PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20505, 23 May 1938, 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.

BROADCAST SPEECHES (To the Editor) Sir, —Is it not a fact that a special station is being provided for broadcasting political speeches and the proceedings of Parliament? I seem to remember Mr Savage stating something to that effect some considerable time ago, and I thought it would be an excellent idea. I do not know whether the proposal would be costly, and feel that it should not come out of the funds provided by the listenersin, at least not without a referendum among them on the matter. One station capable of being heard in all parts of the Dominion would cover the politioal activities, and the programmes of the other stations need not be interrupted at all. Those who wished to listen-in to a speech or debate could do so, and those who preferred other things would enjoy the choice. With the facilities there are for land transmission it would not be a very difficult matter to have speeches by leaders in other centres all sent out from the political station, and there would be no further cause for complaint.—l am, etc., PRO-POL. Hamilton, May 21. 80CIAL BECURITY PLANS (To the Editor) Sir, —People are saying a lot about the cost of the Government’s social security plans, and asking where the money is to come from. Mr Nash certainly told us of the benefits that we would obtain when the new system works, but he did not say much, at Lower Hutt, about the financial plans. But it seems to me that the Government may have a good reserve in the employment fund. I cannot remember having seen any statement of how that account stands, but the Opposition people always bring up the fact that over £5,000,000 was collected for unemployment last year. Well, if it was not all spent, because the Government had reduced the number out of work, the money may be there to give the new system a really good start. It would not represent new taxes, and its expenditure would keep business active, or at any rate help to do it. If business is active, then the income for the next year would be practically certain, and the plans would not be a heavy burden, as some people think. I have not met anyone who could tell me what money there was in the employment fund, and it seems to me that the matter is being kept in the background for the good purpose that a substantial balance there would be a splendid start for the scheme of social security. —I am, etc., SOUTH-WEST. Hamilton, May 21. A REMINDER (To the Editor) Sir, —-When the guaranteed prices for 4937-38 were announced I remember the long controversy about the allowances made for various items in the list, of costs. And somewhere I read a suggestion that the Farmers’ Union or some dairy companies should co-operate with a man or men whom they regarded as fairly efficient farmers so that the actual results of the year’s working could be compared with the official figures. The committee that investigated matters, and reported on prices, is said to have located the average dairy farmer, but the man has preserved his anonymity in a wonderful way. We do not even know in what district he resides.

T understand that some farmers are being asked by the authorities to fill in many forms, or as least forms with many questions, but what is Nvanted by the producers is a comparative statement of the costs incurred, worked out in fractions like the official table, and the official figures. Next August —lf not in July—we shall be told what we are to get. for the third year, based on ascertained costs, and the whole discussion will be repeated. The best argument will be proof that the allowances made last, or rather for this, year were all astray. Judging by what Mr Savage raid a man on land worth £3OOO had left, after paying interest, labour and all other charges, some of us are sadly off the line.—l am, eto., MAKARIRI. Cambridge, May 21.

