THE SPUR OF NECESSITY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 81, 2 October 1931, Page 6

THE SPUR OF NECESSITY

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —A word or two in reference to the smoke screen set up by Mr. H. A. Parkinson and other interested parties allegedly in defence of the rights of school children, but actually and obviously in support of the present number of teachers an^d their present scale of salaries. It is Mr. Parkinson's job to do this; he is the voice of the N.Z.E.1., and if he failed to put up a fight he would not have the confidence of ■the teachers very long. There is nothing wrong with this; they are entitled, in common with other unions, to try and hold the privileges they have won in the past, ,and indeed seek to add to them by working up public opinion to impress the Minister of Education; but why not be fair about it and leave out I the sob stuff about the rightß of children. .

Mr. Parkinson is about forty years latp in discovering that Budgets are balanced at the expense of the children. Never was a Government loan floated without leaving posterity to pay. For yearß we have been; borrowing millions of pounds annually to support a standard of living, education, and social services, included that we have not earned, and have only been able to maintain them by going further into debt.' The loan tap is turned off now and screwed down hard, and wo are compelled to revise our list of "necessities." When we do tlAs many things will be found to! be luxuries which can be dropped at least until better times return.—l am, etc.,

A FAIR GO.