PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20259, 30 July 1937, Page 9

PUBLIC OPINION

As expressed by correspondents, whose letters are welcome, but for whose views we have no responsibility. Correspondents are requested to write in ink. It is essential that anonymous writers enclose their proper names as a guarantee of good faith. Unless this rule is complied with, their letters will not appear.

NATIONS AND WAR.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Mr Savage’s address, broadlast evening, did not convey much information about the Coronation. The King and Queen were not mentioned, although the Prime Minister was His Majesty’s guest. Another point: Mr Savage said that, if they gave the people of the world more money wars would be stopped, because the people would be satisfied. He forgets that the masses of every nation now do not want war, only they are forced by dictators. I cannot see how the higher money will affect the position at all.—l am, etc., CURIOUS. Hamilton, July 29.

POLITICAL PARTIES,

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I see by recent reports that the New Zealand Farmers' Union are now considering the formation of another political party to contest at the next general election. I think the union would be well advised to leave politics entirely alone and consider the fate of their comrades who went into oblivion at the last general election, and helped to bring the old Reform Party there also. Unity i-s strength, and the formation of another farmers’ political party means disunity. There has never been real cohesion between the Farmers’ Union and the old Reform or United Parties, now known as the Nationalists. The New Zealand Farmer-s’ Union represents only a fraction of New Zealand farmers (the larger farmers) and the small farmers (the majority) are all for the present Government.

The only united party in New Zealand at the present time is the Labour, or people’s, Party, a party that is out to give every consideration to all classes of the community. The Labour Party has already more than justified Its return to power, and the present Government has well upheld the reputation and general interests of New Zealand at the Imperial Conference. Give credit where credit is due. The able manner in which Mr Savage and Mr Nash have handled a most difficult situation deserves the credit and consideration of all New Zealanders alike. —I am, etc., ADVANCE NEW ZEALAND. Auckland, July 28.

URGENT NEED FOR HALL.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I would like to congratulate the Drama League on the success of the festival being held in Hamilton. The standard of work Is exceptionally high, the choice of plays excellent, and the cultural effect on players and audiences must be tremendous. Talent is being discovered and fostered and a taste for the best in art and literature developed. Especially is this so In the case of the young people, whose work has been a delight and whose English has been a Joy.

Why were not the Mayor and Borough Councillors invited to the festival? Had they been present lam sure they would have joined the vast body of opinion in the town regarding the urgent need of a hall, a cultural centre, in Hamilton. It is deplorable that such a festival, which is part of the cultural life of tho community, should not he housed in a suitable hall. The hard seals had people squirming, the ‘atmosphere” was inartistic, the sound of the heavy rain on the roof sometimes made players Inaudible, and the building was unable lo house all the people who wanted to get in. Why should Hamilton, a town of 18,000 people, priding itself on its up-to-dateness, tolerate such conditions? It is the duty of the municipal authorities to provide a cultural centre, and the ‘people will not he satisfied until they do. —I am, etc., ADVANCE. Hamilton, July 29. PRODUCERS, PRIOES AND POLITICS (To the Editor.) Sir, —The letter of Mr Alex. Boyd in your issue of July 27 provides a classic example of that peculiar attitude of mind known as the “town outlook.” One of the ideas prevalent only in towns is that farmers object to paying high wages. If Mr Boyd cares to examine the “positions vacant” column in any daily paper lie will find that farmers are offering xvages considerably in excess of lhose required by law. I had occasion recently to point to the investigations carried out. by ihe costing committees of Ihe Farmers’ Union and the New Zealand Dairy Company. The result showed I hat an additional payment of 3id per lb fat would he required if Mr Nash fulfils his promise to the farmers that increased costs will be included in Ihe price for Ihe coming season. Mr Boyd appears quite taken aback that ,3 Jd added lo 1s .1 4<l should equal lls sd! lie says lie would like lo know j who is to meet I lie extra cost, and j asks me if I expect t lie remainder of New Zealanders to carry the dairy farI mere on their hacks. II appears cni liroly lo have escaped Mr Boyd’s nolice : I hat Ihe primary producers of this j country have carried the less efficient I secondary industrialists on their hacks I for quite long enough, and look to the I present Government lo rectify the in- ] justice which Kiev themselves claim 110 recognise. Mr Savage, in his pro I election pamphlet, slat-,I Ilia! this can ! be achieved “willioul increasing lavai H«m.” So if Mr Boyd is merelv indulging in that lime honoured querv, I “Where will ihe money come from?” | i can only refer him to Mr Savage. I Mr Boyd’s remarks on the National | Parly arc irrelevant, since [ am not a I supporter of either political party. Any unbiassed observer must admit’that if l I here had been no party-political inter--1 ference willi trade, nor the creel inn i of tariff walls lo protect inefficient in--1 .lustries. the farmer would he tlie last person io he in need of assistance. Mr Boyd has drawn attention to Ihe fact that there are farmers who grumble: possibly it is because they have got good cause. 1 suggest that (Continued in nmt r.uluain.j

