If I Were Prime Minister—

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 494, 25 October 1928, Page 8

If I Were Prime Minister —

THE SUN is offering a prize of £lO for the beet reply to the tion: “Whet Would 1 Do if 1 Were Prime Minister f~ To-day teypnbt%sh the 27th of the entries .

BY

L. R. WINGFIELD

SPHERE is no possibility in the wide world of my ever becoming Prime Minister. That leaves me quite free to dream impossibly perfect dreams. My platform is, therefore, the ideal ultimate (in eight instalments) —no temporary patchings, but a solid rock, 1,000-years edifice. Government: I would publicly and frankly admit that democracy has been a horrible failure. The mob doesn’t know what it wants, or what is best, but blindly votes for any one of a number of men who wouldn’t be touting for votes if they could be a success in any other direction. Recognising this, I would have all public executive positions nominative, so as to secure the best brains of the country. Ability for the work would be the main qualifications in every case, coupled

with a 33. A. or B.Sc. degree, some special training, and a trip round the world to knock out insularity. This would apply for both (a) and (b) as follows. (a) Parliament, the national body, would be a nominated body, acting in a purely advisory capacity to the Cabinet, or Upper Ten, who, placed there by me, couldn’t be heaved out. (b) Local committees would take the place of the heterogenous collection of county councils, power boards, etc., of the present. They would be nominated, and deal with local affairs. Being scientifically planned, they would be uniform, and not overlap. There would be county committees, also transport, education, harbour, distress relief, water, coal, hospital, electric-power committees. These nominated bodies would deal with matters of government only. Private trading, or government in business, would be left severely alone. Unemployment: This would be settled once and for all by three simultaneous and correlated schemes, (a) I would set up a Bankers’ Economic Committee («ee section lb). Recognising that the greatest cause of unemployment is the periodic trade cycle, this committee would study the financial position, both local and world, and apply the financial brake at the psychological moment —i.e., intelligent credit manipulation. Credit would be stopped sharply long before the top of a period of boom, and eased at the right moment of the slump, (b) An Unemployment Insurance scheme on the lines of that in England. (c) I would have drawn up a comprehensive ultimate roads and public works scheme for the whole of New Zealand, including good back-blocks roads. When men were unemployed, proper construction works would be ready. No more tinkering with cliff faces and sports grounds on an arbitrary and limited loan. Education: This would be free, secular and compulsory. (a) Every child would stay at school until 1 5 years old, and then attend two years night school, if not at secondary school. (b) I would abolish the

Matriculation Examination, and in its place substitute a “General School' Certificate. This would be based on school work and include in the first rank definite training towards a trade, particularly agriculture, (c) Numbers at non-technical secondary schools would be reduced by half. University students would have to be full time. Agriculture: Recognising that this country exists on its exported primary products, I would take every’ means to increase these. Specifically’ by’ the following means. First, and most important, by keeping every kind of person, including unemployed and the repatriated soldiers, off the land unless and until they have ample money, proper training and practical experience; by improved back country* roads secured by’ section 2c; by* increased emphasis on agricultural work through section 3b and 7a; by refraining from fancy* experiments in the London market where we are only a partial supplier; by concentrating on cutting out expensive competition among primary producers and assisting them toward uniformity* and collective bargaining power in shipping and insurance ; by* research work on a generous scale; by free instructors, advice and agricultural education; by* special and biased co-operation of the committees mentioned in section lb: and by leaving real farmers to do the rest. Immigration: With the increased productiveness of the country secured by the provisions mentioned in sections 2, 4 and 7, and knowing that every newcomer brings two more hands for the good work, I woubi bring into the country a large and steady stream of immigrants. It wouldn’t worry me where they happened to have been born —Scotland. Russia, Scandinavia, North China, or Germany—so long as they had good clean blood, and ability and capacity for the work. Immigration of English townspeople would stop, and every assisted immigrant would have to show that he was of the class we needed.

Defence and Foreign Policy*: (a) Immediate abolition of the compulsory military training (a land army would only be for aggressive warfare), and half-hearted fostering of naval volunteers for harbour and coast defence, (b) Full representation at the International Labour Office, and support for the League of Nations, together with agitation for revision of the unfair sections of the Treaty of Versailles, (c) Unconditional surrender of Samoa back to Germany, admitting that it is illgotten spoil in a “war to end war.” etc. (d) To guard against the Pacific war we are now drifting into, I would hire one large steamer, and on the outward trips ship 100 young New Zealanders to the East for six months. On the homeward trips I would bring 100 Japanese and Chinese (not coolies) and let them spend 6 months here. Continue this year after year until all the countries know each other. In 20 years the cost would be about half that of one battleship.

Taxation and Finance: The main plank would be the gradual abandonment of protection for free trade, utter and unashamed. With our high standard of living, we would never hope to make factory and manufactured goods cheaper than We could buy them, so we might as well concentrate on what we can do best, i.e., farming, and bank the balance. The closing of factories we have would throw people out of work, but this would be equalised by sections 2b and 2c, also 4 and 5. Business that must be helped would be by direct bounty. Where would I get money from? (a) From heavy direct taxation of luxuries, increase of death duties to 90 per cent., and income tax (no land or company tax). (b) Reorganised liquor trade with XXXX ales, etc., prohibited, but light wines and beers which could be bought anywhere, with treble the present tax. (c) Savings in section 6 above. Finally, no more loans, and the establishment of a sinking fund to pay off the entire debt in 50 years. Miscellaneous: I would tear up the railway tracks on all branch lines, leaving only long-distance trunks. As a tourist attraction I would start a real proper Maori colony at, say, Wairakei. with native costumes, houses, etc., and put a competent advertising man in charge of the tourist publicity, with an unlimited purse. I would forget the arbitration part of the I.C. and A. Act. and concentrate on the conciliation. And if anyone ha-s read this right through to the end, he or she shall be given a medal. Wellington.