REPLY TO MR. VAILE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 302, 16 August 1932, Page 6

REPLY TO MR. VAILE

Sir, — I am indeed flattered when Mr. Vaile compares my humble self m the illustrious Friar. I, being a descendent from that famous out-law vho robbed the rich to succour the needy, no dou'ot resemble him in .nany ways, and hope to prove in this jontest that, I too, am worthy of Mr. Yaile's steel.- May I hope, like the Friar, afcar he dumped Robin in the )urn and fought to a finish, that we may become fast friends. I resemble the Friar in that I have a mind to stick up at the pistol's eoint and hold to "Ransome", The Laird 'o the Vale and demand that he, a holder of vast heritages, do give and bequeath to the community of mppressed labourers, to hold, cultivate and improve, suffici'ent land and ippurtenances thereon, that will enable these people to grow cows, horses, lambs and numerous other stock including babies. I would thus resemble the famous outlaw and he would emulate his illustrious brother who I believe is shairman of that most humane body, the Auckland Savings Bank, which is giving £10,000 to Mr. Bryant's scheme for land settlem'ent, £2000 for a boys' and girls' training school and, later on, making available £20,000 to help along the good work. In all Mr. Yaile's eauses he never once mentioned (to my mind) the prineipal cause of this economic "duress," high values caused by the adoption of machinery displacing human labour, extortionate intarest, thus exterminating man's ability to buy the goods p'roduced and causing a few accumulators to become inflated with the exuberance of their position, and nypnotised into the belief that they .re heaven-sent dictators, whilst the najority starve. Small holdings unIjr our present system have never een a success.

There are lots of examples: The .T.U.'rs' settlement of the 60's, the lllage settlement of the 90's. The late ■ vichard Seddon selected good land hat would grow anything and with- • •ut manure. What has become of ihes'e farms? Same with the soldiers' settlements. Putting people on small holdings un»'er a "half pie" communal system as dr. Yaile describes is not suitable for ie.'dom-lov.ng New Zealanders, when -jract'.cally alongside (or let us say ■ver the fence) ane people waxing fat on the products of those suggested serfs. No, sir, if we want to re-establish ourselves under the money system, the people will have to control bank■ng, production and distribution. We have excellent precedents in this as he fmancial institutions control the above at present by advancing — or withholding — credits to suit a few shareholders. The profits of a State Bank, if any, would helong to the people, as instance the Auckland Savings Bank. High wages and overmuch leisure are a cause of inefficiency. Sorne of the people toil from morn to niglit, while a few parasites grow fat on these toilers. But now that period is mostly gone; we are "tuning in" to a more enlightened period. Inefficiency is caused by poverty, and .poverty by that soul* destroying j method of competition, cheap money, ' or no money. I say the world will ' right itself quickly. — I am, etc., C. J. TUCK. I Rotorua, 13/8/32. |