PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20956, 8 November 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. WARNING TO PARENTS (To the Editor) Sir, —Through the columns of your paper I would like to advise the parents of boys who have 8.8. guns. My boy was shot twice in the leg by different boys. Had it been in the face it might have disfigured him for life and caused us much sorrow. And it would have cost the parents of such boys a great sum of money for damages.—l am, etc., AN ANXIOUS ONE. Hamilton, November 7.

COMMUNITY PARALYSIS

(To the Editor) Sir, —It appears strange to us that, in certain countries in Europe, whole populations are held in fear and torture by a comparative few who hold the reins of office. Russians, Poles, Austrians and Germans are among those who are thus subjugated. The names we give to the tyrants are numerous and sometimes unprintable. It has been pointed out that we have a menace in New Zealand from Moscow. We do not yet realise the undermining of that influence. It is nevertheless here. The communist press has taken on a new name; meetings are held holding up the example of Russia; the Soviet exhibition at New York was an example of false advertisement as proved by a visitor who had been an engineer in Russia itself. In New Zealand, politicians have stated openly that they have the last word in many vital matters. The strange thing is that when a department issues notices to the people, the people complain, they abuse the powers that be, yet they are paralysed to act. The Great Charter has been torn to pieces and liberty is at a discount, yet we do not rise to object. Why?—l am, etc., LINCOLNIAN. Hamilton, November 7.

LABOUR’S HERITAGE

(To the Editor) Sir,—' 'hen Mr Warburton reeled off the items of the heritage to which Labour succeeded in 1935 (all of which were constructed and maintained by the skilled hand of the worker), he omitted to mention an item of outstanding importance. I refer to the army of unemployed with which the Labour Government was burdened from the outset of its career. Everyone is familiar with the distress that darkened the homes of so many people during the depression years, but it should be noted that the slump did not inaugurate the unemployment question in New Zealand. The first I can remember of unemployment is when a few people were out of work in the “off” season but were reabsorbed into industry when the “busy” season began. These few people increased in number and in duration of unemployment as the country “progressed,” until the wretched conditions of 1930 set in. I quite believe that the unemployment of many thousands of New Zealanders had arrived as a permanent institution and would never have been given the direct and energetic handling by any but a Labour Government. —I am, etc., C.G.R. Hamilton, November 6.

FOR A BETTER NEW ZEALAND

(To the Editor) Sir,—Now that the Government is assuming (by the Reserve Bank Amendment Act) an absolute financial control, I believe the time is opportune to initiate a new, popular, very progressive Dominion policy, including the following measures, which I . feel sure would be greeted and supported most enthusiastically by a big majority of the New Zealand electors:— (1) Fix the exchange rate on London finally and irrevocably at par, thus greatly pleasing our best customer, and showing that after a long and unwarranted delay we now honestly intend to carry out both the let- ; ter and the spirit of our agreement made at Ottawa (2) Abolish the sales tax on all necessities. (3) No Customs duties on any necessities under £2O in net value in country of origin, provided the goods are imported directly by the ultimate user, and are not to be resold as articles of commerce for a profit within 12 months from date of landing. This would enable the New Zealand public to obtain the maximum variety, service and value instead of being forced to buy inferior, unsuitable and dearer goods, or else go without. It would also be the sure and final means to weed out uneconomic New Zealand industries and prevent all possibility of profiteering and exploitation in any form whatever. (4) Repeal the Gaming Act, 1908, and substitute a very liberal law internally, but still prohibit the remittance of money to overseas lotteries. Bookmaking under strict State supervision would be licensed, and totalisator taxes reduced to 5 per cent gross. At long last the bettors would i get here the same justice as in England. (5) Liberally reduce all rail charges for distances under 25 miles. (6) Restore letter postage to Id for each 1 oz. inland, including Niue, Cook Islands and Western Samoa, and lsd for each \ oz. to all overseas countries; air-mail at double these respective rates. (7) Cease all unproductive public works, except those urgently required for internal New Zealand defence. (3) Universal military and industrial service by all fit and partially at men from 18 to 60 inclusive, solely

for the internal defence of New Zea- J land against a possible invasion. (9) Abolish all unemployed workers as a victimised, minority class with incomes far below the average, by equal rationing of all the work in each occupation, so that every worker (male or female) over 21 and under 60 would be steadily and permanently employed at his or her own trade. Favouritism, penalties or exclusion by employers would be illegal, except for hopeless incompetence or insubordination. In at least 30 towns an expert, honest and strictly impartial tribunal for each occupation would consider and adjust grievances promptly and do its utmost to increase the efficiency of its trade both locally and nationally. (10) All important national issues, political and industrial, to be decided by a compulsory secret postal ballot of the entire electors. Nothing would be left in doubt, either in peace or war, as to the real trend of New Zealand current public opinion. This is 100 per cent democracy, the kind we would all be keen to live for. I hope tiiis new political and industrial policy in its entirety is soon adopted, so that New Zealand will rapidly become a great nation, and a shining example once more to the world of what democratic efficiency and progress at their best really are. * —l am, etc., LEAD ON, N.Z.! Hamilton, November i

