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Press, 28 July 1987, Page 20

the ability of the future Government to establish an effective and cohesive economic programme. —Yours, etc., R. J. PAWSEY. July 23, 1987.

Sir, —The Labour Government’s economic restructuring has strode like a goose-stepping Nazi over rural New Zealand, crushing it with high inflation, an over-valued dollar, cost excesses of tariffs and crunching livestock taxation changes. On close examination the herd scheme of the livestock taxation is, in effect, an asset tax, supposedly introduced to aid the livestock industry. The cost of this tax will be higher than most farmers realise, and further suppress agricultural production. We should vote against the introductionof the precedent of an asset tax in the coming elections. — Yours, etc., B. K. MACFARLANE, Parnassus. July 23, 1987.

Sir, — Like Y. Tan (July 22) we were pleasantly surprised to discover that Geoff Pearce of the Socialist Alliance is standing against one of Roger Douglas’s henchmen, David Caygill. The Alliance’s immediate call is for a 32-hour working week, which would create both the jobs and the consumer demand necessary for real economic growth. Its longer-term goal is participatory democracy, instead of our currently farcical three-yearly sham. These are vital alternatives to the “more-market" policies of the major parties, which have foolishly neglected the lessons of the 1930 s Depression. But this is not surprising, considering that they put money before humanity. — Yours, etc., PAUL COTTAM, SALLY HUNTER. July 24, 1987.

Sir,—lt is about time Mr Prebble thinks before he speaks about the split within the National Party. He has a serious split within his own party at Pencarrow, or does he not think so?—Yours, etc., (Miss) A. M. POPE. July 25, 1987.