LABOUR & FINANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 November 1938, Page 7

LABOUR & FINANCE

EFFECTS OF GOVERNMENT’S LEGISLATION POSSIBILITIES AND DANGERS. VIEWS OF MR R. H. NIMMO. An opinion that all sections of the community should get behind the Government and assist it to carry out the policy so sweepingly supported and endorsed by the people at the general election, was made by Mr R. H. Nimmo, a prominent Wellington business man, in an interview with a ■’TimesAge” reporter yesterday. At the same time, Mr Nimmo sounded a note of warning concerning the Government’s policy and urged that something be done to relieve the present crushing burden of taxation. The New Zealand Labour leaders and the party as a whole were, he said, a political power to be reckoned with. Questioned regarding his impressions of the reaction of New Zealanders abroad to the result of the recent election, Mr Nimmo said: “We heard the result at Honolulu by wireless. It is no exaggeration to say that New Zealand passengers on the Monterey were staggered by the result of the election. It certainly would have been no surprise if the Labour Party had been again returned to power with a reasonable working majority, but such • a sweeping victory, endorsed as it was by a substantially increased national numerical vote from a people who always have been looked on as more or less conservative, certainly gives one food for thought. The people of New Zealand have given their verdict in no uncertain manner. It is, therefore, now up to all sections of the community, including the commercial community, to support the Government in the carrying out of the policy that has been endorsed by the people of the Dominion.” PROGRESS & EFFICIENCY. Like most people who had been oyerseas, Mr Nimmo said, he was inclined to view many things from another angle than that of some of those who stayed at home. He was quite prepared to say that much of the Labour Government’s measures had been definitely proved to be for the betterment of the country. He was, however, deeply concerned about the financial state of the country and the fact that the high standard of living of the country showed a distinct tendency to encourage people to live beyond their means. In his opinion, one of the chief contributing factors was that, notwithstanding the fact that the workers of New Zealand had been given an eight hour day and higher wages, the Government did not get what it probably expected —increased production in the hours worked. Instead, the whole tempo of work and production in the country had, generally speaking, been slowed down. A high standard of living was desirable and labour in these enlightened days was certainly entitled to it. It was a natural corollary that production must be compatible with such standards. This, with a retarded tempo of labour, the position could not be squared and could only lead to the ultimate financial embarrassment of the Government. The Hon R. Semple. Minister of Public Works, by his public utterances, was fully alive to the position and certainly deserved credit for his courageous attitude in making it abundantly clear that he would not countenance a slowing up of work. Mr Semple demanded, as he was fully entitled to, an honest day’s work for the generous wage his department was paying for labour. What New Zealand appeared to need at the present moment was more of that type of leadership in the various industries—not least of which was primary production. A state of affairs existed that was not' only unfair to the Labour Government, but was distinctly inimical to the interests of the workers themselves. If New Zealand was to continue to enjoy and merit a high standard of living it could only be done by the workers giving an honest and willing eight hours working day. From his own observations in other countries, he could say quite definitely that the tempo of work in New Zealand in most of the phases of employment had been slow 1 - ed down to such an extent that the standard would not compare with that of the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Continental countries, even Nazi Germany. THE PEOPLE’S VERDICT. Whether one agreed with our Socialistic' Government or not, it would have to be freely admitted that the courage and originality it had shown in pioneering, and without precedent promoting social legislation to such an extent that for the second time it had received a national verdict from the electors, definitely classified it as being the most successful Socialistic Government in the history of the British Empire. In the interests of the country, he sincerely trusted that the Government would not interpret the verdict it had received from the people of New Zealand as authority to increase the staggering burden of taxation the commercial community was under, but rather would aevise ways and means at the earliest possible moment to relieve in some way the cruel burden which undoubtedly was a great handicap and was most disheartening. If taxation were increased any more and if something were not done to relieve the position, there would be little inducement to attract overseas interests to invest capital in New Zealand for the promotion and development of secondary industries, which the Government itself was so anxious to encourage.