Reconstruction Policy

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 270, 10 August 1943, Page 4

Reconstruction Policy

Sir—Any attempt to lay down a policy of reconstruction at the present time appears to be like planning a structure on a foundation, the stability of which cannot be guaranteed. No one can say at the present time what conditions ot toreign policy may have to be accepted by this Dominion when relations , the various countries are fixed after the war, and which conditions must profoundly affect our domestic policy. In these circumstances to do more than state the broad basis on which we hope to build the future political structure is to mislead the people as to what tbej mav expect. , , , . Our Government is pledged to co-op.i-ate with the other Allied Governments in establishing a new world order providing for much freer intercourse politically and economically, between the nations and peoples of the world, and tshic in turn will affect living conditions of our own people in a greater or lesser de"iee Our Dominion can take onlj a small part in these deliberations where the Great Powers will deal with such questions as markets, tariffs, migration, restriction, and many other great issues, vet we will probably be affected by them as much as, or more than, any other country, because of our high standard o. living. Beside all this there will be n heavy load of war debt to carry for many years and the extent of which can by uo means be determined yet. At tne present time, if we can elect a Tarim* meat pledged to the formation, of a National Government for the period of the war and until the peace policy of the nations is drawn up. beyond that we can only ask that certain basic principles be laid down for the government of this country after die war, which should include the abolition of, or restriction to the barest minimum of State interference with all forms of business and the encouragement of private enterprise m all fields. tl ... When the financial and other obligations of the Dominion arc known it will be time for the Government to go to the people with a progressive policy based on the capacity of the country to support. Our aim then should be to double out population in the shortest possible time that the additional people can be absorbed into the economic life of the Dominion. It may well-be that this will b< one of the issues for New Zealand 10 future years—the encouragement of s very much larger population. That would ease our financial burden ant provide a market for much of our prim ary production. and nt the same tinit remove the risk of undesirable immigration from the overcrowded countries ol Asia. —I am, etc.; ELECTOR. Levin, August .9.