VALUE FOR MONEY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 138, 13 June 1931, Page 12

VALUE FOR MONEY

(To the Editor.) Sir,—ln your issue of last, evening you published extracts from a letter signed by ".Ratepayer." The general trend of the letter leaves any reader who is not aware of the contrary facts with the impression that Mr. W. T. Strand is not the friend of the working man. That innuendo is grossly unjust. No one has been more distressed by the hardships and misery of the unemployed, and no one has worked as unremittingly for their relief as has the man against whom "Ratepayer's" criticism is directed, and who, incidentally, was responsible for the Moera housing scheme, which gave hundreds of "Ratepayer's" fellow-work-men clean cottages and good gardens of their own instead of high-rented dumps in. slums. Did we hear anyone but Mr. Strand raise the distasteful question of reducing all borough salaries (including his own honorarium)..that there might be £2000 more money to tide the registered unemployed over the winter? Does "Ratepayer" imagine that misery and hardship are confined to the registered unemployed? Scores of ratepayers are suffering equally but ■ silently, even though they are not registered, unemployed. Although they too are "worried to death," they are "putting their backs into it" and carrying on, although their earnings are now but a pittance. A great many of them, too, have given when it hurt to give in order that take-all-give-nothing "Ratepayer" can have the "few discarded clothes" that he despises—and they, like "Ratepayer," cannot afford to buy new clothes. "Ratepayer's" gallant defence of shovelleaning and yarning on time that is paid for by overtaxed ratepayers on the grounds of being "worried to death" does' not meet the approval of the majority of relief workers. The majority are toiling hard and well, thanMul for .'.the means of keeping starvation from their doors at this time of national-wide trouble. It is, however, 'definitely true that there can be seen here and there odd groups of men spending most of the day leaning on their shovels gazing at the traffic and' collecting the 'same wage as their more worthy mates. It is assuredly to these few, groups'that Mr. Strand refers when he asks for "valuq for the money." "Ratepayer's" spleen has evidently lasted since., "October, 1929," for he recalls a similar compliment to Mr. Strand alleged to have been made at that time, when relief works were arranged at Moer;*. As Mr. Strand has proved himself 'a" kindly man who appreciates a fair day's work, the inference I draw is that a. percentage of slackers amongst relief workers existed" even in W29. "Ratepayer" claims that for a worker to be in \the right frame of mind and body to give his best work, "his economic position must be reasonably secure," and that "the only way to obtain this is to grant the worker full wages every-week of the year." Later ho asks that the Government give sustenance. There

are only two sources from which money can come to increase the wages:—(l) Borough rates; (2) higher Government taxation.' Dealing with (1), borough rates are already a staggering burden upon most ratepayers at a time like this. Dealing with (2), business bankruptcies nrj occurring nearly every day because the firms have been taxed out o£ existence. Thus more and more men are being thrown out of work. Higher taxation would result in more bankruptcies and more men thrown out of work. No, "Ratepayer," we've just got to go on giving value for money, no matter what the job or rate of pay, and thus strive to create a new prosperity, rather than kick those of our /public-spirited friends who are working for our salvation. —I am, etc.* PULLING MY WEIGHT. Moera, 13th June.