“Bandits All”

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 250, 18 July 1931, Page 9

“Bandits All”

Sir, —Popular opinion certainly is the most potential power of control, and irrespective whether it be for right or wrong, it forges ahead, all giving it a most respectful passage. The Press lives and swims in its waters. If this opinion was on the right track its immense strength must pull things straight; but, judging from results, is not this popularity a strength against us? For instance, look at the deep and wide adverse criticism of capital (the people’s savings) and banks (their saving-boxes), yet we live in a time when most of us depend upon those very savings because of a superabundance of spenders to savers, so that they hold our very existence;

so why fight them? Does the calf fight its mother for its milk of life? No! A unity of good-will between us spells the secret of success. A little more saving from the majority and the banks lose their importance.

The people have become all bandits. There is an old proverb which tells us a few bandits living in close proximity to a diligent community can thrive well, but if all turn bandit the whole scheme goes to pieces. And when looked at in this light the humour of the position must appear, as without doubt we are all just now robbers of our industrial, commercial machine to a man, and New Zealand is. still losing many thousands a day trying to sell her labour upon the world’s markets wrapped up in wool bales. It all seems too evident; popular ideas should be reversed and my advice is for all unemployed to support Professor Tocher’s advice lately given at a meeting of farmers for the suspension (for a time at least) of the Arbitration Court . . . But this is not popular opinion.—I am, ’ W. SISSON. Hastings, July j 3.

Letters on the subject of the State Forest Service appear on Page 12.