POLITICAL ECONOMY OR POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY?

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 609, 11 September 1909, Page 10

POLITICAL ECONOMY OR POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY?

.DR. FINDLAY "ANp, UNEMPLOYMENT. etill: in, doubt as tc , whether Dr. imdlny is a profeund Eeonomisi P e ™7, ? a «*ponentor political expediency p*viiap3/ aia;-recent. address,' ou unemployment ' ■ ' oa conclusion. ;Tho doctor, after reeoj*isint\'th6 gravity -of his subjeot, *"* d T ei Y. 8 ? English-experience, > where he: re, ■ prowii 15 thftt the nwd to raise the 60c1&Motg] is actiTelr TeMgijsed; he, next pointed to Denwar* ana Holland, where th» dissolute and idle disposed are the care of the State, but ho . PMSM.on ; witlwotexplaining; whether he pro- . posed to similarly; take these things in oharae, to»iflg.<to>fc«.isiigjMtad remedy . for the ills aesoivDed^he -stems,- press reports, to 'M:?»*«_nothrtrto--bSer beyond an extension of tno Petone -WorJunen,'s - Homes'; scheme,pre. -BUmatjly with larger, areas. ,on whieh men are to eulhvatevefcelpblcs whilo waiiinfr to ba tele---Pwnen.for by,the ;Harbonr-Bpard,'. or by others ;; ; , Maturing- labour.'. This; conception- ; is, Ivicar', not of much praotical value,, as thi men who - v. Jollow casual, work must .be, on the spot when , panted, but the'suggestion is -of. importance, since, with nothing l,oyond,, it; throws a ;lurid Bidfr-hght-on the fact that; dcspito all'tho laws made nndirom time to'timoame'ndsd during the Jast eighteen years to improva 'tho condition of a fe or - nn^ • his i EOOialr.relations;, yet we still havo rill out of. work -and in disi ' tho Doctor- tells Us of. Jn 7iow 1 J-t l A a t n d as>creafing a .dntj" on the citiwns, the Doctor, :romlnded. his audience -of tno great increase in, tto ,unimproved value of Government valuations r j v 1 r M C3 ' la ?? and rents' ntuT? doubled, and sometimes quadrupled; . increased . ./ PWanobTO value, , and these valuations add heavily.to-the burdens of tho'individual and the general community.- ~ • Tho »»> -purpose,; however,. of 'my ;addre'ss-: :"f. y® u '? j° suggest to-tho; Doctor 3that so : serious a laek : of : epiployMcnt in .thisinew'and laigely ; undeveloped - country) brings much dis.' oreujt: upon the .measures and : nritensions' of ' ' •*t huge 'borrowing,' assisted' ' b y toe watr.development whiqh- followed;\jpon: J '-ioarlcet being -found 'for '-.produce'..by tho freezing process,- tho Governmenthas.for'eigh- . teen years beertienabledto. flout.economic laws, • .but; it» appears/that borrowing-, andtaxation cannot, keep pace. with; the: demands so, iricitedi .>■ have to t asain faceithe primal.posi«' ; tion. The: Government pnr-1 .• may. generally, .bo;described' byl tho' title : -..ot. a recent American book as a fHaid on- Pro* ... Bpenty.i. In, .'civilised r,community," 'propros* and prosperity •'depend mostly 'upon'in- , . ..dividual enterprise and intelligence withopporuinity, Capital -again-is only . plentiful-and , ; -are justlaws and security under/ them. Ignoring: the, Uke, : ; the ■ Govern/ment :iias chosen; to prefer .the securing of •'class' , 'by : eoneeding: capricious > Knd - unreasonable demands;.- .At every..turn:-laws- vexatious ; - a harassing, to ; employers 1 have been enneted, ; iMiotin(f ;responsibilities - and■ chargesupon, them alike oppressive; and unjust, v;:.T[s it any ■v. Vrpnder.that 'trnder." tbese circumstances, employ- ; : ment has .fallen, off,. and/thatvthe. primary in- • v dustries of the country;suoh as.the;winning'of umbcr, :flax, bush clearing are all ; : janßmshing, ..andthat individuals''desiring/ to- ; -bttud 'by : "so:;reridered'exorbitant? Why»-as sbown;by the notion of Go--lirdrnmenc itself over -the tenders for s 'the Wei-.-vlingtohand Anokland Post Offices, that-Depart.. :,;.;v>inent to "call a'halt.'i',-, • These briefly are some of the signs of tho • v times jwhich . call; for:.a- changein our. putyio •; 'polioy- vThat; a Socialistio ; stato r of. isociety ; is to' created, dream,;hn'd. if, ;a worse. state 'is •Mt.-Boon to; overtake^?,' the. use of'perial -taxa-' .tioa for the, purposes of oppression 'Will havo - to cease. An Australian newspaper in an article Recently - criticising our -finances,' : held: that :by. are 'sola, into Jong years, of.. /. tsjavery. •; vT-his is * probably /an - extreme yiew,-; • WithtftsTgeuexo-ns .soil: an 4 climate' .is;exceptionelly..produotivo > v .when frted ;:;.N*ro]n^the ".present shackles, upoii'its' indu'strUs .>j;vjnd,.developm that a^-it'' the' P^itipn;exi!{hpg s '&nd;the-;ou^ ;> v';fpr; careful' examinanon^-.for^tHe^latfk\oi--'em-• ; "ploymentris--not .to be -materially:rehoved by . ~;;;tn9; ; >;\tow ; these. - honest.-Mwould-bo:.gardeners-—I am, uL L t „ ' fecONOMIST frfmbar^