MR. POLSON'S PLAN

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 11, 13 July 1931, Page 8

MR. POLSON'S PLAN

(To the editor,) | Sir,—The address of !Mv. Poison to tho New Zealand Funnels.Union, reported in yoin- columns, certainly displays, 'if liothiiiK ■'' else, . considerable industry and research. . A. careful, perusal oC it, however; convinces the thoughtful render ■thut ingenious and debatable us 'it roads as a national programme it is quite impracticable and useless., Worded as it is in pseudo-scientific .phraseology, Mr. l'olspn's policy reads more like ii'scjippl syllabus or v Socialistic Fnbiun outburst than a sober attempt,-to. elicit.economic truth in.a form readily transformable into sound political action. Not having enough boards, commissions, officials;:etc,, in the country, Mr. Poison would add'tp them tenfold;1 being evidently of the opinion that our economic salvation depends on the compilation of statistics. Throughout his lpng speech. Mr. Poison says not a word about the twin evils of' protection .and land- speculation;' although in clause. 3 (d): 'he certainly,' through the medium of 'redundant and solecißtic'.verbiage, advocates "the discouragement • of ' excessive , credits in times of/ .-unusual , prosperity." If; by .those.... "woi'ds, Mr. .Poison signifies that he objects to land inflation, he-should be happy to know this can be far better achieved', by a substantial tax on land values than by any mere oral deprecation.1 .An additional tax. pE 3d in the .£, bringing in about £2,500,000, affords a much happicil solution of unemployment relief finance, than the 'proposed'.illotiuitablo • alternative '• of levy and wages tax,: advanced by the Government; having the merit, also, that on tho disappearance of the depression it could remain as an integral part of our public 'finance. The past pronouncements of Mr. Poison, in favouv of freo trade ate well known. His j present silence, thon, on this great question may be accounted to discretion or to lehango qf views; it would be instructive to your readers,' Sir, to know which.—l am, etc., ' . : .-•. . . :■' -"R..A, GDSSE.^-"