PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20499, 16 May 1938, Page 9

PUBLIC OPINION

As expressed by correspondents, whose letters are welcome, but for whose views we have no responsibility. Correpondents 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.

COMING ELECTIONS

(To the Editor) Sir. —I would like to know how the National Party can reconcile the fart that they are putting a party man against Mr Sexton for the Franklin seat—one of the founders of the compensated price campaign—and yet claim to have the compensated price as a plank in their platform. Do they think that the electors will oscillate from one party to another for ever and receive a gold brick at every election? If a crop of Independents come out the party cry of vote-splitting will not work this time, as both parties have been long enough in power to institute a more modern system of voting. The writer would like to see some of the many able opponents of the compensated price contest the forthcoming elections. —I am, etc., FED UP. Ohaupo, May 12.

INCIDENT AT NGARUAWAHIA

(To the Editor) Sr, —The following letter, which speaks for itself, has been forwarded to the town clerk, Ngaruawahia. Jn order to ensure that the public will obtain a clear understanding of the matter I have advised the town clerk that a copy of the letter is being forwarded to the Press for publication.— I am, etc., TE PUEA HERANGI. Ngaruawahia, May 13. [Copy] The Town Clerk, Ngaruawahia. Dear Sir,—We have learned with deep regret that His Worship the Mayor made some very derogatory and insulting remarks towards a certain secton of the residents of Ngaruawahia during his speech following the announcement of the result of the mayoral poll. Similar remarks were made by one of his supporters. This * unfortunate and uncalled-for outburst on the part of the Mayor is deeply resented by the Maori people generally, in common with the section of the European residents included with the Maoris and towards whom the remarks were made, and by the Maori residents of the Ngaruawahia Pa in particular. So that there may be no misunderstanding of our attitude, and arising out of the above unhappy incident, will you please advise His Worship the Mayor that on no account will he be invited to functions at the Ngaruawahia Pa, and it would save any unpleasantness if he were to refrain from calling here on any pretext whatsoever.—Yours faithfully,

TE PUEA HERANGI TONGA MAHUTA.

THE LEBSONB

(To the Editor) Sir, —Opinions differ, as they would, about the lessons of the recent localbody elections, and also the deductions that can be made. It all depends upon the political views of the individual. The opponents of Labour regard the results as a distinct setback to that party; the supporters say that local-body elections give no real indication of political trends. There is. however, one thing that is certain. The successes of the antiLabour section were due in a large measure to the fact that they organised. Three years ago, at both the local-body and the general elections, they had only an apology for organisation. The v Labour Party is well organised; probably never more so than to-day. A political machine on a vast scale has been constructed, and the work continues without interruption. I have seen mention made of sectional organisations that claim to control 180,000 voters. Every trades union is a recruiting office, and the Ministers travel about the country seeing that the work is kept at high pressure. Then private Labour members have tours arranged in various parts. They are sent to little villages all over the country, well out of the way of the newspapers, and at some of these meetings remarkable statements are made, probably with the knowledge that they will not be reported.

The only answer to this is counterorganisation. In the course of the next six months a great deal must be done, for without organisation success will be improbable. Three years ago the opponents of Labour had, In many electorates, not even a pretence of organisation. The candidates were left to do their best, and there it ended. It was the knowledge of that fact, among other things, that brought out the large number or independents, and it may also have influenced the creation of the Democrat Party. Elections cannot be won without thorough organisation. It is not solely a matter of enlisting members, but of seeing that every possible vote is recorded. It will take work, but unless that is put in then success cannot be achieved. During the next few months there will be a display of political windowdressing on a scale never known in this country before. The hid for the floating vote will be very high. I do not believe that it is necessary to consider out-bidding the Labour Party in that respect. But what should be done is to prepare the public for the process. A bid like that loses its value •if the people know it for what it is. My own impression is that the greatest bid will be for tbe ruraj vote. That is where the Government must, carry the day or be defeated. And it does not take much study to see the lines along which the bid will come. But if tlie people in the country electorates realise that Ihese are bids for support, with no more certainty of continuance or completion ttian some of those made in 1935, they will not he misled. This is the work that must he done steadily while organising goes ahead. Knowledge is power, and it prevents any attempt to stampede the electors by mass methods on the eve of the polls. The results of Wednesday last illustrate the value of organisation.—l am, etc.. OLD LIBERAL. Hamilton, May 13.

