THE ELECTION

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26514, 31 August 1951, Page 5

THE ELECTION

, Sir,—-To be progressive, politics, or, by whatever label, national housekeeping, must have regard for certain morally economic factors. Of first importance is the supply availible. Of second, the right of each citizen as member to a sufficiency consistent only with that availability. Last, the discipline necessary in governing to ensure such just and equitable disposition. The fatal lack in a “let-be” system of political administration is an inability or unwillingness to institute and maintain these prime requirements to domestic peace and harmony. Superseding it, the social distribution of goods and services would appear to present mankind with a feasible and proper political instrument for entry into an era of atom-powered productivity. —Yours, etc., FRANCIS WM. HEAL. August 30, 1951. Sir,—This coming Saturday will be a momentous day in the history of New Zealand. Then will be decided the fate of the present and future generations. Having worked in every province in the North and South Islands during the last 30 years, and come into contact with all classes of this fair country’s people. Maori and pakeha, I venture to claim that the electors will, “upon sober reflection," return a people’s government, instead of one for the privileged not so very few. In other words, “To be or not to be” for “where there is no vision, the people perish.”—Yours, etc., DONALD McLEOD. August 30, 1951.

Sir, —In a struggle to gain a mandate for repressive, harsh and unBritish legislation, Mr HolFoake gave a perfervid and ruthless address over the air. It was almost as if we were in danger from a revolutionary army. It is better, surely, to combat dangers from within or Without. Communist or other, by measures designed to cut the ground from under their feet. There is need to spread more evenly the responsibilities of citizenship. We should bring under control those economic end financial powers on which depend the continued rise in the standard of life both within New Zealand and in the world around us. The initiative and push for a better life can only come with wise measures of social justice and through people whose interests lie in promoting them. The Labour Party echoes the century-old cry, “Let Labour be the basis of civil society.”—Yours, etc.. H. A. ATKINSON. August 30. 1951.

Sir, —Mr Kitson -must have had a bad nightmare before his recent letter, when he visualised the Red Army :n Cathedral square. I can imagine his hair on end when he awoke. Mr Kitson apparently does not realise that Communism only flourishes where there is oppression: and the mass of the people have suffered this under the National Government. If he is so dreadfully afraid of Communism he should revise his political views, as Communism is growing under the rule of his party. He comments on the behaviour of certain people at political meetings, but conveniently forgets the behaviour of the Junior National Party at last election, where its members disturbed nearly all Labour meetings. His party cannot expect to have ii all its way.—Yours, etc., E. PARLANE. August 30. 1951.

Sir. —Could I point your attention to a typographical error in my letter in this morning’s issue, namely, the substitution of the word "country” for “currency.” The letter loses point and to your few critical readers must appear stupid. The many uncritical don’t count anyway. My typewritten copy reads: “It needed a second world war to show Britain the difference it makes to be able, or not, to buy in your own currency.”—Yours, etc., ANDREW KYDD. August 29, 1951.

Sir,—A correspondent, taking exception to the slogan, “A vote for Labour is a vote for Communism,’’ says the implication is that anybody voting for Labour is a Communist. That interpretation is quite wrong. What the slogan does mean is quite apparent if viewed in connexion with to-day’s political situation. We have the Labour Partv with its poor and pitiful record not requiring repetition, and the National Party, whose attitude to Communism likewise does not require repetition. There is also the fact that every Communist is flocking to the Labour standard. What the slogan means is obvious.—Yours, etc.. V. WILKINSON

Mitcham. August 30. 1951. Sir,—“Labour’s Progressive Policy” includes the item “Re-enact the legislation acquiring New Zealand’s coal measures for the people.” The cost of this acquisition was estimated to exceed the rresent amount of the national debt. How is it to be paid for? By issuing enough paper money to make our currency valueless? By taxation of twenty shillings in the £1? Another ominous item reads “Reinstate import control.” But where can we get the skilled labour, or, indeed, any labour, for increasing local manufactures, when there is such an acute shortage of labour for essential works that even such a matter of urgency as the abolition of level crossings has been lost to sight? Why “Rigidly control trade with ex-enemv countries”? Does Mr Nash think that we are virtually at war with Germany and Italy? Or is this a private war against people who should be valuable allies and friends? Yours, etc., A.L. August 30, 1951.

Sir,—Can you inform me, in what electorate the Christchurch Hospital is placed and what provision is made for collecting votes of the patients? At the last election, a lady relative was an inmate of the hospital. A member of the board handed ballot papers to the patients, watched the papers being marked, and collected them. That, to the patients, seemed the end of the ballot, which was not the secret ballot it was supposed to be. Surely the returning officer should provide a more satisfactory method of a ballot being taken and a member of his staff appointed to deal with hospital patients, with a sealed box used for patients to drop the ballot paper into.—Yours, etc., SECRET BALLOT. August 28, 1951.

[“The polling staffat the Christchurch Public Hospital, which is in the Fendalton electorate, are paid staff and are not appointed by the parties,” said the returning officer for Fendalton electorate (Mr G. W. Brown), when this letter was referred to him. “They are instructed before commencing duties that they must not examine postal ballot papers which are marked by the patients. If the patients do their part they should be able to vote in secrecy.”!