THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 128, 1 June 1934, Page 6

THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.

The extent to which finance impose? poverty on many thousands of our best citizens is echoed by a remark of the Prime Minister, who recently stated that the Governmejit desired, to improve the condition of relief workers if at all possible within the limits imposed by the finance available. The question naturally arises why finance should define the condition of workers whose services themselves should define the amount of finance. Surely -we put the cart before the horse when we say that figures in books (for this is all that most of our money is in these days) shall govern the condition of our best a&sets, the workers who produce the goods. The only limit to the' improvement of the position of workers should be the goods and services resulting from industry iu a bountiful land. The condition of all our people can be 'improved only by using our wealth, which does not consist of money figures, but of the service of capable and industrious people. Money figures cannot grow through taxation, but only through greater use of goods and services, and financial savings are valueless unless services are used to produce goods. The Government should make finance fit the goods and not vice versa. W. J. GATENBY.