CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Star, Issue 21749, 18 June 1934, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE

treatment of immigrants. TO THE EDITOK. Sir.—Last night I attended the Port Chalmers Old Identities’ quarterly meeting, and must say the atmosphere regarding people from the Homeland is decidedly pleasant in this small town, in marked contrast to many places—or I should say, persons in Wellington. .It is -barely a year ago that I was informed by a fellow-employee that “ homies ’ thought themselves very superior to the N'ov.- Zealander, and ho wished they would stay in their own country. Strangely enough, during my short stay in Wellington 1 found many other instances of that attitude, another remark being “ If 1 were Prime Minister I would send all you English people hack to England; you are not wanted here.” Yet the same man said; “if we could only get 1,000,000 more emigrants, each with £2 to spend when he landed, there would he a great deal more business opened up in this countrv.” Perhaps it is because the Homeland does appeal to their English blood; in all probability many are eligible to join the Old Identities’ Association. Port Chalmers will always be remembered by my husband and myself as the kindest ami most friendly disposed place we have been in in New Zealand.—l am. etc.. E. Goodrich. June 15-

LABOUR POLICY AND MONEY. TO THE EDITOR. Sir—Mr C. M. Moss proves conclusively that the workers cannot obtain economic security by accepting the answers given to the various questions he attempts to answer. The answers are of the most orthodox type, a repetition of the old, old story that we must force down costs, and all costs, according to your correspondent, are the result of the labour power applied ,to production —an unsound verdict in my opinion. If this conclusion was only half true there might bo some hope of finding a solution for the industrial union of to-day. Your correspondent appears to have a fetish about gold. The idea that gold is so important that people are condemned to starvation when their currency-' is out of proportion to the real value ot gold may be a popular one, but it is erroneous. If gold contained the power which your correspondent believes, we have experienced a kind of paradox. The people of Europe shipped their gold to the United States to pay their war debts, and if we should be so simple as to accept this doctrine of faith in gold the people in Europe -wore bound to suffer, it would appear to be sound logic that if the people in Europe suffered on account of the lack of gold the people in the United States would bo exceedingly prosperous, but evidence proves that this was not so. The United States Government had the gold, it had the banks, the machinery to extend the volume of money, it had everything to apply the remedy, and yet it was unable to find a solution. A solution of oiir problems therefore does not lie in the question of inflation or deflation. This is the work of our financial bunks, who, to say the very least,, are. experts upon the question of finance. The banking fraternity are no more responsible for the present chaotic conditions than the Employers’ federation or the Chamber of Commerce. The banks are the strongholds for the protection of private property, the community's pawn shop, the only difference between the hanks and the pawn shops being that to one you pay interest for the Joan.-on your, property, the other pays you interest for the loan of your property. 1 expected some information from your correspondent as to how purchasing piower could be stabilised to improve the conditions of the workers. However, 1 am doomed to disappointment. I suppose your correspondent has no idea of how this could be accomplished. Let me illustrate. If the workers should receive the restoration of the 10 per cent, cut and wages rise from £4 a week to £5, the cost of living goes up accordingly, and the workers’ 'conditions . are not improved. To improve the workers’ conditions, when they are granted a money increase it should mean an increase to consume more of the wealth produced or enjoy the social conditions. Unfortunately this is not so, nor can it ever he so until there is a radical change in the fundamental conditions of society.—l am. etc., R. Harrison. .June 16.

ELECTRICITY CHARGES TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —For some time the rumble of discontent has been heard in this district in the matter of charges for electricity. To my mind the charges are extortionate, and it is time something was done in tho way of reduction. 1 understand the newly-elected Ratepayers’ Committee is taking the matter up with the authorities concerned, and trust its efforts may prove successful. The committee can rest assured that it has the hearty support of all consumers in the district.—l am, etc.,

Cheaper Lighting Alacaudrew Bay, June 16.