POSITION OF FARMERS

(To the Editor) Sir, —A lot has been written to your paper recently about the farmer, mostly abusive, by a section of the community which has the great idea that “everyone should work harder—but me!” That seems the slogan of “Ex-Farmer Ex-Factory Manager and Happy,” etc. All this criticism makes we farmers laugh, for it cuts no ice with us who know the facts. It meets with no response as a rule, and that is what it deserves. But in case this last long screed of mis-statements should appear reasonable to some of your town readers I would like to put them wise, especially about the hours we work. I am speaking of the large percentage of small farmers who, like myself, milk about 30 to 40 cows on

I our own. To say we only work 4! hours a week is ridiculous. It i< simply a matter of addition. I an not an early riser; I get up at 5.31 and get in to breakfast at 8.30, foi milking is not just a matter of getting the milk out of the cow. Youl milking time starts by getting th< cows in, putting the machines anc separator together, milking the cows taking the machine and separatoi apart, washing them, washing anc cleaning the shed and yard, feeding the calves, feeding the pigs, putting the cows away and getting the crearr to the gate, etc. The same process is followed at afternoon milking. This goes on every day for seven days s week. And yet we are told we dc not work more than 45 hours a week! Is there no other work to be done on the farm? The cycle of the yeai brings its seasonal work. I have tc provide feed for my cows, so that haymaking means I am concerned in making 48 acres of hay and 18 acres of ensilage. That fills the days from November to January. • In the autumn there is feeding out of supplementary fodder, and after that topping paddocks, mending fences, cleaning drains and a host of necessary jobs. Then there is top-dress-ing with lime, etc., manure spreading, etc., until we start feeding hay and getting the spring top-dressing done and getting the cows in for another season. Your “Ex” correspondent asks us to do a fair day’s work on the farm. I don’t think he knows much about work, and he must remember that the farmer he sees occasionally in town will not get “a day in town,” but a few hours between milking to go to the sale or do a bit of necessary shopping. He will do at least five hours’ work that day whether he likes it or not, for cows have to be milked. “Townies” are always grumbling about the farmers' few hours a week in town; is it not reasonable that we should point out that you get all of Sunday and half of Saturday for a holiday every week? You forget we work every day. As far as blaming the high cost of land as the cause of the farmers’ difficulties, that is also wrong. Get it out of your head that a good Providence makes the grass grow. It costs money to get grass, money to fence, money to build, money to improve a bit of land into a farm, and if it costs £3O an acre in cash and toil to make a farm from waste land, that land is

worth £3O an acre, and so on. As a friend of mine said when the parson said how wonderfully Nature cooperated with man to make the land beautiful, “Yes, but you should have seen it when Nature had it on her own." Take the cash value of the improvements off a farm and what is it worth ? A few pounds an acre; it can be bought at that in the backblocks today. As far as the returned soldiers are concerned, the late Government admittedly made mistakes, but its members were men enough to admit it and try to rectify it. I believe that nearly all the soldiers got substantial reductions in their original mortgages, and as far as I know they are doing not so badly today. You can only produce off your land what your costs will allow. If costs rise you cannot get so much out of it, and the fact remains, despite all Mr Nash said over the wireless about the price being the “same as last year,” it is not. Besides rising costs we are actually getting in hard cash one halfpenny a pound less than last year. So the fact remains that I have had a substantial reduction in my wages. Perhaps “Ex” can laugh that off.—l am, etc., FAIR DO. Ohaupo, November 3.

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT

Newcomer.—There is a borough j by-law in Hamilton against lighting I fire within 30 feet of a boundary ! fence or building. Application has | first to be made to the Borough CounI cil for a permit to light a fire within j the specified distance. At the same I time any person suffering as a re- ! suit of a breach of the by-law may i notify the council to the effect that a nuisance is being caused, and, proi viding there is sufficient evidence, the ! council will take the matter up.—Ed. | W.T. | =