ECZEMA IN STOCK

(To the Editor) Sir,—The farming community is suffering a great loss, and will continue to do so, if it neglects the natural way in regard to stock. Mankind has disobeyed natural law’, and it is suffering accordingly. Overrefined food is causing havoc In civilisation and disease is master of the l situation. As with man, so with animals. lam going to name a few of the causes. Firstly, the presence of ergot in the pastures, notably in ryegrass, and the bristles In clover during the summer and autumn months, the use of artificial manures In the summer and autumn. They should be used in the spring. If the pastures require more manure, let it be by a system of green manuring. It may be a bit more expensive, but it will repay the farmer in the end. The substitution of ryegrass for cocksfoot and paspalum and timothy and fescue, but care must be taken that the stock do not eat the paspalum seeds, as it is likely to cause temporary paralysis. My contention is borne out by farmers who have no ryegress in their pastures, and have done no manuring during the summer and autumn months. They have escaped the eczema scourge. Furthermore, the South Island is free from the disease, and there the grasses are cocksfoot, timothy, fescue and crested dogstail. The remedy is obvious.—l am, etc., C. E. GOMERFORD. Auckland, May 9.

MATAMATA RATING POLL

(To the Editor) Sir, —A poll took place at Matamata on a proposal to change the rating system from capital values to the unimproved basis. The opponents of the proposed change issued a printed circular through the post as “Householder.” The following paragraph appears in the circular: — “Mr Fow, Mayor of * Hamilton, Is emphatically of the opinion that Matamata will be taking a retrograde step if it changes over to rating on the unimproved value. He considers it would be in the interests of Hamilton if it discarded, rating on the unimproved value and instituted rating on the annual value, which is similar to our present system. Mr Fow’s opinion is worth pondering over.” I quite agree that Mr Fow’s opinion may be worth pondering over, especially by the house-owners and renters of shops, as such. Professor B. E. Murphy (Economics, of Victoria College) lays It down that a rate on the unimproved values cannot be passed on in higher rents and prices, and no economist In the world would risk his reputation by opposing that dictum. On the other hand, a rate on the oapital values includes improvements, and such rate can be, and is, commonly added to shop rents. On the unimproved value this cannot happen, because merchants could then put up shops in secondary streets on lowervalue land, and would then undersell merchants on the high-value land. This is a commonplace and elementary truth of economics. Whether the owners of houses in Hamilton want to be taxed on the rental value of their houses, and of every stick and brick of improvements they make, is their business. The fact that the ratepayers voted for unimproved-value rating makes any further comment on that head superfluous. What I should like to know is whether the Hamilton Borough Council, as previously constituted, and the electors approve of their Mayor taking sides in the purely domestic affairs of a neighbouring borough. Was it quite in accordance with the proprieties? Note that it is Mr J. R. Fow’s position as Mayor that has been used on one side of a sharp controversy, and not merely his personal view, for the circular does not even give his initials—it is his official position that was used, and a large section of the Matamata people strongly resent such partisanship from outside.—l am, T. E. McMILLAN. Matamata, May 14.

DOMINION FINANCE

(To the Editor) Sir,—Your correspondent “One Who Helped to Pay” should be a proud man to think that he is able to help the aged, crippled, blind and Incapable, and yet have more money and comforts than he ever had. I saw’ him in a beautiful car the other night. Yet, poor chap, he seems to want to take the meagre comforts from those mentioned. He says: “Mr Tuck and our financial wizard, the Hon. Walter Nash, ought to be ashamed to mention the fact that there is a surplus,” and features the £BOO,OOO as something discreditable. He never mentions the fact that debt liabilities were reduced considerably. Your correspondent is barking up the wrong tree. May I suggest that he read the Budget. He will there see that the small surplus of £50.000 was budgeted for. The extra £750.000 accrued because of the increased purchasing power of the people—increased velocity of circulation—an increase due to the wise administration of men who have, through adversity of circumstances, made a life-long study of tbe economic bungle and intend to uplift all the people, not some of tbe people, as has been done since 1911. We are not the highest taxed people in the world. Your correspondent is again misleading us. We are the second lowest, and the money collected could not go into better bands than those who are in need. They will spend it, don’t worry, thus creating larger surpluses, and so on. upward and onward, till all the people have enough. I am quite sure our Finance Minister will budget l'or tbe needs of our people in a most equitable way, and if—as is quite possible—a large surplus is again achieved, it will be a visible surety of our economic stability. —I am, etc., C. J. TUCK. Rotorua, May 10.