Problems For Parliament

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 150, 20 March 1936, Page 13

Problems For Parliament

Sir, —Iu Tuesday's “Dominion” “Student” asks what are the underlying eviis that have been the cause of our economic troubles and how to adjust them. Consideration for space permits only a brief summary of a few of the defects in the general development and administration of this Dominion. Reflection teaches us that errors in economic thinking on the part of politicians and others have inflicted grave injury to our social welfare. With the early opening of Parliament will come publication—despite Government evasiveness—of a policy that has been promised will clear the mist away and pave the road to Utopia. Despite utterances by Cabinet Ministers all thinking electors know that there still exists in this Dominion one major problem that dwarfs all others. This is the inflated land values that for so long have deprived people of their natural right. The farmers’ control of government has passed into the hands of a well-organised political force that has promised -in the near future there will be no more slums, no more poverty, guaranteed prices to farmers, and last but not least, the abolition of all boards and commissions. If these promises assist in restoring confidence so much the better providing it is not overlooked that to increase the wealth of this Dominion this wealth must be multiplied. To solve the problem of unemployment the first step is to establish camps in which unemployed men can be trained to improve suitable land for small holdings. To relieve the congestion in our towns the aim should be to create a multitude of small holdings on which men can grow food for themselves and their families. Admittedly this has been advocated time and again, but repetition is the only way to get any idea through the ear of some politicians. Land aggregation and monopoly has been permitted to become a very real obstacle to increasing our rural population. _ The United Government was responsible for a large desertion of men and women from the country to the towns, thus adding to the number of casual or unskilled labour. It is now preposed to absorb this labour on extensive public works of doubtful economic value. Here again it must be carefully borne i» mind that this Dominion can no longer afford to run its head against the stone walls of economic law and fixed principles of sound finance. We have already experienced the repercussions from fostering prosperity on the imprudent expenditure of borrowed money, juggling with currency, and other dangerous theories. As New Zealanders (judging by the number of race meetings) are decidedly prone to gambling, it is to be hoped that the new Government will take a broad and sensible view and establish a State lottery. Thousands and thousands of pounds are sent out of this Dominion every year to swell the coffers of other countries. Why not be true to ourselves and retain this money in our own country? Not only should the money mentioned be retained here, but a State lottery would attract foreign capital to help to multiply our wealth, and thus ease the burden of taxation. Another matter that (jails for attention by the Government is the question of superannuated civil servants competing for positions and thereby frequently ousting more deserving and equally efficient applicants. In the opinion of the writer this is most unfair and calls for immediate attention when positions are so difficult to obtain. As the employment of reason in politics is of vital importance it is to be hoped that full advantage will be taken by the Government to remove the underlying evils that have inflicted _ such injustice upon the material prosperity of the great majority of electors. In conclusion, there has in the past few years existed a strong tendency to permit officialdom to ride roughshod over human rights. There has been far too much Government interference in business. Cost of government has been out of all reasonable proportion in comparison to our small population, and the general legislation and administration has revealed at every turn the influence of the Socialistic view.—l am, etc., CI VIS. Wellington, March 17.