The Labour Government

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29384, 10 December 1960, Page 3

The Labour Government

Sir, —I must criticise your editorial, “The Second Labour Government” for I do not believe most New Zealanders will feel obliged to be sorry for Mr Nash and the Government. At the age of 75 Mr Nash was too experienced a man to be indulging in the practice of spectacular election promises which, as he was a member of the finance committee of the House, he knew he could not possibly carry out. Something had to go, and in the bvetit it was the election-eve undertaking not to increase taxes, which were rocketed up to fantastic heights. As the breaker of a solemn promise. Mr Nash has properly forfeited the confidence of the electorate. By the same token, if Mr Holyoake side-steps his own declaration. “We will definitely reduce the rates of taxation,” emblazoned all over your paper during the recent campaign, then he. too, will deserve his fate and will merit no sympathy from ‘‘most New Zealanders.”—Yours, etc.. H. D. S. MacKENZIE. Timaru, December 8. 1960.

Sir, —The win of the National Party was largely due to the “hit back” attitude of financial sufferers. Elderly widows and single persons on low, fixed incomes had their personal exemption of £420 under National reduced in two stages to £345 under Labour, thus bringing them into the tax-gatherer’s net. A current restoration to £465 failed to undo the damage created. So “out on its neck” went the Labour Government.— Yours, etc., THE PAST. December 9, 1960.

Sir, —In answer to “Future,** no New Zealand newspaper abused the Labour Government for the mess they made of the social security because it went their way. If they had raised all pensions £1 a week they would be in . power today.—Yours, etc., FAR BACK DAN. December 9, 1960.