it. Many of the letters in your daily correspondence columns are an index to the. mentality of the present day. We were" brought up in the belief that everyone should, as far as possible, make provision for his or her own old age. To accept charity if doing so could be avoided was reason for shame. This sturdy, self-respecting attitude of the pioneers was instilled into us from early childhood. Now all that is changed. The people dp not now wish to wrest from thoir environment by toil a living and a modest competency for old age. No. "Smash and grab" is the motto of the age, and to the Labourite of to-day anybody who has moi;e possessions than he, no matter whether inherited or acquired by- the toil of his own hands, is fair game for his greed and envy. Too many of-us also in all walks,of life to-day fall into the error of mistaking pleasure for happiness. Pleasure comes from < without and is lambent, transient, evanescent. Happiness comes from within, and is deep and abiding. There is happiness in achievement — in work well done. What is too easily acquired is never valued. What pleasure, or-happiness, in.the evenirg of life, can come from possessions acquired by merely grasping what one has never earned? Are we to become a people bankrupts of self-respect and purposeful endeavour? To what other end can all this grasping and snatching at other people's property lead?— Yours, etc.. . " R.R.M. September 16, 1938.