“USELESS SELF-DENIAL”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22985, 14 September 1936, Page 11

“USELESS SELF-DENIAL”

ro THE EDITOR. Sir, —Setting aside the vexed problem of economics suitable to the troublous times, New Zealand citizens, broadly speaking, are divided into two factions—those who maintain that the prosperity of New Zealand and its private citizens will only improve in sympathy with returning prosperity or better markets overseas, and that rapidly increasing proportion which affirms that this is a fallacy. While, no doubt, depressed overseas markets exert a baneful effect on certain spheres of our consumptive requirements, it certainly appears logically impossible to do so in so far as we can produce a surplus of those goods quired by ourselves. I have yet to hear of any convincing argument that would prove that we should each and all deny ourselves a generous share in what our country produces in surfeit and even in increasing surplus. What is the purpose of production? First to supply all local requirements in full and secondly to exchange the surplus overseas for what cannot be produced locally, and also to meet commitments on our national debt.

Exportation of goods merely regulates the flow of imports, the ratio of this to that debt being determined by the viewpoint of the ruling political party as to what is just and equitable. It will be contended by some that the first call on our production is that of the interest debt, which they will assert we are in honour bound to recognise, just as some maintain that local interest payments should in honour be paid before any return be permitted K the producer. How futile full payment of overseas debt is to-day can best be appreciated when we consider the overflowing production in other countries, our chief market, Britain, being fairly overwhelmed with produce, and as payment of our debts can ultimately only be made in goods, we are in the foolish position of thrusting on a glutted market those goods that are not wanted. Just in what way, therefore, we stand to gain by refusing to furnish to every resident of New Zealand, however humble or even undeserving he may be, the fullest possible share in what the land produces, it is difficult to comprehend. Hampered as we are by our own bewilderment and restrictions, our immediate potential productive possibilities are so great that we could furnish to every citizen his utmost requirements, and if industry thereby could utilise the services of all, our export surplus could bo swollen to the extent that any importation desirable and debt commitments overseas would be arranged much more freely than is possible to-day. Foodstuffs—flour, oatmeal, cheese, butter, honey, meat. eggs, etc.—we produce prodigally, and with a happier debt-free farming community. wide use of fertilisers, and advanced farming methods the volume of them still further be rapidly increased. From our hides, our tanneries and boot factories produce leather and footwear second to none, and we can produce these plentifully for all. Our coal deposits are only touched, though to-day they supply all our household requirements. Vast mineral wealth awaits development. Machinery is manufactured increasingly and efficiently; even the radio in the home is locally constructed. By what process of reasoning those who toil are denied abundance of what is locally produced almost waslefully one cannot imagine; nor even further why those whom the machine has thrown aside as unneeded should not at least enjoy abundance of what wo produce. by the use of the machine, as a community. We seem to endure privation, worry, fear, and restriction, surely because the people of one country do not realise, will not stop to consider, or are too busy and worried in earning enough to hold their homes together, to understand that creation has given us abundance: but that we arc too short-sighted to accept what is our due. It is no form of economics,

no theory of social credit, no newfashioned creed, but only plain common sense that, having now the means to produce, and having quantities already produced on hand, we demand each, and all whether we toil or not, a full share of community-produced commodities sufficient for our utmost needs, and it is only by demanding this from those who represent, us that we will achieve the power to obtain it. The problem will not right itself; but popular demand alone, when the facts of to-day’s fallacy of useless selfdenial become obvious to all, will require of those who control, the needed results, let the methods employed be what they will. In a land overflowing with abundance, the bogey of extravagance simply does not exist.—l am, etc., J. B. Birtles. Dunedin, September 12.