STATE EMPLOYMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1188, 25 July 1911, Page 9

STATE EMPLOYMENT.

THE CUESE OF NEW ZEALAND. Sir,—ln reply: to Mr. 11. D. Vavasour's letter in your .issue of to-day, the only remedy for what he rightly points out is to sell the railways, abolish tho Public Works Department, pay oil tho public debt, revert to the doctrine 01 private enterprise, as Canada has rigidly followed since 1875, and so end the debased cooperative system. My suggestion is to construct all future railways required on the security, of local rating; but to hand tho running rights, over (as in England, where there arc 280 different railway companies) to the trunk line directors best able to manage them. Seeing that the Government cannot manage the railways properly now, and commissioners cannot manage them (Victoria has shown that), we must rely upon directors' management. This policy would not only reduce the cost of living lo every worker (brain and hand I mean) in New Zealand, seeing that, it would to vastly veduco the general taxation, but would also provide plenty of employment. Whatever disadvantages llicre may bo. in the working of tho privately-owned transcontinental lines in other countries would not apply here, as our trunk lines can always be competed with by our coastal fleet. There can never Ixi freight monopoly in New Zealand. As to efficient management, there will not be a, doubt as to that, if nrivate companies are given an assured tenure, with State resumption absolutely eliminated.

The dependence of 130,00 of our population upon State employment and the heavy taxation to upkeep it, with the practical submersion of private enterprise, is causing a very considerable amount of unemployment in our townships, and a great struggle to make ends meet with all pronle havin? fixed incomes. I hear rnmplainfs on all sides as to both these, things. Neither Sir Joseph Ward nor any of his Ministers'appears to have the slightest knowledge of economic government, oi what is wanted in the true interests of the people. If they, havo they ignore it. In place of frankly admitting that the Dominion has been sufficiently opened up by public works, which should never again be undertaken hero. Ministers are, actually touring the Dominion hogging the constituents to return "borrowing member*." Surely life public conscience will awaken at such n degradation and demand that onblic borrow!wr shall cease. Neither do Mr. Mnssc.v and his 0.-irfy porc";ve (he absolute necessity of stopning all further borrowing, payiria oil the debt, and ranging themselves' under the stan-

dard of private, enterprise, Public works have proved themselves tno very sink of :iii<|iiiiy in New Zealand. 1 can assure la.: trade unions that the co-operative system ot Govcrnmenc labour is the ghastliest farce ever imposed upon them, with tne unerring result that taxation here is in-arly double what it is in Canada. Also, in mis favoured corner ot the Kinpivc there will be plenty of work for everybody directly the Government ceases employing a tingle man beyond those required 'in, say, the t'ost, '.Telegraph, and a lew other necessary ol(iees of State. Men in the railway service here complain bitterly that they cannot pay their way upon 8s". a day. 1 finite believe them, as I know how expensive the cost of living is in my own family. There will be no alteration until the Government ceases having 130,000 dependents, and really sets about the work of paying oft' tl\o public debt. Cabinet Ministers royally float in a sea of public expenditure and public patronage, in place of unselfishly saying what is really best for the work-people. Hut the Nemesis of a too-great public demand for works (which they have themselves fostered) is at their doors, and threatens them now, quite rightly, with destruction. No one will pity them, seeing how far they have, gone from the safe policy John Ballance instituted, in the best interests of the workers, viz., a lessened, not an increased, public taxation. There is but one cry from the North Cape to the HI lift' at the enormous cost of living, but the Government deliberately and cruelly for its own ends draws its million surplus, and wastes it on every side. As a late instance, ,£250 is offered every village in the Dominion to expend upon the King's Coronation, whereas Australia will not expend that amount even in its great cities. Such lavish expenditure is not required and absolutely inexcusable. We could all honour our good King's Coronation without such waste.

I have always written in general, never in party interests. In this letter I take exception to Mr. Massoy's concession to the borrowing mania by insisting that his party must serve New Zealand under the standard of private enterprise. Tin's is the track 1 am now blazing for all our interests, and it is this track Mr. Vavasour evidently wishes New Zealand to follow. My word to the work-people- is that our Government should not own a wheelbarrow or a spado, outside the few absolutely necessary Departments reouired by the'public service. Jt was in 1875 that Sir John M'Donald, 'Premier of Canada, seeing the degradation brought about by the Government expenditure of borrowed millions, banished the whole thing from that Parliament, and no one to-day there would venture to propose a reversion to that policy. Sir Wilfrid Laurier is a statesman, and he appears highly amused at Sir Joseph Ward's proposals at the present Imperial Conference, if we may judge from the ruthless manner ho is rejecting them. ITe must laugh at 130,000 of our population in receipt of Government support.—l am, etc.. COLEMAN PHILLIPS. fThis letter owing to its length has been delayed in publication.]