IN THE PUBLIC MIND.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 256, 29 October 1929, Page 6

IN THE PUBLIC MIND.

ECONOMIC LAWS.

are they immutable?

(To the Editor.)

A good deal of prominence has IID . o the economic views of the Hon kVeston, president of the J 7 employers' Federation, and also U ;he President of the Chambers of cl ° £ inference held in Auckland rec atter deplored the lack of underst !'• economic laws, which in his 2 " S°f mmutable. One wonders if I, P , Seeinci who talk their way aU ** lelegates to such conferences wou°d : he possibility of amendment to ! ® 8 ?" 58 low could the removal of all ti, c lawmd safeguards in the interest, „f 6 restraint * 111 posed by the Sr*'' >enty to wage earners? Few will S P r ° s ' Richard Seddon and the L 1 ,! ,? tllat )f liis time were so alarmed at tlm fflen >f the working classes that they 7 ; übtle means to undermine it in iL a ?.• a i Court. One feels X economic law some men of business i ° nly s that of dog eat do- Thl, e I C . O^niSft ;1 f lO Hon - Shailer Weston, the functfon of's, t0 )f means in the community i s t„ IZ ? en lapital for reproductiveinvest!L, t esults in more accumulation and sn nfinitum. Countless numbei's of m,T'£ \omen have worked for a nitt™™ ■ nterest of reproductive investment d 1 2* system awaken feelings of jrratitnd*■ ..-easts for the F i vile | e ot Mr J o men exist for it, or does it exisf ill n? ? y»d if the latter,'why e ?: rom six to ten thousand men not y,w• y ng women, jobless? Whv are'rem-eS employers, clamouring for'the removal?w at protects workers? Why, wlTn a °L f 1 government gets a glimmering of'a hp J icononnc law and proceeds to act in accordance v ith it, should they be accused of having passed the parting of the ways and jouS ng on the wrong road? -It is all very'fi md requires a lot of sound thinking arS ; o it, but I doubt if the kindly and honoiK' d gentleman, Mr. T. Shailer Weston has flu* ype of mind to throw much fresh li4t on ?t plough lie has the ancient wisdom! £> ' lessees with the eyes of the old economist vhose economic laws made countries wealthy md peoples poor and oppressed. Thev wrntk n a cruel age, but thought has carried a ereat Jody of opinion beyond them and it is i n us to discover and proclaim other economic laws than theirs, and it is being done, despite the employers, the financial institutions and the Press, though, one should acknowledge fratefully, with a little shamefaced assistance on tliG part of all three. . j] t MORTO\

TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT.

It is evident that the board has not the confidence of the members of the union and from their recent actions it is safe to predict the board has not even the confidence of twenty-five per cent of the public. The latest proposal to increase fares to pay for their mis-' management is preposterous. In the face of a falling market, much unemployment and decreasing revenue, the board granted an increase in salary to the higher-paid officials. In other words, the board is now compelling the average working man, who receives from £3 10/ to £4 15/ a week, to pay more, so that the £7 to £30 a week man gets more to spend on benzine. Instead of victimising the worker, why does not the board reduce the high salaries, say,.'five per cent off-the" £350 to £500 man, ten per cent off the £500 to £750, and so on? Also, do with'half or Jess of the inspectors. Two or three smart detectives could accomplish more and save thou-sands-a year. If the board cannot reduce the high cost of living, it certainly should not increase it in times like these. COUNT THEM OUT.

TRAMWAY INSPECTORS,

In reply to the latter half of "A.M.R.V letter, might I suggest that he should, know at least a little of the subject on which he is writing? He states there are 35 ticket inspectors on the 'Auckland trams. What he means is there are 32 in the service, hut of course all these do not inspect tickets. For the benefit of "A.M.R." I will enumerate them. Epsom and Gaunt Street depots are open from 5 a.m. till approximately one o'clock next morning. Two inspectors are needed for Epsom and three for Gaunt Street, a.m. and p.m. shifts; one chief inspector, one motor inspector and one dispatcher on each shift. There is one motor instructor who trains all student motormen (who have to pass a Government .examination). He also attends to special traffic, such as Eden Park, Carlaw Park, races, trots, etc. There are two bus inspectors, one for each shift. These two do not check trams. There are two off on holidays and two have a day off in lieu of Sunday work. This accounts foe eighteen, which leaves fourteen, seven on each shift, to inspect tickets, etc., and as there are eleven different routes this does not seem excessive. I have not allowed for any being sick, which reduces the number to check cars. For instance, if a depot officer or any other of the above are sick a ticket inspector does [lis work pro tem. I think "A.M.R." should correct his statement re only three inspector? in the Auckland railway district. Does lie include the men on the gates, who inspect Mie's ticket before admittance to platform, train foreman, running clerk and many others? A. BARNES, - Secretary, Inspectors' Association.

A TRAVELLER'S VIEWS,

I am a regular passenger 011 most of the tram routes, but I clon't think I -have ever seen one inspector make a capture, and when the opportunities for defrauding the service (during rush hours) are the greatest they are always conspicuous by their absence, 110 doubt realising it is hopeless to fight their wav through in time to detect any defaulters. 3lv experience of the conductors is they are a pretty smart lot and do not miss much. Having now obtained the complete monopoly 01 transport, if the management cannot effect , economies and run the concern successfully on the existing fares (which are high enough), it is time they made room for others with a. keener policy. H.J.B.

LAEOUR AND TARIFFS,

Your correspondent asks why the Ramsav MaeDonald Labour Government is determined that Britain's policy shall be Free 'lrade ana why the Australian Labour Government is Protectionist. The heads of the British Labour Government apparently remember that teetion in England in the past spelt ruin aw disaster. Your correspondent will find tlia* he will get little, satisfaction by writing to [the Press. For many years I have written I letters asking for some explanation as to wliy Xew Zealand is Protectionist. I have been replied to in slogans, i.e.. "Buy in }Oin own markets," "Keep out foreign-made goods, "What made America?" "Importation causes, unemployment .and reduces wages," "Look A the monev going out of Xew Zealand. _ " reason with such logic —or to expect reasoning from individuals who such logic is sinip.» futile. A "bastlv feature of the position is time a maioritv of th'o Xew Zealand Labour member* are either Protectionist—nr. worse still, indifferent. it not time that the teaching ' the clements of political economy were mad. compulsory in our schools.' 1 HERBERT MLLMHILL