NOT SEEKING A JOB.

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 35, 11 February 1933, Page 8

NOT SEEKING A JOB.

Discursive comments on the exchange and other issues are offered by "The Man About Town," who-explains that heyis on relief: work' with nothing to do but nurse a shovel and watch, the foreman. He contrasts present conditions , with those when the Reform Party won office with the cry of "cheaper living for the masses" and a "free breakfast table." "When tho* party came into office there was a. big surplus to the Budget and a job at fair wages for everybody' who wanted to work. A stick-of tobacco could be bought.for Od. Now -we have Ito pay Is 4%d, and with this 'farmers' pet' of higher exchange it is likely to be still dearer. A bottle o£ mixed pickles could be purchased for lOd; now it costs Is 4d, and locally made at that. Boiled lollies could be purchased at 41b a Is; now they cost fid lb. Biscuits which were sold for id lb now cost 8d lb. On the a'dyent of t^e Reform Party butter* was being purchased: at ■• an all:the-year-round price of 10d'lb wholesale and Is lb retail,, which I presume allowed the producer 9d lb.. lie waß making and saving money at this figure,, but: now notwithstanding that we have provided him. with instructors, graders, inspectors, and advisers, at a cost of many thousands a year, and his output, in 1928 was 1,449,570 cwt:while in 1931 it.ran to 1,988,566cwt, still he cannot make ends meet with the increased. ,production, and better values received. The same thing . applies to wool,' cheese, meat, and any and every farm, product. . ;' .We used to be able to get a" good suit of tailor-made tweeds for £4 10s with1 good; pockets and linings and: well finished,all through. ; The same suit costs to-day? £6 10s with cheaper trimmings and mostly machine work. Wages' are no higher in the trade—wool is ho dearer—yet no one—farmer, tailor, or purchaser, is satisfied.. The farmer is losing mon,ey> the tailor is not paying his kWay/' the, woollen; nulls are working at a: loss, and the wearer is not getting the satisfaction he ought, especially at a 50 per-cent, increase of price. Now, of course, all these, things will he altered under the higher exchange rate. The poor ;ill-used, down-trodden farmer will get v :£l2s for his £100 worth of produce instead of", £110 per £100. The farmer is sabout one-tenth, of the population, of ■New-.Zealand. The other nine-tenths, of the people of New Zealand will have to pay £125 for each £100 worth of goods imported and used. v The poor farmer will also have to pay £120-for each £100 worth of goods lie uses, and as he buys as .much aa or more than the average man-abont-town, who cannot buy motorcars, flying machines, and expensive milking plants, the farmer will soon 'wake up and find he has been asleep.' There is one thing certain: he will not get imieh sympathy from the commercial, artisian, or labouring class of the people, as, like the Government, he has alienated all good feeling and goodwill by his selfishness, has sot town against country, and, as numbers count, the towns win every time." As to the Budget, the writer suggests that the fact that RefornA supporters in the House are leaving their party to their own sweet way, is the writing on the wall, and that the days of Coalition are numbered: Aa a tip for balancing the Budget he suggests that all M.P.'s Bhould be sacked at the end of the session. Then the army of secretaries, messengers, .clerks, and others could be added to the unemployed and Parliament Buildings could be turned into another Chateau and leased to someone who could not pay the. rent. Perhaps the farmer could hybridise his cows so that_ they could grow wool as well as provide milk, butter, and cheese. "In conclusion, Sir, do not give my name and address to the Prime Minister, as he would be me up and ottering me a job as adviser to the Cabinet at about £2000 per, annum and travelling: allowances, with perhaps a small retiring allowance of say £1250 a year this would only make me miserable, as I should not know what to do with all the money, and should -be afraid of being robbed or mobbed. Tell him I have a ]00, a wife,' four ■ children, and am getting 30s a week on relief, where there is nothing to do'and plenty^of tune to do it in, and if I took his job and money I would be expected to pay vent and full price for everything required at lidme, while it would, mean putting out of action a large number of philanthropic societies. ■ . : ■