NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 261, 30 July 1932, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

Sunshine is one of those free grants of Nature which most of us do not count in our assets until we experience its lack in less fortunate climes. Then, like Mr. Hindmarsh whose observations were published yesterday, 1 we will probably return with the conviction that “sunshine is the great point in a New Zealander’s life.” The Official Year Book remarks there is no doubt that New Zealand’s greatest asset is its climate, and the outstanding feature of the climate is that, in spite.of a high average rainfall and rather windy, conditions, the proportion of sunshine is everywhere high. On the authority of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, sunshine “exercises a tonic effect on the body and is equally stimulating to the mind.” If that is the case there is the less excuse for the prevailing gloom. It is time to open the community shutters and let the sunshine do its curative work.

How high taxation injures business is illustrated by the remarks of a Wellington bookseller and stationer published yesterday. He found that increased postage rates affected his sales in several directions. No doubt it prejudiced the business of many other firms who used the post to get in touch with customers. As soon as the high rates were abolished the retailer found his sales were increasing and in a way that would also benefit Post Office revenue, The latter’s net revenue showed a considerable improvement but this was not due to the growth of receipts but to the decline of expenses. Apparently the Post Office was handling a smaller volume of business at higher rates which would account for the maintenance of revenue while expenditure was severely cut.. But so far as the economies affected staffing they would probably be made at the expense of the State through the Unemployment Fund. From the national viewpoint it would have been better policy to attract a larger volume of business at lower rates and so justify the carrying si ® Jarggf