Service and Reward

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 18, 5 February 1937, Page 7

Service and Reward

AROH.

LOWE,

(To the Editor.) Sir, — The ' following item is taken from the London ' ' Spectator " of November 20 last:— 5 "The computations to which the declaration of the latest Woolworth bonuses have given rise establish triumphantly the credibility of a story which I have heard once or twice and always found almost beyond belief. When Woolworths first opened in this country a man invested £10 in shares. Some 20 years afterwards (I was assured), that man's widow was getting from Woolworths every quarter - a cheque for £7500 as dividend. Impossiblel Not at all, if current accounts are accurate. According to them an original investment of 5/- would this year produce rather over £2000 in dividend. An investment therefore of £10 would yield £20,000 each three months. The beneficiary in my modest anecdote only got £7500, but that was some 'years ago." The constant problem before statesmenship is the adjustment of reward commensurate with service between the individuals who compose the State. A financial system that results in the apportionment to some individuals of vast rewarda without service mnst, of course, demand vast services from other persons who must live and die in poverty. Mr. Savage and his team have the tremendous task of replacing the financial and economie system, that is threatening civilisation with chaos, with a. system in keeping with the conditions of life to-day, and in that task there is ample room for all the honest, earnest and patient help of which our people are capable. — Yours,

GbC.j

Hastings, Feb. 5, 1937,