MR. CLINKARD AND CIVIL SERVICE.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 200, 16 April 1932, Page 6

MR. CLINKARD AND CIVIL SERVICE.

ADJUSTMENT.

To the Editor, Sir, — Tha letter by Mr. Clinkard, apparently addressed to the Civil Service, is not really worth consideration on account of its contents, except that, being infcended to create a prejudice amongst the general pubhc against the Civil Service, it is just one example of what the Coalition Government is doing all the time. We all know that Mr. Clinkard has twisted somewhat s'nee he was put in th3 House. He promised, with Sir Joseph Ward, that the Civil Service cut of 10 years ago would be restored. Last 'election he went in merely on account Of his being a representafcive of the Coalition and with a marg:n of only about 50 votes-(in a dairying district) above a Labour candidate. But, of course, the people are to blame for giving a combination of two equally weak parties the right to do as they please. Mr. Clinkard is only one of them. However, even under these circumstances, it is hardly to be expected that a man, even a politician, would try to prejudice the people against the Government officials. He asserts that the cost of living has gone down 10 per cent or more. That is as ridiculous as it is impossible. If every expense was reduced 10 per cent it might be possible to br:ng down the cost of living 7 or 8 per cent, but as long as interest remains high' the cost of living cannot come down more than about 3 or 4 per cent at the outside.

The Government has apparently assessed the cost of living on the basis of the price of goods sold by auction of bankrupt stock. Board, rent and groceries are.„not cheaper Bread has only just been reduced (and not 10 per cent),. Therefore, where is this reduction in the cost of l'ving. I admit that where, on account of the small amount of spending power of the, working people, two grooers fight each other to the finish, selling at cost price, the cost of living may for a while go down 5 per cent; but as soon as one man goes bankrupt the prices return to their normal level. Mr. Clinkard says that he has some concern for the unemployed! Then why not give the Civil Servce and other s workers a cut in their work as well as their pay, and give the unemployed an opportunity to do somei good instead of being a burden on the enfcire community? If a 10 per cent cut in work was made alongside the proposed cut in wages the workers would not need to pay unemployment taxes. Therefore they would not be much worse off. But a 10 per cent cut now makas them about 15 per cent poorer because the reduced spendirrg power necess'tates the dismissal of more vorkers who swell the ranks and the expense of the unemployed. Adjustment of interest is diffieult on account of the dabbling that has 'oeen done with eurrency (deflation). But it should be put right. The position is that the man who lenf money six years ago is getting doubk .he return :n interest to what a man '.ending money can get now. A pereentage reduction of interest would r iard on the man who has recently lent money. Our worthy Coalition Government is afraid to tackle the problem However, unemployment is abso'.utely unnecessary. The only explanabion of that is that the Government Is purposely exploiting the workers for the future benefit of the financiers who run and control the Coalition. — I

am, etc.,

T'rau.