A SENSE. OF VALUES. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —During the past week-end two events happened. At a place called Trent Bridge, in England, twenty-two men were engaged in the pleasant pastime of “ casting a ball at three straight sticks and defending the same with a fourth. Issues of no significance hung on the result, but the event was on everyone’s tongue. Simultaneously, at a place called Geneva, in Switzerland, another twenty-two men wore engaged in a crucial discussion affecting a troubled world. Issues of vast significance hung on the result, but tlie event was on ho one's tongue. Back across the centuries Nero is reputed to ’have fiddled while Rome burned.—l am, etc., I Ask You. ■ J unc 16. BOOTS FOR UNEMPLOYED. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The Unemployment Board has stated that an issue of now boots is soon to he made to tho unemployed. This is absolute waste,, seeing that the men are not allowed to get repaired the ones they have already obtained from the board. The hoard maintains it has not enough money to repair these boots, and charges the men 2s a pair, only one pair a quarter being allowed to be repaired. The annual cost of repairing boots for the unemployed in Dunedin, including the miners and country workers, is less than £3OO. Yet it is proposed to spend £I,OOO on new boots for Dunedin alone. The hoots issued by the board to the men last year are good hoots, and can stand three soles, so it does seem a waste of money to

scrap them lor, as is said, want of money to repair them, and at the same time to spend money on new boots. Better to spend the £3OO on leather to mend the ones they have. They shout “ Less Government in business,” but as far as the working of the Unemployment Act is concerned there is no business in Government.—l am, etc., Evelyne Rennet, J unc 10. ROSS’S CORNER. TO THE EDITOK. Sir, —All motor drivers are aware of the very bad state of the road at the junction of Musselburgh Rise and Silverton street, Anderson’s Bay. It is periodically patched up, but after a little rain it quickly becomes as bad as eyer, constituting itself a danger to all motor traffic. The City Council has, it is understood, certain plana for the permanent improvement of the highway at this- particular xioint, but why cannot they be gone on with? It is understood that all obstacles in the acquisition of the necessary land have now been overcome. Unless ' something is done soon a serious accident may be the result.— I am, etc., Resident. Juno 18.

