THE ELECTIONS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22515, 24 September 1938, Page 24

THE ELECTIONS

TO THE EDITOR OT Tint TRESS. Sir.—Mr Buttle says that he will vote for the party that furnishes him with a minimum price of lOd for lamb and Is 6d for wool. Does it not strike Mr Buttle that if the present Government continues in office it will not matter much to him what the prices for farm products are because he will not own his farm. In the same way the Government announcement that overseas prices for primary products will not have any effect bn the farmers is correct. Of course, it 'will not because they will neither sell their products nor receive anything for them. Does Mr Buttle think that the socialisation of production, distribution, and exchange means freedom, high prices, and happiness?— No. it means selling your body to the State, your soul too—Perhaps he can at least guess that!— Yours, etc.. WILLY WINKY. September 23, 1938.

Following are extracts from other letters on the elections:— "Vigilant.”—"l note in to-day’s paper (Friday) a resolution, passed by the South Auckland Dairy Farmers, assembled at Hamilton, regretting that the Government had found 'it impossible to pay the dairy farmer a price that would cover ascertained costs, which costs had been increased as a result of recent legislation. The price was unanimously established by the Guaranteed Price Advisory Committee, but the Government had altered the standard price set, presumably because, it felt it was unable to pay. I also note that the’same meeting passed an emphatic protest against the delay of the Internal Marketing Department in increasing the price of butter sold on the local market to the equivalent of the guaranteed price. I think it is time the consumers in New Zealand were made aware that most certainly the price of butter is to be considerably increased, and that we have only the approaching election to thank that that increase has not been already ordered. At present the consumers of New Zealand are buying their butter at less than the new guaranteed price because of the impression still another increase in the cost of livings would place.” and this included days orelector. Will Mr Savage be able to keep the price of butter down foranother three weeks or will this cat be let out of the bag-before the election?-

"Woolston.” —"As a 17-year-old youth, permit me to give the views ot the modern generation on the subject. . the children of 1931, now into youth, who have been brought back to prosperity by the Labour Government will never forget what the Tories did for them—the impressions of children half-starving, and on the other hand, the days of prosperity back once more under Labour. Therefore, when it becomes our turn to vote, the youth of this country will know whom to vote lor—the party which has brought us out of the darkness into the light.” "Simple Simon.”—“l listened in with deen interest to Mr Savage’s address to his party adherents last evening. ... He deliberately ignores the fact of a world-wide depression, in comparing the present position of the farmers under Labour Government with vheir troubled times under Coalition Government. I admit that this Government has done a lot of good in some ways, but it came in on the rising tide after depression, when people were willing to try anything. Nevertheless, never would I Vote for such sob-stuff-mongers, who have sf.r left me unconvinced of the solidity ot their plans. At least let them leave cut the name of our Lord, who, 2000 years ago, used neither ridicule nor suavity but straight from the shoulder methods ,and was yet, not unkind. Keg. Stillwell.—“lt is easily seen an election is near at hand, for the prophets of gloom are abroad, seeking for selfish political reasons to discredit the Labour Government and forecast disaster and ruin for New Zealand. • They say our fair country is going to be ruined. What moonshine! Let us contrast the evidence given by the gloomy ones with the following facts: Salaries and wages paid—l93s, £66,000,000; 1936, £99,000,000— an increase of £33,000,000 of money in circulation amoftg the wage-earners. Saving Bank deposits £76,486,346, an increase of £15,766,578. Aggregate private incomes have increased by at least £45,000,000. Bankruptcies are the lowest for .almost 60 years. Registered factories have increased by 1135, and factory employees have increased since 1935 by 21,276. There are now 2500 more shops than in ,1935. Motor-vehicles on the road at March of this year totalled 280.327, an increase of 87,483 over September, 1935, and figures show that 70 new cars take the road every day. One hundred and thirty-one thousand new radio licences, an average increase of about 1000 weekly, have been issued as against 1935.”