WAGES CUT AND MALADMINISTRATION.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 228, 19 May 1932, Page 6

WAGES CUT AND MALADMINISTRATION.

To the Editor. Sir, — We have a curious anomaly existing in New Zealand Many of our people are starving in the midst of plenty We have plenty of meat, fish, fruit, everything we can want, and yet there are many homes that have not enough food to eat nor firing to keep themselves warm — and we say there is not enough work to enable them to provide themselves with these things. There is so much useful work waiting to be done, and if we could have confidence there are ways and means of financing it. Have we considered the immense amount of damage that is done every year by the depredations of rats, ferrets? Talce rats alone; there must be hundreds of thousands of pounds damage done to property and goods; native birds and poultry. This incalculable harm is being done because thoughtless people have brought and et loose these vermin. In Germany there is systematic ssarch and then notification to the authorities, follow- . d by extinction by means of fumigaaon of buildings, etc.

We eertainly should undertake sehemes of work such as the harbour bridge, and it is interesting to look baclc and see how little places with no finance have been able to unlertake construction of undertakings with no money. In Jersey years ago Lhey badly wanted market buildings. They had plenty of labour, but no finance. They issued treasury notes, and these were quicldy redeemed once the market was up and in full swing. New Zealand is fond of a littie flutter of gambling, and it is q'uite hypocritical to refuss to have a State lottery when we have legalised the tote and art unions of every kind for sport or other objects every month. We have had a Lucky Pay, Happy Pays. Why not "Sense and Satisfaction Art Union, the money from which would be used for public works and redeemed by tolls and other suitable methods. Reduction of wages so drastic as New Zealand is experiencing shows ->oor statesmanship, unless accompan- • cd by reduction of costs of living and aousing. Wages are only the means by which we pay for commodities and housing. Reduce these and wheth -r we get £5 a weelc or £2, it is the same. If a man pays £2 a wsek to the landlord, then he must have big wages, but if he only pays 6s a week house rent, he is as well off on £2. The cost of administration of all our departments is where we should look for economies; to have seven inspeetors going into one home-coolc-ery shop in one week is wasteful and useless and to pay medical women big salaries to go round our schools to examine our children and then not being certain if they have adenoids or not (which has happened) is pure waste of public money. In the Lands Department it takes four or five men to find regulations on forestry fires. In a properly organised business ■everything is in order and one person can place his hand on any paper relating to any particular subject. We could go through every department and find the same mal-adminis-tration, and if instead of placing restrictions on the Post and Telegraph and other Civil servants, the Government would consider the proposals for economies in administration this would be wise and sensible. I under?tand that Civil service bodies have proposals on these matters. Why not consider them and let the public know what they are? There is wide scope for economy in rdministration, and who should see 'mtter than those working in them where they can be effected, and then i here would be no need for such dras'c wage cuts, which reduce spendMg power. It is true political economy not to o.olc at profit and loss to the com.nunity from the point of £ s. d., but f good to the community. It is i ossible to go back to the system of art'er, which some relief workers ■ ■ re doing. At any rate it makes for ■ood relationship between State and mployees to discuss these matters. . fohn right said: "A country's great- ■ less is not to be measured by its : n'eat possessions, but by the happi-r-ss and contentment of its people." ^-lam, etc.