THE ELECTIONS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22514, 23 September 1938, Page 5

THE ELECTIONS

TO THB BOITOB OF THB PRESS. Sir, —To. describe the present political contest as one between capitalism and Socialism is merely one of the deceits of party politics. New Zealand has evolved a group* or guild economic social system, and both parties are supporting it. The different groups, such as trade unions, etc., are trying to hang on to their share of the “loaves and fishes” and to hook on to the other fellow’s as well. A complete series of such-groups is provided by the Society of Midwives, the Medical Association, and the Undertakers’ Union.

The group 1 belong to is too proud to beg and too poor to pay any one to dig for it, so that it is only as an individual small sheep farmer that I state that furnishing other people’s houses a la National Party, or furnishing other people with houses a la Labour Party will not secure my vote. The political party that will furnish me with a minimum price of lOd per lb for prime export quality fat lamb, and Is 6d per lb for bright, well-grown fleece wool can secure ray- vote. — Yours,'etc;, H. J. BUTTLE, • Darficld, September 20, 1938.

. CO THB EDITOR OF THB PIIH. Sir ; —Your correspondent. “Taxpayer.” says: "Labour will impose a tax upon' every”young man and 'woman of this country for the rest of their lives, with practically no benefit to be received from their contributions of Is in the £ wage lax and levy upon children 16 and over.” Your correspondent either knows nothing about the social security scheme, or he is indulging- in deliberate misrepresentation.^ . The-people he refers to will receive ’free doctor, hospital, and medicine, and sick pay when they are ill, also unemployment pay if they are out of work. When the young man gets married *his wife will receive free maternity attention and his wife and children will receive free doctor, hospital, and medicine. When he reaches the age of 60 years, if the income of himself and his wife does not reach £4 a week, he will have it made up to that amount, with a maximum payment of 30s a week each. When he arid his wife reach the age of 65, no matter 'what other income they are receiving, they will each get 30s a week.

If. a man dies and leaves his widow unprovided for, she will get a pension of 25s a week fpr herself and 10s for each child under 16. In addition there is the family allowance: if he is not earning £5 a week,, he will receive 4s a week for each child in excess of two'. These are some of the benefits everyone will be eligible for under the scheme. What does “Taxpayer” expect for the extra 4d in the £, bringing the tax up to the Is in the £1 we paid some years ago? Your correspondent “Lodge” says it means the end of friendly societies. If he took the trouble to read the bill, he would find that provision.is made fpr. friendly society members to receive the extra benefits they pay for through o.e.r lodges. Yours, ,< September 22. 1938.

V '"'-tO'TM EDITOR Ot THE FREES. . Sir,—l have been reading a lot lately in your paper about the Labour Party trying to hide its avowed policy •of Socialism; and in this morning’s paper I read a report of a speech by Mr Forbes, headed “On the road to Socialism,” but what about the Opposition? Don’t you think it is high time they owned up to, their real name. They"have ■ been /Whigs, Tories, Radicals, Liberals, Progressives, Conservatives, and now they call themselves Nationalists. But under each new hat the same old face of capitalism leers out at you. lam including both wings, of course. I remember years ago a staunch and ardent Labour supporter, Freddie-R. Cooke, from the soap box in Cathedral square, saying that the time would come when both the left arid right wings of capitalism would be driven, into the. same camp. How true his prophecy, has become! The issue to me at the coming election is not Labour versus Nationalist; it is op one hand a party of men who, if a depression threatened, would do everything that is humanly possible to avert it, and on the other side, a party of men who not only work for depressions bul foster and accentuate them to their fullest extent as they did in 1933. New Zealand has ha 4 more than 50 years of capitalistic governments with their attendant slumps and depressions, and if it has not opened their eyes to the folly of a capitalist government, nothing ever will. Now then, as Mr Savage says, are all' those people who call themselves Nationalists, prepared to drop all their silly names, such as Progressives, etc., and come out in their true colours, i.e., capitalists. Or will they dig up another silly name for the 1941 elections, such as the ;Diddleum party? Or are they ashamed .to come out in their true name? The real issue is not Socialism versus private enterprise, as Mr Forbes says, but Socialism, if you will have it, against capitalism. On October 15 the people of New Zealand* will have the right to <*ote for a certain amount of security by voting for the Labour Party, or If Hnjatrint Hm ana fliii wtm fmtnwwgj

slumps and depressions by voting for the capitalistic party; it is for them to decide.—Yours, etc., SMOKE SCREEN. September 22, 1938.

TO XUS EDITOR OF TUB PRESS. Sir, —I am writing to exhort all single women to rally round Mr Hamilton and put his party into power. Spinsters like myself who have reached the age of 55, and are not able to compete with younger women in the labour market, would like to see the pension for single women at 55. The Labour Government has forgotten us. Now let us give the National Party a chance to help us.—Yours, etc., SPINSTER. September 22, 1938.