THE NEW ECONOMIC ERA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 154, 25 March 1919, Page 8

THE NEW ECONOMIC ERA

Sir, —ii few words by your courtesy in reply to "Progressive." lam not out just now'for a reconstructive scheme wherein- a sound economic system, based on justice and fail , dealing, may replace the present iniquitous social system. The rubbish must first be cleared away, and we havo all our work cut out to do that first, qppe-sed as we are bv all the moneyed interests that grip this land from North Caps to Bluff. Take, for instance, the land question. From 1913 to 1918 •unimproved values in New Zealand havo increased nearly £18,000,000! Of this quite half has flone to some 6000 big squatters or land monopolists, for whom our lads have been fighting, mid on whose war profits they must on their return help to pay the interest. What, Sir, does this huge sum represent P It represents appropriated labour values seized by the monopolists, because of their appropriation of the land and their use of jt to extort these prices from the people's necessities. "Progressive" loses eight, in his zeal for palliatives, of the fact that nothing short of an economic revolution can meet the needs.of the case. It i≤ becoming rapidly more and more impossible lor a man with a family to live honestly and pay his way in this country. Though with, scioutific appliances and inventions production has beeji stimulated and encouraged, though freezing works and cool stores are full to burst, though our seau teem with fish which our trawlers bring to port in ever-increasing quantities, it avails nothing «o far as reducing the cost of living is concerned. Read "Laun'celot's" letter in the same issue as "Progressive's," where he deplores the difficulty of the married bank clerk to meet his ever-increasing expenses while the banks are meanwhile (to quote Jus words), "writing down iion-depreciatinj assets, providing for non-existing bud debts, and adding to reserve funds for tho benefit of shareholders who are already receiving 10 per .cent, in dividends." "Progressive" wants to know what the people hero have been doing these years past to permit these abuses to grow up. Let him remember that hi a young country like this tho energies of the people nre directed to pioneering work-to felling the. bush, grossing lencing, otc.-in short, to the necessary work of an undeveloped country, lhe insidious growth of laud values, the absorption by the land of nil the benefits created by tho inventions of science and the growth of the community, for many years go unnoticed, till tho uiemiue gels too formidable to be slighted, ihc accelerated rate of tho growth of land monopoly which threatens already to place the bulk of the people of this country beneath tho heel of a landed oligarchy, moro insolent than any aristocratic class 'in liistory—the rate at which trusts, rings, and combines have gripped this country of late years—is mainly owing to causes i beyond the people's immediate controlto the war—to the .gathering together of tho commercial hordes iii other centres for rapfno on ft scale never before attempted or contemplated—to.the supineness of a Government which, while owning certain of the .means ■ of transport, and of production, does not, either fcnmviiigly or otherwise, carry the principle- lo'its logical ■ conclusion, but. permits private enterprise to intervene. "Progressive" criticises me for not providhi" a reconstructive programme. Aβ I said. I am not out for that-as yet. But hero is one- for "Progressive to reflect upon meanwhile: (1) National ownership of land: tenants- to- occupy at rentals and periods fixed by the Stale, subject (o' revaluation. (2) Present owners to be paid at ure-war values by .State, boijds at 5 per cent, interest, such bonds to bo considered cancelled on the death of the owner. (3) SUtlo ounershipof kinks, mines, transport,, and nil-means of distribution and exchange. (I) State endowment of maternity up to a certain ago of child: all candidates for matrimony to be approved by a medical board appointed by the Government. (5) Pensions for all able In produce a certificate of good character, and that they havo deserved it from the commonwealth upon their attaining 45 years of age. (6) Free education for nil 'up to and including the universities. (<) Tho hours of the day's work to be limited according to the nature of tho work ant the physical health of the worker. (8) All doctors' advice and medicine free. (!)} Guarantee of permanent employment, to efficient workers. These. Sir. are a beginning in the new economic era that miist come to pass ere lonjr. Tim wwreslions are nccessirilv crude and incomplete, * : tice *»aee will not permit, further details. Plievwill, of coursp. be scouted ]>y the commercial nnil landed classes. It will bo oskod wWn tho mnnpy i= fn ww from. Whore, (lien, does the .C-iS.noo.om ndrM unimproved land vnlr.es come from on which we nro required to pay 2| millions ■interest ? Tt oomos entirolv from labour, nnd labour, freed from the incubus of tho land monopolist and the commercial shr.i'ks, can easily carry its own burdens. —I am, etc., • • > Neaio, March 20, 1919.