LABOUR'S CLAIM (To the Editor) Sir,—lt is rather refreshing' in these sophisticated times to find that anyone still believes in the exploded myth that Governments are the cause of economlo prosperity and adversity. They are a handicap on both. The present Government has, fundamentally, had nothing more to do with our burst of prosperity than the man In the moon, as it arose entirely from the enormous increase, from £83,000,000 to £126,000,000, during the last five years in our total production, which arose from an increase of more than £30.000,000 in ,the value of our exports. As for wages, I ask your correspondent "Elector” if a business whose output is £IOO a week can pay £l5O a week in wages, which was the position of the country during the slump? I have been told by workers that, although they have had the 10 per cent, restored, they are worse off than they were during the slump, owing to the great rise in prices. The increase in taxation has been alarming. Our greatest year for production was 1928-29, when it totalled £158.000,000 of our present currency, or £22,000,000 more than last year’s £136,000.000. In 1928-29 taxation amounted to 14 per cent, of production; in 1937-38 it was 30 per cent. Any informed person knows that the three railways being built by the Government will never pay running expenses. As for unemployment, something must be wrong with it, or the Government would publish the correct figures, including all men whose wages are wholly or partly paid out of the unemployment, funds, for these men have not been absorbed into industry. —I am, etc,, A. WARBURTON. Ngaruawahia, May 20. LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS (To the Editor) Sir.—A correspondent In last Saturday's Times points out certain weaknesses of the present system of electing councils, and suggests that those who voted for unsuccessful candidates have been deprived of representation. In the first place, that Is true only of the persons who chose 12 “also-starteds.” As a remedy he proposes that electors should be required to mark their voting papers according to their preferences, but if he takes a list of the names and tries to do as he suggests he will find that he has to make a good many attempts before he succeeds, and will be ready to withdraw his proposal as an impractical one. Nevertheless he is to be thanked for drawing attention to injustices, and while thinking of those he has pointed out I came across an even greater one. Of the electors who voted at the poll no less than 10 per cent, did not have a vote recorded for anyone—not even the last man. The reason lies in the fact that this 10 per cent, made mistakes—mistakes for which they have paid a penalty greater than those who voted for some successful and some unsuccessful candidates. It is evident that the present method of electing the council is too complicated, from which it would follow that his more elaborate method would lead to still more mistakes and still more people would lose their votes. It would be a step in the. wrong direction. There is only one way to simplify the issue, and that is to reduce the number of candidates. It is worth noticing that the citizens’ associations, which have been created with worthy : objects, have played the major part in disfranchising many of their own supporters. Instead of combining and becoming a real force in local affairs, they each put forward an entirely new and little-known man. It is admitted that they may have made excellent councillors, but they should realise that, when they have no chance of success, they merely rob votes from other good men, so leaving party and minority groups in a far stronger place than they merit. The dangers from this are very real, and if they are to be avoided the split-vote problem must be tackled very seriously in future Government and municipal elections. If citizens’ committees did nothing else they would have done a wonderful service to the community. There is in fact no better way of achieving their* own ends.—l am, etc., CLAUDELANDS. Hamilton, May 21. DEFENOE AND WAR (To the Editor) Sir, —I see with deep discouragement that Mr Jones announces the purchase of 30 bombing machines at a cost of £750,000. While this Government has been taxing me out of business I have not complained, since I was assured by them that it was for humanity’s sake. Nevertheless I was not deceived. T knew our present Government was what I call a ‘‘Robin Hood” Government. Robin Hood, it will be remembered. robbed the rich and gave to tlie poor: but we have improved on his simple method. Our Government, in common with (lie predatory dictators of Europe, are allied with the rich to plunder the middle-class and with the proceeds purchase the votes of all those who. under various disguises, abhor work and desire and mean to live by a parasitic activity that sucks the life-blood of industry and enterprise. Still the ostensible pretence was safeguarding “widows, children, sick People, out of work.” etc., an.d I therefore laid the comfort to my soul that at any rate someone had benefited by a process which was stripping me bare. But the story of dictators is always written in blood, and it is evident that our dictators are to be no exception to the rule. I noticed the otoer day that Mr Jones took a holiday with the battleships during gun practice. I augure.d evil from this. The military and armament gang have evidently roped in men who. to my personal knowledge, once professed abhorrence of war and all its professors. I do not doubt that conscription will follow. The whole apparatus of war will be established. The ‘‘bombers” will need and air forces must he recruited and trained. Professors must be imported from England. first, to “report.” and then to organise and direct the whole infernal apparatus—and the thing will be popular.

I remember the ■way, some years bad?, the crowd howled down every protest that was made against this greatest of human crimes, and when the war—so long prepared, so carefully engineered —at last arrived every paper approved, everv pulpit blessed our cause, and those who dared to murmur against it were ostracised and even imprisoned. Po it will be again. Because it, is at the beginning a popular thing this Government will adopt it, defend it, and at last enforce i.t. War is here. The foul face is veiled, but let us lift up the veil —it is the same Gorgon face. As in the past, so now, I protest. I Know that in one sense 1 count for nothing, hut in the true sense I count for everything. I stand with the good, the pure, the humane among the sons of men—an exalted privilege. One word more. Who are the penple these bombers are to destroy? Against whom are these bombing machines to be launched? Has no one read nr thought of the wickedness wrought by similar Instruments in Spain and Abyssinia? Look at the degraded men who man them. Vittorio Mussolini, the son of the Dictator, spoke with enthusiasm of this, what he railed, ‘'magnificent sport.” “One group of horsemen gave me the impression of a buddimr rose nnfoldinas the bomb fell in their midst and blew them up. II was exceptionally good fun.” This little miscreant was 20 years of ase. -\s good, brave Robert Ingcrsoll said: “1 should like

a son like that.” We want neither bombs nor bombers. Let ns live unharassed by such terrors. Do we love virtue, kind- ' ness, mercy, charity, gentleness? Do we love the good and the beautiful in life? Do we truly believe that our Christianity leaches that love of our I kind precedes and proves our love of God? If so, let us now. while there is yet time, arrest these dreadful activities, and holding up our hands before High Heaven, declare: “Behold! they are clean—on them is no stain of blood.” —I am, etc., J. G. MORRIS. Claudelands, May 17.