SECURITY AND THE PRICE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 388, 29 November 1946, Page 5

SECURITY AND THE PRICE

Sir.-In your issue of October 18 you maintain that "America maintains rugged individualism at a price." I would like to point out that to describe the United States as the home of rugged individualism is somewhat of an overstatement. It must be remembered that the Democrats have been in power there for almost 14 years, and if one were to believe the constantly reiterated statements appearing in the Republican Press, the socialistic enactments, and the general drift to socialism, is their constant cry against the Administration, The New Deal was claimed to be Bolshevism in a thin disguise, and the TVA its unabashed appéarance. It would take up too much spacé to enumerate the widely extended enterprises undertaken by the Federal and State Governments, or to enumerate or describe the communal activities and social services throughout the United States. It is true that large corporations operate over a wide field, but it is doubtful if these can be claimed to be individualistic in the true sense, as their management and direction are generally in the hands of high-salaried executives representing a very small amount of the stock, Where individualism ends and socialism begins would be a very fine point; most advanced countries to-day endeavour to find the right mixture of both. Even Russia, according to reports, uses .the profit motive. among -the masses, as it is stated that more than 80 per cent of the workers are on piece work. To find. rugged individualism. in its purest form one would have to go to some backward area of the earth such as the Balkans or "olivia, certainly not the U.S.A.

JOSEPH

STEPHENS

(Mosgiel).