A REVIEW OF THE YEAR

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22594, 27 December 1938, Page 14

A REVIEW OF THE YEAR

TO TM KDITOK Of THE PBISS Sir, —The year is drawing to a close and I desire to thank you for allowing space in your correspondence columns on various occasions during the last 12 months. I doubt if the last year will go down in history as one of sound achievement. Want of confidence, general unrest among a large section of wage-earners, insecurity amongst investors, and a lowering value of primary products as measured against sterling do not reflect much credit on our Socialist Government, which has been given the trusteeship of our financial security for the time being. Apart from finance, the promises made to restore the unemployed back into productive work have not been fulfilled. The Government is not so lavish with bonuses the Christmas following the election as the one previous. All those who have been placed on sustenance for the Christmas-New Year _ vacation should do some straight thinking for themselves. The over-staffed army of grass chippers and others from .one end of New Zealand to the other now know their rank and title, at the whim of the Government. They are too much prone to be carried away by glib sayings and follow the leader style of abuse of anyone criticising mob thought. Further, their leaders are careful not to go short of cash for their own pocket. Those on sustenance are the least able to protect themselves. Nobody wants them except for high taxation on the food they eat and their vote at election time.

The coming year does not look hopeful, taking a general view. Taxes are low compared with what they are going to be; control of imports will tend to put those out of employment who deal in foreign goods. Also, not so many waterside workers will be required. Machinery will be used wherever possible for the manufacture of New Zealand-made goods, and under the general labour laws will be very costly. The Socialist Government has no land policy that ■vC’ill increase export, primary production and wealth, which in its turn would automatically increase secondary industries. A progressive land policy does not suit a Socialist Government. It would, if it could, make serfs of farmers. Its main objective is to keep in power, and at the same time keep its hirelings in a job. A Socialist Government’s progressive destruction of wealth never has and never will bring prosperity to wage-earners, or constructively bring about contented trade unionism. The coming year should be a very interesting one and the Minister for Labour will be a busy man juggling the figures to make it appear that unemployment is not on the increase.—Yours, etc., H. BLISS. Heathcote, December 26, 1938.