WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 7, 8 July 1935, Page 8

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

CHECKING OPPORTUNISM

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—ln your leading article appears the following comment under the heading "To see where we are going." "We have consistently advised that the approaching danger must be met by supplying to the present administration that which it lacks, clear-sighted statesmanship with knowledge of where the present policy is tending and a perception, of implications to check opportunism." Is it not a fact, Sir, that the present land and financial policies are the very bed and breeding ground of opportunism. Take' for instance the remission of the-tax on beer, not sufficient to reduce the retail price to the consumer, but about £100,000 to the brewers, and the rise in the exchange rate of 25 per cent, to the farmers indiscriminately as to whether the assistance was required or not and then a request for 5 per cent, of the extra profits to be subscribed to the party funds as an acknowledgement of the favour received at the expense of the people.

There are many other items of a similar nature performed or perpetrated by the present administration and yet after nearly five .years'of depression they have formulated no definite plans for the reduction of the people's burdens and will do nothing to alter the land policy and its evil effects or tackle the improvement of the means'of distribution to those who require necessities, and yet you wholeheartedly support the administration with some alterations in its personnel ■but with no indication as to what you think is required.

This I do not consider the "Post's" usual attitude. If the administration is as bad as it looks to be then the best thing to do is to try another administration and not start a patch-ing-up ptilicy. We have had too many temporary stunts in our politics and with su§h unsatisfactory results that it is time we threw these methods overboard.

To remove the apathy of the people of which you complain I would suggest that the Press devote a larger column to correspondence. It is the only source of public comment open to the ordinary citizen,, and when they do write on some subject burning a hole in their thoughts and then see a memo to correspondents, "This has been sufficiently discussed," it is enough, to produce apathy even in a strong constitution. I admit, Sir, you have been liberal with some ■ correspondence and in a general sense, but to awake the apathy of Wellington correspondent citizens easier access to your columns, within reason of course, would I am sure give increased interest in your paper and help the future fathers of Wellington city to shed their apathy towards public life.—l am, etc.,

EQUITY.

IWe have strongly criticised parts of the policy of the present Government; but cannot accept "Equity's" conclusion that we should therefore "try another administration." One of the principal grounds of complaint against the present Government is that it has adopted socialistic methods and disregarded contracts. It would be futile, therefore, to reject the Government in favour of one which would go further in the same direction. We believe that it is possible to strengthen and reform the .Government so that it will carry out a policy in the interests of all the people.—Ed.]