The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1938. THE FEAR-COMPLEX

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 241, 8 July 1938, Page 10

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1938. THE FEAR-COMPLEX

There is a great deal of talk just now among Labour members of a “fear-complex.” Apparently this is one of the machine-made party cries to be used during the election campaign. It will be a good thing if more is heard of it. There is a very real fear and a growing fear among all classes. There is a sense of fear that our Socialist Government is incapable of measuring the effect of its actions. Somewhere, for example, it has heard that the iron ano steel industry is a basic industry which affords the means of industrial development in a variety of directions. . So £s,ooo,ooo'is to be set aside for establishing an iron and steel industry in New Zealand regardless of the fact that the requirements of the Dominion are so small and varied that it cannot possibly support such an industry on an economic basis. Regardless, too, of the further fact that our costs of production in New Zealand undei onr Socialistic legislation are so high that it would be impossible to produce iron and steel at a figure which would enable the development of an export trade. Yet £5,000,000 is voted for an undertaking which can only involve the country in loss and prove a continuing burden. There is not a member of the Socialist party, we venture to say, who would invest his own money in this wild-cat scheme any hope of return; but the Government is prepared to gamble with the people’s money to the tune of millions. . Is it surprising that mere is a sense qf feai* among people who realise that they will be called on to bear the cost of this reckless Socialist experimenting? In the course of the debate now proceeding in . Parliament frequent references have been made to the so-called “social security proposals of the Government. Until the final details are made known there is a natural disinclination to discuss the scheme at all fully. On Wednesday, however, the member for Hurunui in speaking on the subject remarked that “there had never been a scheme framed on such a speculative basis,” and that “a man is a superoptimist who goes into the scheme believing that at a certain time he will be able to draw certain benefits.” Mr. Forbes presumably was discussing the scheme as originally announced. But from what Mi. Savage has latterly disclosed it is to be placed on a more extravagant basis than ever from the point of view of the cost to the people generally. .... Instead of “social security” there can be no security at all m a scheme which is based on speculative assumptions of a continuous peak of prosperity and an ascending scale of production at high prices. The Government has chopped and changed on its so-called superannuation and national health insurance schemes,. its one purpose apparently being to make them as attractive as possible from a votehvinning point of view, regardless of their soundness. What does it matter if the cost is to be another £10,000,000 or £12,000,000 or £15,000,000? What does it matter if in five or ten years their topheavy schemes under the stress of less favourable times crash of their own weight. Mr. Savage, too, has treated the representations of the medical profession upon the co-operation of which the success of any health insurance scheme must depend, with off-handedness amounting almost to contempt. He resents advice as he resents criticism. “If anyone gets in the way he will get hurt.” That is his motto. Is ,it to be wondered that there is a “fear-complex” which is widespread throughout the Dominion?