PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20914, 20 September 1939, Page 11

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.

WAR FINANCE

(To the Editor) Sir, —Some time ago Mr Savage threw out a hint that he would raise an internal loan in such a way that it would be easy for the "small man" to subscribe 10. As a war-time measure 1 would like to suggest the following as a means of “raising the wind” and see if a more able pen than mine can ffnd the nigger in the woodpile. Taking 4 per cent as a basis of borrowing, there is no financial difference between paying that interest to one hundred men each subscribing £1 and paying tho same interest to one man subscribing £IOO. That beiijg so, the simplest modus operandi is to issue per medium of the post office) bonds ol' varying denominations in exchange for Reserve Bank notes. The. £1 bond would increase in value at the rate of i*d a month, or 9d per annum, and whether a short bill were put through the House making tho bund legal tender or not, 1 am sure the tradesmen would accept it in lieu of cash, probably giving value for the bond according to the period it had been current —:id in the £1 a month.—l am, etc., NOW THEN. Claudelands, Sept. 19.

HAMILTON RUGBY REFEREES

(To the Editor) j Sir, —The Rugby season of 1939 will i draw to a close this month, and it will be unanimously agreed that it has been a very good one, with bright games, j interesting competitions in all grades, | keenly and cleanly fought, thus giving the good old game a decided fillip I which should augur well for the • future, ! It is my opinion that a great deal of J the season's success must be attributed i to the excellent refereeing displayed !by the Hamilton referees. Many prom- | ising younger referees have been seen jin action. The senior referees have | endeavoured to make the Stag Trophy games bright, open and entertaining, with litlle whistle, judicious use of the advantage rule and, above all, scrupulous fairness to all teams. Calling to mind the two especially well controlled matches of the season, the honours must go to the Technical Old Boys and High School Old Boys semi-final match, controlled by Mr A. A. Griffiths, and the Taupiri v. City match, refereed by the Rev. P. Sergei. We have seen very little of Mr Sergei this season, but 1 believe that I am expressing an opinion shared by the majority of Rugby patrons when 3 state that the most promising Waikato referee yet seen on Rugby Park is Mr Griffiths, of Hamilton. 1 venture to predict important fixtures ahead for this young referee. He reminds me of those excellent referees of yesterday, Messrs C. Rabone and S. Mannering.

The undoubted improvement in the standard of the Hamilton Rugby refereeing must, in no small measure reflect creditably on the successful efforts of the executives of Ihe association. It gives me real pleasure to pen these few words of genuine appreciation and to give a well deserved “pat on the back” to all the members.—l am, etc., OLD-TIMER. Hamilton, Sept. 19

PRODUCTION AND HOURS

(To the Editor) Sir, —The Minister of Agriculture. Mr Lee Martin, stresses the necessity for increased production, and an oegtinisation is to be set up to marshal I lie resources of the country in an effort to raise production, and rightly so. This will mean more work, and harder work, for the farmer. Though I am not a farmer myself, I am sure the farmer will not mind doing that. I would, tho ugh, ask Mr Lee Martin what his, and the Government’s attitude is to be in respect to the ,40-hour week. Now that the war is on I would say this is not the time to encourage men to be loafers. If this law is to i continue, then I consider it a crime against the people of this country. There is no place in the British Empire for any 40-hour week stunts now. Our enemies are working day and night, and if we are to do our full share, this loafing round hotels all Saturday should stop. We shall have thousands going to camp now, and man-power will become short. The Government should get down on this right away and make it a 50-hour week. All the Government members in favour of winning the war should see to it that the “ayes’* have it.—l am, etc., RETURNED SOLDIER. Morrinsville, SepL. 1-8.

STANDARD OF LIVING

(To the Editor) * Sir, —In a recent issue, September 12, “Breadline” attacked my assertion that the height of our standard of living is responsible for much weakening of our national and moral fibre. There is difficulty in elucidating the differences between us because the subject bristles with undelined terms and all kinds of preconceptions. The difficulty is for “Breadline” and myself to start off from the common ground of admitted presuniptions and terms understood by us in the same sense. Perhaps it will he most useful for me at the present juncture to point out 1 the differences in the respective pic- : tures which the facts present to us. i I will deal first with “Breadline's” | position. Under threat of a “complete denial of the processes of evolution,” he calls on me to concede that man's daily work must become “easier” and thus afford more time for what are sometimes called pleasurable activities. This line of argument assumes at least three propositions : a It is desirable that man's "work” should become increasingly “easier.” j !I do not know whether “Breadline” i contemplates any limit to this “easy” ! business —so far he has suggested none. j fh. Similarly it. is desirable that j these pleasurable activities should be j indefinitely extended. I {o' The process of translating man's i activities from work to pleasurable ; ones is enforced by evolution (which is assumed to move in a straight line) and therefore cannot be resisted, even ; if it were desirable to do so. , The doctrine may be summarised in ' Morley’s satirical remark, “Comfort is i the end of ends, comprehending all j ends." This is the basis for the whole j philosophy of “Onward and Upward,” I and is implicitly assumed by every

legislator as well as by Tom, Dick and 'Harry to be absolutely inviolable. I would add that, while I am personally accused of adhering to nineteenth century ideas, I am afraid I have long since abandoned this typical expression of them. I will have to write further to set put my own views of the facts. In the meanwhile "Breadline” may perhaps consider whether this analysis fairly summarises his views, and what limitations, if any, he recognises for the doctrines involved. —1 am, etc., DOUGLAS SEYMOUR. Hamilton, Sept. 19.