System or Citizens First?

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 210, 3 June 1935, Page 11

System or Citizens First?

Sir, —1 have just been reading the report of Mr. E. A. Batt, chairman ot the Automobile Association (Wellington) in your paper this morning with considerable interest; and in doing so have been very forcibly reminded of a question that has been asked me many times lately, and a question that is giving me tremendous food for thought. The question is: “Are systems made for men, or are men made for systems?” Please don t laugh and dismiss this with a curt: Ot course, systems are made for men.” Are they?- That is what js'teasing me. I know*, we all know, that the only true and real reason and function of a system is (or should be) for the help, convenience, use and welfare of men, or in other words the individuals, the citizens comprising society. But can we honestly say that our present system, our economic system, functions in its true sense? I know we can’t honestly say it does, For instance, the postal service is rightly of wonderful service to the community; and surely should carry this through in all its multiplicity of departments. The Automobile Association (Wellington) with this true function in mind endeavours to place the interests of its members first, but immediately it comes up against red tape, in a Government office —a State service—which quite evidently, in this respect at any rate, makes its system of primary importance a?id the interests of the citizens subsidiary. Read any paper—it is full of examples of this kind. Think! Each one of us in our individual daily round of business or domestic life, which rule prevails? The system for the citizen, or the citizen for the system? This is a serious, vital question; and it is an individual responsibility and duty to answer it clearly and quickly, and to voice our decision before complete tyranny and chaos overtake us.—l am, etc., K.N. Wellington, May 30.