STATE CONTROL AND ORGANISATION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3144, 24 July 1917, Page 7

STATE CONTROL AND ORGANISATION

Sir,—The cost, of living controversy .now going on. proves that, in view of the Secon'd Division being called up, the time has arrived for the Stato to .grapple with the labour problem as regards the production of foodstuffs, and also lo appoint a food, and | drink controller. . Now Zealand is essentially a. lood-producing country, and of late years fhe' has got into the front rank; it is therefore the duty of the State to appoint a courageous business man lo organise, and find out in what direction'tha etlorfsof producers would bo most advantageously employed lo guard against tho possibility of a slut of one commodify and scarcity of another; to safeguard the Dominion against profiteerine and unprofitable wheat deals; to provide .as far as possible for tho threatened world shortage of food, and secure transport for our produce. The milk and "liquor" questions should also bo tackled, for. on milk our national efficiency, and on liquor our inefficiency largely depend. For several years bniore the. war the-retail price of milk in Germany was not allowed to.be over 3d per quart, and any dairyman found guilty, of adulteration was imprisoned without the option of a fine, for Germany's • organisation included the building of bonnie babies. To reduce drunkenness to .a minimum drink tickets should be issued to persons . of -. sober habits only, and all licruor sold, 'should bn consumed on the hotel premisos; no shop window displays allowed, and groctis' hours of sale should, be observed. Any breach of the law with reference to. the drink tickets to /be punished by a heavy term of imprisonment—no fine. Half the police force would thus soon be able-to go into camp, and instead of there %ng an insufficiency of warders in the gaols there, would be enoush and to spare, for drink is responsible for most of the crime and inefficiency, vido the Judges'' records.' This' is the only •form of State control worthy of consideration, and if it. will : redeem a, .thousand or two wastrels, converting them into industrious, respectable members of society (instead of sending them to zaol for .a year or'two to be a. burden on tho State), prevent: others following in their footsteps.of vice, curtail the c'normoua waste" of valuable foodstuffs-, and assure tho maximum of efficiency for all, whether, at' home .or abroad, who are concerned in winning the war, it is worth a, big effort. The. State should take the

bull by thn horns aud organist! csscntinls, discouraging lion-esseutiiili?, subjugating private- interests, as u done, in the enso of reservists, to Hip interests of national ofiieiency.—l am, etc..

•10H.N PIiOWMAX. l.'.S.—Tho drink tickets could be on the principle of tram concession tickets and worked in a. similar manner, issucil monthly, and endorsed by recipient, prieo one penny, u. different colour for each month, allowing three drinks a day, tho nippers to bo eliaugoil daily by Ihe constable- on tlio beat, who would also act as inspector. Tickets to be nipped when order given and before the drink is served. The present ridiculously small monopoly fee' of .WO (fixed when Now Ze.ihmd was in its infancy) should bo raised on a. sliding scale according to volume of business, minimum XIOO, to meet the cost of administration. If tho tnido were rpally "controlled" by tho Stair, the friction and bitterness which the trade so greatly deplores, would cease.~.T.P.