Government’s Policy

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 103, 25 January 1933, Page 11

Government’s Policy

Sir, —A further example of Government wisdom has just been enunciated by its pronouncement that no further curtailments are to take place in regard to the higher-paid officials. Do the members of the Cabinet go about lacking the knowledge that in many mercantile firms, dismissals of senior members has taken place, that “cuts” have been made in a vast number of cases from 30 per cent, to 50 per cent, even in the lower-paid ranks” Not that I am advocating the rank and file of the service having any further curtailment in their wages, but another 10 per cent, at least should be deducted from those receiving over £5OO, or even £4ao per annum. Apart from the fact that so many dismissals have been made in practically all th( -Government departments, which naturally does not now. entail so much supervision, the fact that values m New Zealand have to be written down vastly, decidedly warrants more thau the reduction which has already been made. One is becoming tired of Government actions for which there is no rhyme or reason. Everything nowadays is at a discount, and I am sure that 99 people.out of 100 would discount in their own minds the present -worth of Cabinet and qur departmental heads more than anything else. Here we have wheat bolstered up for the benefit of the flourmiller. Apparently, from what one reads of Cabinet s decision, the minimum weight of milling wheat is to be 611 b.; in other words, the only way the Government can justify its action in keeping up the price of flour is by increasing the weight of milling quality. One can imagine the quantity of fowl wheat which will be available with the tremendous surplus, and here again the Department of Industries and Commerce has made a false move, in that they are penalising the poultry-man. etc., by keeping up a fictitious price. How are our egg and othei allied exporters going to compete against other markets? I have always advocated a certain higher rate of exchange, and . goodness knows it has been long enough in coming, but to increase it to £l2a is out of all reason. A maximum of. ?r £ll< 10/- would have been quite sufficient. It makes one ponder as to who the Government’s advisers are. There does not appear to be the slightest idea of moderation in their Wellington. January 23.