MOLLY CODDLES?

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 39, 15 February 1929, Page 17

MOLLY CODDLES?

STATE AS FATHER CHRISTMAS TREND OF THE TIMES. ' : Are we bewniinjr a race of mollycoddles?" Thie was the question a«ked by th« prc>idont of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Mr. H. T. M«rritt. in his annual addres? yesterday. Mr. Merritt w.i-5 referring to the large Increase in thf number of person? employed in Stato Departmcnte. which, he said, was largely due to the increasing: demand of the public upon the State for rocial cervices, ew. "The State," he continued, "is expected io provide economic utilities that could properly be tiono by organised capitalistic exploitation, and also to act S3 a huge pawnbroker for the. people, to build their houses at less than cost, to lend money at lower mte.s than the market price of capital, to provide free school bookp, dentists, doctors, lawyers, and generally to act a Father Christmas all the year round. Wβ must get back to the old idea of work and personal responsibility and £ra.sp in our hands once more tuoc-e outttaaiding and commendabks qualities of sturdy rselfreliance and independence. We must also appeal to the Uovernnient to go extensively* into the question of cost-s and to cut out anything that euperfluoiis or unnecessary. Only in this way can taxation be reduced. A reduction to-day is one of the mott vital needs of industry."