LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24051, 13 September 1943, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

‘ ——♦ Ada Webb. —Sorry, that is an advertising matter. G. L. Hewart.—Thank you, but cannot use at present. W. J. Dunlop.—See rules for correspondents first column, leader page. REHABILITATION Sir, —I think lam correct when*l say that in a broadcast the other evening the Minister of Rehabilitation (Major Skinner) said that men who had done service in New Zealand, if only a fortnight, without overseas service, would be entitled to all the advantages and benefits of rehabilitation. If that statement is correct, I think it carries rehabilitation to the point of farce. Where does the sacrifice come in? As far as I know the R.S.A. does not accept membership of men who have never left these shores. As a returned man from the last war and interested in rehabilitation, I would be glad to know if the position is as indicated above. —Yours, etc.,

6 BAR.

• September 6, 1943. [The Minister of Rehabilitation advises that “all former servicemen who have served either overseas or in New Zealand are eligible for assistance under the Rehabilitation Act. Financial assistance, however, is not as of right, and generally some distinction is drawn between the man who has served in a fighting zone and the man who has served in New Zealand only, unless it is disclosed that the latter has suffered hardship or disability as a result of service. Length of service, and nature of disability, if any, are factors that are taken into consideration when dealing with applications. Each application is considered on its merits and assistance is given to the fullest extent possible.”]

POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION Sir, —I was glad to see in “The Press” of Thursday your report of the meeting of the Post-war Reconstruction Society, at which the speakers were criticising the two main election policies now being placed before us as being too selfish and insular.' Both parties are offering us prosperity and security, but we New Zealanders needs must realise that if we succeed in maintaining a high standard of living, of comfort and security we do so at the expense of less fortunate people in other parts of the world. Take, for example, our linen flax industry. The National Party promises "every protection”; the Labour Party proposes to maintain and extend this new industry. Do people know that if we do this after the war we will throw out of work the linen flax workers of Belgium, who are now, because of the war, unable to supply Britain?— Yours, etc., MURIEL MORRISON. September 10, 1943. PIG PRODUCTION Sir,—The Government is calling for more pig production. For years quite a number of farmers have collected buttermilk for their sows from the dairy. To-day all the customers for the buttermilk received the following: “I havfe to advise that as from October 1, 1943, arrangements have been made for the sale of our buttermilk in bulk arid no further supplies will be available to you as from that date.” This means that numbers of sows will go out of production and I understand that the people who are to get the buttermilk in bulk breed no pigs.—Yours, etc., HARD HIT. September 7,1943. FINANCE FOR WAR AND PEACE Sir,—When in 1920 a deputation of unemployed asked Sir Denniston Miller, of the Commonwealth Bank, if he could finance the same amounts for the relief of unemployment as he had done ' for war, Governor Miller answered, “Yes, I will do what I can.” It has taken the aftermath of a war, an unprecedented depression, and another holdbaust to make some politicians (mainly the mouthpieces of vested interests) see that the progress of mankind in times of peace must not be hampered by monetary considerations. Just how it is to be done is a matter for earnest thought, for out of the doing of it will assuredly come freedom or bondage, harmony or discord, peace or war. H. G. Wells says that, Lord Keynes notwithstanding, we may wake up with a wad of money in our pockets which will buy nothing. But what Wells does not say is that it is debt money.—Yours, etc., AIV . „ , T. POWELL. Albury, September 9, 1943. A COMPARISON Sir,—Mr F. W. Doidge’s comparison of 1931 and 1938 does not favour a National Government. When the Natlonahsts were in power in 1931 a credit of millions was accumulating in London, while in New Zealand women waited in queues outside-relief depots and adolescent children ran wetfooted. with the inevitable result that to-day many of the men examined for military purposes are not grade 1: and a poor system of social insurance existed then. In 1938 New Zealand had work for all. Railways, roads, and houses were in course of construction. But the purse strings of international finance were held by men of the same political colour as Mr Doidge, and it was evident that the now praised legislation of New Zealand was then going to be squashed.—Yours etc., _ _ W. J. PARSONS. September 10, 1943.