“ MORE HONOURED IN THE BREACH THAN THE OBSERVANCE.” TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I venture to break a lance with the users of this hard-worked phrase. They constantly flout the canons of literary quotation, and through it all our admirable Shakespeare Club is strangely silent. If the shade of Hamlet should revisit the glimpses of the moon he would no doubt be surprised and grieved to find that speakers and writers of repute among us, by their misapplication of his phrase, impliedly (if undesignedly) impute that he condoned —yea, even applauded—the licentious excesses of King Claudius, his father’s assassin and supplantcr in respect both of throne and queen. The phrase is part of the passage in which Hamlet expresses his detestation of the revelry then in progress in tho royal castle at Elsinore;— It is a custom Afore honoured in the breach than the observance. This heavy-headed revel, east and west, Makes us traduced and taxed of other nations; They elope (call) ns drunkards, and with swinish phrase Soil our addition. Obviously what Hamlet meant, and plainly said, was: “ These drunken orgies are hateful to me; i would they were ended,” not what most speakers and writers, by their misuse of the phrase, would seem to imply—viz., “ These jollifications are just tho thing; we want more of them.” To illustrate the current misapplication of the phrasp; Suppose, in referring to church attendance or Arbour Day, one were to say: “ It is more honoured in the breach than the observance,” hearers, knowing the true signification of the phrase, would no doubt imagine he was condemning and discouraging these admirable practices, tho which would probably have results disastrous to his popularity. Briefly, then, the original and true meaning of the phrase is: This custom is bad and should be abolished. Not this custom is good, but unfortunately is not sufficiently observed. Mr Stanley Baldwin, in one of his non-pblitical addresses, has stated that hardly anything gave him more genuine pleasure than to meet with a, classical quotation employed' with accuracy, appositcncss, and point. ’When we are next tempted to use this phrase shall wo not remember the Baldwin formula for felicitous quotation?—l am. etc., Horatio. June 18. MONETARY SCHEMES. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —When I read Sir Harold Beam chump's statement that ‘‘ the people of New Zealand will, I am sure, /irmly refuse to regard seriously fantastic anil ridiculous schemes which promise much without cost, and will choose rather to follow the example ot the Mother Country, which squarely faced its difficulties and is making steady progress towards recovery,” : '( was reminded of an American version of the British attitude. “ Parson,” said a negro, “ what is this moratorium do white.people are talking about?” The coloured parson replied: “Uncle Sam lent John Bull millions of dollars to pay for de war. When Uncle Sam sent de bills, John Bull tore ’em up. Uncle Sam sent another, and he tore ’em. The more Uncle Sam sent ’uni de more ’e tore ’em.” To-day’s cables announce that Germany and France and a lot of European countries besides are doing what Britain is doing—not paying the war debt, if Sir Harold wants us to follow Britain’s example in this, 1 think we shall comply with a glad alacrity, and a pleasant feeling ol relief to find such an easy way of getting rid of a non-rcvenue-producing debt and dealing with the “ day of reckoning ” in Britain’s latest style. Among the currency reformers is oho who, in writing in your columns, urges New Zealand to get on the gold standard. At present, under the existing rate of exchange, tho farmer who exports to Britain £IOO worth of butter finds that the £IOO he received in Britain returns him £125 in New Zealand currency. Now, as Britain is off the gold standard, and as her currency is 25 per cent, to the bad, it follows that if we get on the gold standard the fanner who sends £IOO worth of butter will only get £75 for it instead of the £125 lie now receives. And because the Labour Party will not agree to a scheme to give the farmer £75 for tho £IOO he now receives in Britain, which under the existing arrangement gives him £125 in New Zealand, it would seem, according to your correspondent, Air Moss, it does not understand finance. Your correspondent will find if fiis financial scheme was seriously put forward there are a lot of fanners and manufacturers, as well as the Labour Party, who would view with concern that for every £125 that comes into New Zealand only £75 is to come in, or 40 per cent, less of an income. But this is not all. The farmer now sells his butter and cheese at prices that return him-half to a quarter of what he received before the depression. As Britain is going to establish a quota system, by which less butter and cheese are-to.be.admitted, the tanner cannot make up his diminished income by more exports. He must look for a new market, and the new market that allows more production is in New Zealand, if we build up new secondary industries to employ our people. “ Back to the gold standard ” would enable New Zealand to be the dumping ground of all foreign countries, thus putting into unemployment the men working in our existing secondary industries who are the farmers’ best market, because of their purchasing power. The manufacturer pays income tax. land tax, local rates, and many other taxes. His employees pay 5 per cent, unemployment lax, and, unlike imparted articles, all their wages being spent in New Zealand, contribute not only to the Government and municipal

