OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 November 1940, Page 4

OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

THAT DAY’S PAY (To the Editor) Sir. —In connection with the report of the Provincial Patriotic Appeal Committee appearing in your last evening's issue, the committee, perhaps not to a man. but evidently by a majority, and whether swayed in their own opinions or otherwise, have decreed, as to the whole body of Masterton employees, that they should donate a day’s pay, or income, towards the national effort over which they are a self-constituted committee.

It appears, Sir, that there is a very strong element of veiled compulsion behind the whole thing as it has been decreed by the committee that a slip should be inserted in each pay envelope, thereby at once telling the employee what he or she has to do—because the committee has decreed it.

This at once antagonises the spirit of giving, and who knows the capacity to give better than the employee himself? Voluntary giving is a pleasure and can be made a pleasure, but not when the individual is being told what he has to do and what he has to give. Of course, I know too well that the old platitudes will be trotted out and reiterated once more, thus making us all very sick at heart. Further, glancing through the names of those present one sees the same names as monotonously appear on each and every self-constituted committee for dealing with any local matter. A small committee is formed say with power to add, who are co-

opted? Why "birds of the same feather” to keep the bias along the lines which they wish, without any thought of calling representation from the body they propose to sit in judgment on. Surely the employees are entitled to representation, seeing they are being told what to do without having any voice in the deliberations'? The moral obligation to give of our best in this struggle is paramount to each and all of us but, once more, who knows his capacity to give, better than the donor himself? Further, in many cases, downright, genuine hardship would be inflicted were the decrees of the committee put into effect, for there are many employees who fear victimisation and who would sooner penalise themselves unduly, just because they felt the moral obligation too strongly for their economic well-being. Why annihilate the pleasure of voluntary giving by the veiled moral coercive missive which it is proposed to place in each pay envelope? Why cannot it be made an appeal, and not a near-demand to give?—l am, etc., “MISS T. FYDE.” Masterton, November 13.