NATIONAL ECONOMY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 36, 6 November 1920, Page 8

NATIONAL ECONOMY

A CAMPAIGN ADVOCATED. Sir, —A 9an occasional reader of your Jin per, and one who has never before asked favours, I hope you will allow me space to congnu!ulato Mr. T. S. "Weston on his statement published in 'yesterday's 'paper. To the man in the street high prices niul paper issues have so effectively- masked the real position that 03!) people out of a 1000 are los'i Their old land-marks and standards aro gone, and they drift about at the mercy of both businc-s men and Labour agitators. Mr. Weston's report contains much sound advice, and irf the first frank sta'.ement by a public mail whic.li the writer has noticed in a. newspaper. As such it is long overdue, but there is yet time to do a great deal if responsible people would' bestir themselves. Because some other countries aro in a state of both bmikrutcy and starvation, there is 110 reason why New Zenland should be allowed to drift into either condition. Our position is critical, and inherent weaknesses in our systems of grvernment and education make our case seem worse than it really is. But- to discuss systems now is like talking swim-' ming lessons to a drowning man. Fortunately Nmv inlanders are sprung ' fiom <lhp men who made our Empire, great—their blood runs in our veins al-. most pure. At the enre we are as sound as somo of onr systems arc rotten, and our country is ay rich as we like to make it. All that is needed is ordinary hard work and strict economy by jich and poor alike, and New Zoaland will eIUII be a happy country. During- the war and sinco we have sufferedl much from lack of. frank criticism. But the fact that we are all workers seems to make it difficult. It should not, if wo were well brought up or educated, or who'iever von like to call it—but it does. It makes it just as hard for the draper to discourage the sale of imported rubbish as it is for a lawyer to criticise land deals. Everyone, from the banker and merchant to the shopkeeper and labourer, is under Hie same influence. For 'two years men have said in privhto wha' now appears in print. Profits, fees, wages—those aro our gods to-day, and jealous gods, too. The-writer is not ono who undervalues money, but surely ib loses its use .as n servant when it is allowed to dominato every oilier consideration. Obviously 'everybody's plain duty to-day is to work hard and waste as little as possible, and only in this way can we avoid widespread distress. _ What people lmve of every kind should b"e made to do except, where new things mean! greater producing power. This much is admitted on. all aides. Still men in high places remain silent. Somehow the public ear must be reached, nnd it would seem a campaign in the newspapers is tllie only plan. Mild statements such as have appeared occasionally from Mr. Mnssev and Mr. Beauchnmp are too short-ranged—not} exactly "duds," but shots with no carry. Propaganda puch as the brewers and prohibition parties adopt, and paper articles like the leaders of acertain north- . ern contemporary when it! talks of railways, are here equally necessary. In the ease in point, however, the truth provides all the lurid material required, but it must lie in a form to re.ich all The writer has neither the money nor iflie public status required to initiate a movement- of such importance, but would gladly contribute .£IOO towards a fund for tho purpose. The objects would bo quite sinple: Firstly—To impress upon pcop:e , the truth that it is in everyone's own interest to work" hard and waste nothing. Secondly—To tell people in plain language how -to work and how -tfo ss-ve.-I am, etc., THOMAS BAIE-D. c Care Sox 352, Palmerston North. October 29, 1920.