NATIONAL PARTY MANIFESTO Sir, —The National Party’s manifesto. “What of To-morrow?”, is full of inconsistencies wrapped round with specious promises. After quoting with approval Mr Churchill’s statement “It must be expected that taxation after the war will be heavier than it was before the war,” the manifesto says, “The National Party will give the family man a fair deal.” How*? we ask. It is obvious that there cannot be less taxation on the lower incomes without higher taxation on the higher incomes to maintain the expected higher taxation after the war, or the converse. The manifesto asks, “How many weeks do you work for the Gov-

eminent?” In other words, ‘‘How many weeks do you work for ‘the State to provide national and social security for everyone?” My worst wish for the authors of the manifesto is that .no single one of them ever works less than 10 weeks each year “for the Government.”—Yours, etc., >• H. G. KILPATRICK. September 10, 1943. ELECTION QUESTIONS “I fought for New Zealand and the Empire” writes: “Our young men are away fighting for freedom in ‘ every part of the world. Politicians during the election campaign- prattle - about it more than ever. For more than four years I gave my young . life fighting for it on Gallipoli and m What is the position in New Zealand to-day? Freedom has disappeared; Parliament hardly rules any more: the controllers, the deputy controllers, and the controller of controllers implement the hundreds > of laws made by orders-in-council. Each. becomes a dictator unto himself; he issuesbis orders and instructions to the public he controls, but never any payment;. “Returned 1918,” replying to “Returned 1941,” says: “1 repeat Let Us Remember Them' in many ways. Hundreds of our soldiers of 1914-18 lost their positions to the .immigrant who came later. They gave speculators and dealers-in property a full hand to rob the soldier who wanted land. They starved-him and his during the depression. ; During last war one did not have to say much to get gaol; to-day one w say a whole lot and no offence, thanks to free speech to-day.’’- . , , “D.F.H. writes: “One hundred women and men recorded a complete vote of confidence in our Labour Government to-day (September 9) at the Makikihi Linen Flax Mill, when Mr Adams (Labour candidate for Waitaki) gave a short address to employees. As an indication of the esteem and l faith the Labour Party is held in by the working classes ■ of New Zealand, it is all the more difficult for,us, those same people to understand the very evident hostility displayed in your editorials towards Labour’s policy/ when- nothing detrimental is ever directed against the people’s old downfall—National.” On taxation, “Less Income” writes: “Mr Nash’s stock argument is that it is not the taxes a person pays but what he has left that counts. He prates about the aggregate rise in incomes*! - but everyone knows it was done-by wholesale printing of , money, and that outside the food groups, etc., which are controlled by subsidies, of £3,000,000 from taxation, the pound is not worth half what it was before Labour took over. ... There is a large class whose incomes on the whole are smaller, namely, those who are trying to live on the investment of their life savings. They have had a rough spin.” “National Listener” writes: “It is very pleasing to notice from your short leader on external affairs that you have taken Mr Doidge to task for his extremely indiscreet utterances at Ashburton on this question. Mr Doidge is evidently quite out of touch with New Zealand public opinion; and it would be wise for him to restrain his enthusiasm regarding Great Britain and the Empire when making party speeches. The history of New Zealand during the last 40 years is quite sufficient proof of the 1 loyalty in this country as far as the British Empire is concerned, and to insult, or practically insult a more than friendly ally is indiscreet and uncalled for.”

"Economic Democracy” writes: *'A year or so after Major C. H. Douglas discovered the basic fault in tße money system and formulated a remedy for it, he stated that any great new idea took about 20 years to become universally recognised as such; A little over 20 years has passed since then and I think it may be justly claimed that Douglas’s discovery has become a major influence in politics. All political organisations in New Zealand to-day place “government control of credit” in the forefront of their respective policies. Such unity of purpose is a tribute to Major Douglas, though it may not be generally attributed to him.” POINTS FROM OTHER LETTERS “Thankful” disapproves of the proposed celebration of victory over Italy as distracting the people “for a whole week from war services, to preparing an opportunity to pat ourselves on the back. This is a time for humility arid thankfulness and concentrated effort. ... I hope Mr Fraser will be big enough to cancel the request and let us get on with thfe. job.” “Common Sense” also disapproves of the proposed celebrations, quoting President Roosevelt’s remark that “the time has not yet come for celebrations.” The writer says that “hundreds of gallons of petrol will be wasted if these parades take place” and alludes to a statement by the Minister of Supply that “the petrol stocks in our country are in as serious a position to-day as at any time during the war years.” If vast quantities of petrol are to be used “why not do so in providing outings for the convalescent heroes of our 2nd N.Z.E.F.?”

“Father of Soldiers” agrees with “Sine Die” about appeals for Grade I men. “In the Great War,” he writes, “the Government exempted fanners who promised to grow wheat. Why not make, the farmer of to-day, who shelters behind a farm, produce a certain quantity of what is needed, not loaf around the farm watching our sons march away?” On ■ the same subject “1914” writes: “In the last war I marched at one time in France for 90 miles through nothing but wheatfields—no fences, just wheat; and being a farmer myself, I think I know what wheat is. In the villages I saw only old men, women, and youths. The fit men were in their proper place —the firing line. These people put in this wheat and with a little assistance from troops out of the line spelling, harvested it.” .

Italian Assets Seized.—The Tokyo radio has reported that the Japanese have seized the property of all Italian enterprises in the occupied zones of East Asia, including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Manchuria, occupied China, and the South Seas area.—London, September 12.