Mr Boyd pay a visit to Ihe waterfront in his own city. What he sees there may give him food r,,r thought. nSpceiall \ if he should, chance to compare Ihe attitude of I he watm-sidor towards Ids employer with the altitude of the farmer towards his employee.-.-! am. KULAK. Gordon I on. July 28.

SOCIAL CREDIT.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—The Welfare League's letter in your issue of July 28 has very little in it to call for a reply, but as they ■state I, as a member of the Douglas Credit school can logically claim Professor Soddy as a supporter of our proposals—l nearly said theories. To the league I would point out that we have progressed beyong theories and they are now accepted as fundamental truths. My claim to the professor Is based on his article written for our English Social Credit magazine, in April, 1935. My extracts, given in a previous letter, were from this article. If Professor Soddy has repudiated this by anything later than that date, then I would ask the league to quote it. Actually it is incompatible with common sense to assert that anyone who wrote such an article for a Social Credit paper would then retract the basic principles involved and give such a hody as the league material to validate an assertion decisively contrary to the welfare of Social Credit.—l am, etc., SEEKER. Te Kuitl, July 28.

ROAD TRANSPORT.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Whether the goods motor services, if expropriated by the Government, are kept in operation, subsidiary to railways requirements, or whether they are closed down to the extent of 90 per cent., as competitive with the railways—and on this point the Government has made contradictory statements and appears to be facing both ways—there is no doubt that users of transport will suffer inconvenience and hardship. This, however, will be no more serious than the injustice of the Government’s proposals in their incidence on the firms who have pioneered and built up the goods motor transport industry into the great public utility service it is to-day. *

Goods motor transport is one of the great new industries that have grown up in the present age as the result of revolutionary mechanical invention. Motor transport tends everywhere to supplant the fixed track vehicle, and has revolutionised the business of goods carriage in all conditions where flexibility, mobility and adaptability are of decisive importance. It has quickened the flow of business and stimulated industry and commerce wherever it has been introduced. This boon to the commerce of the country, however, has not been effected without a lengthy period of experimentation and risk, and without great cost incidental to the pioneering and establishment of the business. The present operators of goods motor services in the Dominion are the pioneers of the industry, which has only recently emerged from the experimental stage. It is, in fact, a post-war development, here and in other parts of the world. In its first few years, from about 1921 onwards, it required Incessant labour and much capital investment, and showed but little profit. Then, when internal difficulties appeared to have been surmounted and assured returns in sight, the country encountered the prolonged depression about 1931, and this seriously affected the transport industry along with /almost all other forms of • business activity.

It has not been until the last year or two that the operators of motor goods transport, could confidently look for a reasonable return to their long anrl expensive pioneering efforts. It * eems both unreasonable and unjust that, having by their own unaided efforts built up an industry which by common consent is economic in service and useful to Ihe business community, they should now he expropriated just at the time when a fair return to their past efforts appears lo he in sight.

These operators have given the best years of their business life to building up tiie goods motor transport industry into the nationally useful service that it is admitted even by Ihe Government to he to-day. Everything they possess is tied up in the business, and they have naturally cut themselves and their capital off from other avenues of activity.

If they are deprived of the opportunity to continue to operate motor goods transport then they are deprived of a reasonable opportunity to earn a living In the business to which they have become specialised; and much of their capital, irretrievably sunk in development and esfablishmcnt work, will he totally destroyed. Deprived of Hie right to employ their special skill and their invested capital, they are apparently expected to he able to make a fresh start in life, with their past experience and much of their capital destroyed. II is not in Ihe public interest that a legitimate industry should be destroyed and the living of a large number of people wiped out in pursuit, of a mere academic predilection for universal socialisation. Business men generally should take warning that if they suffer this Injustice to hap pen without protest the turn of others will surely come. and private industry and commerce will he destroyed piecemeal hv Socialism in New Zealand. The Minister of Transport has recently proclaimed in Australia that he remains an out-and-out Socialist, and in I his matter he and Ids Government are running true to form. —We are. etc., N. Z.*R GAI > TRANSPORT ALLIANCE. Wellington. July 28.