IN THE PUBLIC MIND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 226, 24 September 1938, Page 8

IN THE PUBLIC MIND.

THE GUARANTEED PRICE, NO RISE FOR FARMER. (To the Editor.') Mr. Xa «h'~ guaranteed price for dairy produce i- yet another instance of how much reliance can be placed on the Government. He iiad tlie advice of seven men (four of them the nominees of his own party i who had gone into every detail of tlie matter and consequently knew far better than Mr. Xash did, what was a fair pi ice to pay the f:'"nier. But Mr. Xa.«!i sets aside this reco'innr and, bv juggling with figures, endeavours to prove that he. it- rislit. Truly the dairying world has its own Utile dictator! The Government frequently broadcasts its intention of giving equal rights to all. but that ir- only another of its broken promises. Why is it that city workers arc to receive ">/ a week rise while are to rce. ive le-,.. Is this equal rights? The wage-earner is Mire of his money, but the farmer is not. He frequently has heaw losses of stock and crops and sometimes by storms and flood.-, but these are not taken into account in Mr. Xa-hV guarantee. The results of the new price when farmer- will not be receiving a living wage. will, of course, mean that increasing numbers will walk off their farm?, and so the burden of paying for the ,-ocial t-e<-urity schea.e will inevitably come on the city dweller. Xeither can he e-cape higher costs of living. Mr. Xash evidently felt lie was not giving tlie farmers fair treatment, else he would have announced the price seven weeks as the farmers have persistently been asking him. When the re-ults of last election were known Mr. Savage said people were telling him he would have difficulties, but his very word* were. "I say there are no difficulties." Poor Mr. Savage! He nnir-t be disillusioned by now I I. SEE. WHO PAYS THE TAXES? With the Labour Governments increase in taxes amounting to more than £10,000,000 a year (with still more promised) so that the sum taken out of the pockets of taxpayers now amounts to £36,769.000 per annum, it behoves electors, to ascertain who is finding the maior portion of this money. Of the above firm, £'20.:;41.000 is estimated by Mr. Xash to come from Customs, beer, sales and wages ■taxes. In addition, another £600.000 must be added from amusements and racing. Xow only some 24 per cent of the total of Dominion taxation comes from income tax, and of this SO per cent of income taxpayers have under £.">OO a year: as a matter of fact, income taxpayers in this class represent over 60 per cent of individual income taxpayers in Xew Zealand. Altogether, under the Labour Government, taxation now amounts to £"23 per head of every man. woman and child in the Dominion, whu-h is the highest rate in the world. It means that a wage-earner with a | wife and three children has to find, as a first charge on his earnings. £2 4/ every week. He cannot escape, for he cannot buy without paying sales tax and Customs duties, etc. True, some of the money taken from our pocket* jby the Labour Government has. gone in higher i wages, but, according to the Government i Statistician, the cost of living has. since the 'Labour Government came into office, gone up from an index number of 795 to 947. Is it not rdain to the wage-earner that he is paying the lion's share of taxation? Is he not justified jiii asking whether he might not to better advantage spend his own money, and do his 'own saving, than allow a Government pledged ito Socialism to spend so much in unreproductive work and wasteful extravagance? LOOK AT THE FACTS. WHAT ABOUT SECONDARY INDUSTRIES The Labour party promised and instituted a policy of higher wages and shorter hours. The reflex of such a. policy on the cost of production was probably under-estimated, for our manufacturers now complain of finding it increasily difficult to compete with foreign goods. This is a serious aspect of our economic life, for. if imported articles replace locally manufactured goods it must inevitably result in more unemployment. The ambitious social schemes which will come into force next year call for increased production. X~o amount of money manipulation can distort the fact that if the people are given more money to spend there must be more goods available to meet an increased demand. More goods can only be produced in the form of imported goods, paid for by our exports, or of goods manufactured in Xew Zealand. As the chance of increasing our exports seems small, we must rely on the development- of our secondary industries to provide a rise in the standard of living. At the eve of an election the public has the right to demand from -both political parties that they state definitely how they intend protecting our manufacturers against competition from countries where wages are lower and working hours linger; also what steps they will take to encourage the development of new industries. This matter, which is so very vital to the future prosperity of Xew Zealand, cannot be dismissed with either criticism or self-praise. The electors have the right to demand a very clear definition of future policy. A. ALLAN". ELECTION BROADCASTING. It would be somewhat difficult for anyone to accuse the Prime Minister of making strategical moves in the game of party politics, but in announcing his decision on radio election speeches. I think he. has overstepped the mark of political fair play, without regard to tha principles involved. The undeniable fact that the Xational Broadcasting Service is the property of the people, and not the Government to be used for party gain, is completely forgotten, or not considered. Again, the proposed arrangements are not. fair to the large number of new candidates who will be seriously hampered in their race to the winning post, be they Labour, Nationalist or Independent. One of the avowed characteristics of the AngloSaxou race is fair play, and anything unfair is likely to produce results unfavourable to those responsible. A far better way would have been for the leaders of the various lines of thought in the House to have given out their respective policies at the outset and ] again on the day preceding the elections, making other members. Ministers and others, take equal chances with the new candidates, ' and as a citizen elector of this Dominion I ; venture to suggest that the Prime Minister reconsider his decision. G. F. HOLIBAR. SOCIAL SECURITY. As a young man I consider the Government's Social Security scheme to be one of the finest in the world. Xevertheless. I notice that there seems to be a good many objections to it, because it is going to cost an extra 4d Jin the £. Well, as far as I personallv am 'concerned, I shall be only too pleased to pay it. as I think that it 'is the duty of the youth of to-day to contribute towards those who have pioneered tlii<- country of ours. They have fought and battled tor us. and now it is high lime that they should live in comfort, land I, for one, will be prepared to do mv hit. I TWENTY-FOUR,