revenue, but to the general well-being, for we are all mutually dependent on one another’s earnings to keep the wheels of primary and secondary industry moving. Gold standard theories of finance for New Zealand are so reactionary and destructive while other countries are off the gold standard that they should be dismissed with contempt.—l rvn, etc., Cow Cocky. June 16. THE “ STICKY ” PROBLEM. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —1. have just finished reading your leading article in to-night’s ‘Star’ under the above heading, and can only repeat that it is certainly a “ sticky ” problem, as I am now about to till in form U.B. 32a for the mouths of April and May. For about tho umpteenth time 1 have answered more than half of the questions over and over again. Surely the members of the board can understand that we fellows cannot get married more than once these days, yet every two months along conies form 32 or 33a, wanting to know ■whether we are single, married, divorced, separated, or widowed, and then follows a host more useless questions, repeated over and over. Jt seems a clear case of the members of the board wanting something to do to fill in their time. A week or two ago it appeared in the Press that the board was going to give the usual increase of allotments for the winter months. What I would like to know is, when does winter start? Perhaps the members of the board have hot yet felt cold beside their cheery fires and comfortable quarters. In my days at school 1 was taught that May, June, and July were the winter months. If so—and I have no reason to doubt otherwise —we are now in the very middle of winter, and no signs of the promise being fulfilled. My return shows an average weekly wage of £1 Is fi£d a week, out of which J am supposed to put aside 18s for rent and 3s fid for rates, which leaves just $d to feed, clothe, and provide the necessities of life ifor three people for one week—truly a marvellous state of affairs, and one which the board should he thoroughly ashamed of. Yet the board can lavish its funds right and left to help wealthy insurance linns, business firms, and a host ol other people, many of whom have money to burn. Aly own humble opinion is that the board has hopelessly fallen down on the job, or is it a case of not having “ time to think ” ? Ever since I have been able to vote my vote has gone to the men I thought could be trusted to give each man and woman equal treatment. However, when one gets treated like this I can only say “ Never again.” No fanner would be allowed to feed three pigs on three farthings a week, or we would be having some of the. inspectors of cruelty to animals on the job. Is not the money collected to help those in dire need, whose cupboards are like Mother Hubbard’s, or is it supposed to help . wealthy concerns and corporations while we starve?-—I am, etc., New Zealander. June 15.

[The money is only paid to wealthy concerns ” for one purpose-—to provide work for persons like ‘ New Zealander.”—Ed. E.S.

MEETING OF PROTEST. TO THK EDITOU. Sir, —I noticed a letter asking for information regarding the Otago District Council of Unemployed. 1 think that the writer has got ail tho information he wants in its meeting of protest held in Burns Hall last Thursday night. I for one, wish to protest against such talk on behalf of the unemployed, of whom 1 am one, because, first the motion carried was of a Communist character and should not be taken as representing the minds of tho whole of the unemployed. Just fancy handing over tho mayor’s relief funds to those men! How long would they last? What about their own depot—Blacket lane? What about their hall and their dances they hold and the money they had at one time. Why did they not keep going? Mr George Geddes said that he would rather go to hell nest day than bp in Mr Coates’s shoes. I ■ myself would rather go to the other place than have people talk about me the way they talk about Mr Geddes. Why talk about tho mayor? Has he not done his best? And his relief depot! I think they have treated us very fairly and have done more for us than any other party could do. If tho Communist Party' got hold of the funds, then I say “ God help the unemployed.” I am sure also that all good-thinking unemployed will keep clear ; of all .mass meetings and demonstrations hold by this council. I wish to thank, on behalf of myself and family, the mayor. Ins committee, and depot workers for what they have done in the past and hope that they will continue the good work. In conclusion. T hope the maynr_ will at once open lists to raise sufficient passage money to send Mr C. M‘Arthur to Russia, where lie said be bad been before. I think it is a pity lie ever left it.—l am, etc., UXEMPEOVEU, BUT NOT CoMMUN'IST. June 18. MOTOR VEHICLES INSURANCE. TO THE EDITOU. Sir, —In the ‘ Star ’ of the 14th inst. T offered the opinion that we would be safer on our roads if there were no such thing as motor insurance. No one has challenged my view, but before the subject fades from discussion I should like, with your permission, to make a further observation. Most motor “ accidents,” more especially collisions, would not have happened had one or both of the parties paid stricter attention to the rules or laws -pertaining to motoring. ■Substantially-, then, it is uot far from tho truth, to say that motor insurance, in practice, covers breaches of motor-

ing laws, provided, that is, tho breaches are not too glaring. To me this seems a dangerous principle. Apply it to other walks of life. Why not, on this principle, have insurance offices to confer immunity on hotelkeepers, for instance, for breaches of hotelkeeping laws, or to confer immunity for breaches of the laws in any other pursuit?—l am, etc., M. Juno 18.