POLITICS AND WAGE CUTS.

Evening Star, Issue 21725, 21 May 1934, Page 16

POLITICS AND WAGE CUTS.

TO THE KDITOK. Sir,—On a basis ol' “ change .your political party-change your loci';,” British coimnunitics have long believed that a change of government was the cure for economic depressions. That “ core ” is coming to be regarded as at the best a fallacious palliative. Political parties on attaining power first attend to the party retpnremonts, and what is left over, if anything other than words, is distributed to the expectant community. The present-day tendency is to dispense with political parties and their paraphernalia of platforms, promises, and competitive “ piffle.” A desperate attempt is being made to retain party politics in New Zealand by the Labour Party and its effusive adherents who bombard the correspondence columns ot the daily Press. So far as unembroiled observers can see the Labour Party’s platform lias been gradually stripped of Communism. Socialism, and Sovietism. The decks are now cleared for action on a straight-out paper money policy. Ilestonition of wage cuts and the like is being used as ammunition for the rpiiekfircrs. Evidently paper money is being reserved for the big guns. As a farce it has its points, but as a solution of anvthing the thing is hopeless. Your correspondent, “ Ratepayer,” is unveiling the futility of restoring wage cuts ;il present, and incidentally showing how the more urgent case of the niK'inpioyed is being side-tracked, or

ignored, by ardent cut restorers. It has to be remembered .that high wages, the highest on record, did not delay or prevent the depression which made the “ cuts ” necessary. Now, evidently on the basis of the “ hair from the dog’s tail,” the restoration of high wages is going to cure the depression. ” Ratepayer ” is on the right track. He should keep going and ignore the uncomplimentary adjectives being fired at him by the sharpshooters of the rostrum-launching Labour Party.—l am, etc., Ease Taxation, Too. May 19.