NO NEED FOR-CONCERN

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 122, 25 May 1928, Page 11

NO NEED FOR-CONCERN

-;; ;. ■ ■■■;- tttt —..:..»■. . . — i-r;.' .:■■■.■ :. ■. r.: : :■ LEA%E'SI|N.S;&,;: . "The comments of' tlie Hon. W. Nosworthy, postmaster-General, on. our-arti-cle, State and Private. Enterprise," calls for an answer, and in courtesy we are pleased to give it," states the Welfare League. "The Minister need have no concern that there was any intention on our part to reflect oh his' Department. • The setvice, in New Zealand may be:airthat Mr. Nosworthy claims for lit,. but such question we were in no wise dealing with. It is our general practice when dealing with a specific subject to confine ourselves to that and not by innuendo or reflection seek to. compass something else at the same time. We acknowledge that our figxires did not give the results of the telephone business in Britain. This was not an intentional omission, and we readily supply the information now. "The profit on the British Department's telephones last year was £283,375/ and the loss on telegraphs £1,571,131. As the Minister will see, the inclusion of the tele-phones-does not materially affect the posi-* tion. We think it might have been recognised that unless the position as a whole was serious the British Postmaster-General would not have appointed a Special Committee of Investigation. In reference to the term' 'political control,' that is apt to be takeh as applying simply ■to the control exercised by the Government We would point out, however, that political pressure <and influence may be .exerted from other sources. In Britain I "Socialist and Communist political activities within the service have done much towards disorganising the business. Happily we are free from that in New Zealand. It is well at the same time to keep, in mind-that some time ago a similar movement sought to exercise some control within our. New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department. Thanks to the firmness ot the then Prime Minister, Mr. Massey, and Mr. Coates, then Postmaster-General,' also, the general good sense" of: the--ran]v''an:d>fil^'«&s£e-; : D.?-.\ ■parttflent^iJiat Mangels i^W^iet eoffiei-aCKdi evils exiatent". atv. H6p?*^clEw'hK!v^::^; shown their head-herersn>Ujd*'place.'us'.au.: on' guard. JSternal vigilance. :is riot ; 6hly the price of liberty but-.of. many .other things niost valuable in1, civil life."-