WORK, WAGES AND TAXES

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LX, Issue 88, 7 November 1939, Page 6

WORK, WAGES AND TAXES

Sir, —In your last issue you published a very interesting article about idle men during the depression, and an estimate of the financial loss to the United States of America thereby. No mention was made of the cause of the men's loss of work. There were at least two rea-, sons. One was the greater use made of machinery, doing away with need of human labour, a very desirable end, as there was not the slightest ■ doubt that the human body was not! designed to stand up to the amount of labour commonly required of us to-day, <to make a living. In the very early history of the human race, mankind only did sufficient work to provide enough food for the day, or at the most for a short time, and the clothes were a mere detail. Today it was very different, at least with the greater number; in fact, it was the aim of a large proportion, not only to provide for their daily needs, but also for their old age, but few were able to do it. These few were so full of their own importance that they laid the blame at the door of the individual. They said that a man could find work if he would only look for it. During the depression this was impossible, so td meet this state of affairs we had the dole, and the unemployment tax, which was even demanded from the people who received the dole—a very remarkable way of obtaining funds, still carried on in this country by a so-called Labour Government to some extent. Looking back as far as I can remember, I have never known a time when there was not plenty of work. The fault always had been a lack of funds; employers unable to find the means to pay for work done; the worker unable to obtain any money even to employ himself. This was a state*of affairs which could be over-

come and must be overcome if we were ever to be free of slumps, strikes, useless wars which were only a major way of wasting manpower, food, clothes and shelter, but were used as a golden opportunity for imposing useless taxation. Taxes were to-day very burdensome on the whole population, yet we seldom heard any complaints. The sales tax, for one, amounted to about £1/10/----a head, and we paid it without even thinking about it. There were several other taxes we also paid without thinking; in fact if we were free of tax many more of our people could provide for their old age, and all of us would not need to do so much work.—l am etc., A. B.