PESSIMISM OR OPTIMISM

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 164, 4 March 1932, Page 6

PESSIMISM OR OPTIMISM

H.

BERTRAM.

(To the Editor) Sir. — You have twice named me personally in your paper for the posiD'on I have taken up regarding the dispo^al for the present of the A. and P. Association's funds. The first time was because I obiected to a committee of business men wanting to spend three-quarters of the fund on a building without knowing what the cost of maintenance of the same building would be and with no estimate of the probable revenue to be derived from it. At the same time I said it was unw:se for any small executive to spend the money without the endorsement of the general body of the association. This was more necessary as the funds we'e not at the disposal of the association when this small executive got themselves elected.

Ihe sub-committee later went mto the figures. as I had advised them to do, and they found that the building could not be maintained without using the remaining portion of their capital. They therefore advised that the:r former decision be rejected. You, and others, evidently think that ordinary business methods should not be followed when dealing with funds that are not your personal assets. The second time you name me for saying that the association should conserve its funds for the present because conditions in 1932-3 were going to be very much worse than we have yet experienced. Anyone who recognises facts you evidently consider a pessimist. Consider the following facts: — The estimates for 193(L2 show a deficienc.v of £2,000,000. The estimates for 1932-3 show a defieiency of £12,000.000. Simple arithmetic and average commonsense should give you the answer of what that means to our country.

Your paper quotes the Hon. W. D. Stewart as saying: "Everything that has been done in the past will fade into insignificance in the light of what we will have to face up to in the next two years." Undoubtedly, the Hon. Minister of Finance is a pessimist. but he has the advisers of the Treasury and the leading experts of this country to assist him. Your own financial advisers differ with this! Again, your paper states that the Public Works Department are throwing several thousands on to relief work. This, of course, during the' coming year will, in your opinion make for an improvement in genera! conditions.

Lastly, and worst of all — we could not find employment last year for the boys leaving school. Will conditions be better when we have added to the number of unemployed the lot that have left school this year. • • • I have seen no suggestion of any oroposal in your paoer that helps in any way to relieve this situation. All that I have seen has been destructive -riticism. Again I say that,' faci'ng facts does not mean pessimism. Forty vears ago I saw lambs sold at 1/6, calves 5/-, and wool at l|d to 2|d per pound. We faced the facts, kept going, worked hard, were not pessimistic and pulled through. The only thing making for pessimism at this time is that a great number of men oowadays have forgotten, or liever learned what the word work means. . Any man who thinks we ' are' t'o have a. better time this year than we had last year may be an optimis't. . Even with your endorsement I' still 1 consider him a very foolish one. Your writer, who under his nom-de-plume, considers he is "Brave to the last." is like the Qstrich. He hides Uis head, shuts his eyes, and says Kismet. The ostrich has a very small brain in proportion to the rest of his anatomy. His humour is alst> like the ostrich, it is very ungaiiily and wingle'ss.r — I am. etc..