Waitaki

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29766, 8 March 1962, Page 3

Waitaki

Sir,—“Disillusioned Former Labour Supporter’s” letter is full of errors. The "secret agreement” does not give a monopoly. It guarantees 80 per cent, of the trade in surgical cotton goods to Smith and Nephew, Ltd. (They already have 74 per cent, of it in open competition.) When in full production they will manufacture only 20 per cent, of the present import of cotton goods. Unless “Disillusioned Nationalist’s” wife wears dresses made of meat wraps or bandages she will not see any more duplication of the pattern she is wearing than at present .because Smith and Nephew will not be manufacturing prints. It is all in the "secret” agreement. His talk of expropriation is just plain silly. The socialism of Marx (Chinese Socialists) and English Socialism (the Fabian school of thought) are poles apart. Would “D.F.LS.” like me to explain the difference, because I don’t think he knows what he is talking about?— Yours, etc., A. F. PALMER.

Waimate, March 5, 1962. [The agreement, the text of which was published in our issue of October 20, assured the company of 80 per cent of the New Zealand market for all its products except meat wraps, for which it was guaranteed a third of the market. The products covered by the agreement in the first stage (up to 1964) were: meat wraps, denims, cotton wool, surgical dressings, winceyettes. and diaper cloth.—Ed., “The Press.”]

Sir, "Disgusted With Labour” quotes Mr Nash as saying that existing tables would not be changed if the Government next day was a Labour Government. The tables were changed on several occasions, more noticeably in October, 1960, when the exemption from social security tax on the first £lO4 of income was abolished. This cut of £7 16s per annum is a severe blow to those on small fixed incomes. Granted that, the personal exemption of £468 was put in its place; but a large section of the community have incomes much below this figure.—Yours, etc., S. ANN. March 7, 1962.

Sir,—“L.F.H.” should face facts. Labour Ministers were good when it came to socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange; to quote Mr Nash, “I am an ardent socialist” Big monopolies that could easily be socialised were a speciality, viz., the Labour secret agreements recently made public by a National Government. Were the people of New Zealand considered when the Labour Government promised a white elephant railway to Nelson, and a cotton mill that would sky-rocket prices, restrict choice and monopolise the market? Labour Ministers could work together when the object was the winning of a marginal seat. Fortunately, the people of New Zealafid put sound government and the good of New Zealand as a whole first. As for other things, one- senior Labour Minister, at least, admitted he had to depend on the press to know what his colleagues were doing. According to "L.FJI.” that is -sound business ability.—Yours, etc., DISGUSTED WITH LABOUR. March 7. 1962.