A NATIONAL POLICY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 29, 4 February 1933, Page 8

A NATIONAL POLICY.

NEW METHODS FOR NEW CONDITIONS

(To the Editor.)

If I were Prime Minister I would let tlti exchange look after itself or hang .J would forget about the national debt loaa g falling due &nd interest payments for which the Government has to budget. I would have unrestricted exports except as to quality an( j proper handling. I would not care a hang what it fetohed—those we owe money to would look after that. I would have only a foreign duty on imports, or a graduated duty, according to the values of exported products to the various countries. For example, say our total exports are £60,000,000; England purchase £40,000,000; her duty impost would be onethird of our standard, say, 30 per cent duty on all imports, in other words, 10 per cent. If America purchased the balance of £20,000,000 of our exports her duty would be two-thirds of our standard duty, namely, 20 per cent' all others the full 30 per cent. If our local industries could survive against goods imported from England were she to purchase all our exports and there was no duty, then thojj local industries would have every right to survive, or otherwise go out of existence. The result would be the population would he thrown back to the land and the towns would mark time until prosperity overtook ua again. New Zealand would become the cheapest country in the world to live in, and therefore a vast increase in population could be expected. To further consolidate the country a land policy must be introduced to this effect: The standardising of land values and closer settlement along the railway routes and main highways. Within fifteen miles of such routes no land to be held in more than 100-acre blocks of ploughable land; all in excess to be subdivided into 60 to 80 acre farms, housed, fenced and set up with unemployment money and canteen funds. Owners of land in excess of 100 acres to receive rental from the Government on a land value of £30 per acre at a per cent for 30 years, or until sold privately. After the 30 years the whole thing can be reviewed, released or returned and subjected to valuation of improvements. The increase in the volume of traffic on the : railways would be enhanced, which would be a good thing. Towns en route would be benefited and farming would become populaT and less isolated if such a scheme were put into effect. I would bar transport of goods by motor lorry in competition with railways if railways could cope with it satisfactorily. Motor lorry feeders to the railway I would encourage. I would absolutely forbid labour organisations, but I would guarantee or compel a wage to be paid to a man and wife giving 25 per cent over living costs, to be ascertained; if a man could get more, well and good. As to child welfare, I would, out of the Consolidated Fund, pay to each child at birth 2/6 per week, increased each year by 2d until 14 years, when it would receive 4/8 per week, after which time nntil 21 years of age I would reduce the 4/8 per week by 8d per year, when payment would •be worked out. Although at 21 the last payment would be only Bd, the recipient would have the pleasant feeling that the old man Government was not a bad sort of fellow and not the bugbear of to-day. Government would be simplified if the elections were purely for or against the issue. Ins and outs, as it were, no party jumble. If you are not satisfied, well, the ins vote for the outs, and when ill do the best they can with the material available and hope for the best. TWOBA.