Lessons from Queensland

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 72, 17 December 1937, Page 7

Lessons from Queensland

AJAX,

Sir, — Not havipg peen Mr Turner 's letter replied to by " Who 's Af raid, ' ' I cannot accept the latter 'a invitation "to pull Mr Turner 's one-pided argument to pieces,'' but I can answer his question: "Wfiat about the Queensland Government"? Queensland is a fair object lesson as a warning against State Socialism. Here are isqme rpsults; It has tried State hotels, State arsenic mine, State coalmines, smelters, cattje-stations, butchers' shops, fish shops, etc. At the end of 1935-36t £933,000 had been written-off the debt on State cattlestations, but they still owe the Treasury £893,000. The State fish-market remains £43,000 in debt, State cannery £112,000, State butcheries died owing £31,000, and a produce agency lost nearly £20,000 befpre closing. For State eold-stores the accumulated losses were £37,000 before the ulidertaking was leased. They owe the Treasury over £300,000, on which the rental represents 1.8 per cent. return. The arsenic mine^ds idle with a deflcit of £61,319. Coke works lost nearly £2000 in 1935. The three coalmines owe £256,000 to the loan account, pr an increase of nearly £20,000 in 1936. The Chillagoe works, in seven years show a deiicit of £288,000, What special ability do our present leaders claim to show that State enterprise here will be any better run than elsewhere? The poor taxpayers fork out

all the time. — Yqurs, etc.,

Hastings, Eee. 15, 1937.