WELFARE LEAGUE AND RUSSIA.

Evening Star, Issue 21881, 19 November 1934, Page 12

WELFARE LEAGUE AND RUSSIA.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Surely it is time for the Welfare League to change its name; if it is true to its articles it ought to be described as the Russian Welfare League, as it seems to be just about as interested in that country as it seems to be disinterested in the welfare of New Zealand—save that of a few vested interests, banking in particular. Does the Welfare League take us for a nation of morons? Judging by the stuff it puts over it seems to. The league says our conditions are not remotely comparable to what is hap-' pening in the Ukraine and A 7.00 districts. The league gets its information fiom the article published by the Narodny Bank Monthly, which was criticising the false statements made by Professor Lawton and a White Guard. official, but, with its usual tac-

tics, did not publish the official denial. As a ■ matter of fact, the harvest was 75 per cent, gathered in by August 15—about a month to six weeks earlier than in Britain. With regard to New Zealand, where we have no problem of scarcity—in fact, the Dairy Board Commission’s, report advocates wholesale destruction of dairy cows—the league says the Unemployment Board has to work within its income. How it spends that income, is quite another matter. Does the Soviet Government subsidise freezing companies in the Ukraine who can pay a dividend of 38J per cent,, or give a subsidy of £17,000 from the famine victims in the Azoo district to insurance companies with a capital of £300,000,000 ? Where does Stalin’s dictatorship come in? He is elected'by popular vote, and, like Comrade Kolivin, can be recalled immediately he puts any other policy into operation. Can the public do that with Mr Bromley here, who has an absolute dictatorship over the unemployed f I should like to ask the league ,a question: If the State cannot run a farm successfully, is it in favour of handing the Army, Navy, Police Force, and Post Office to a private limited liability company? If the State cannot run a farm, why let it run a parliament? If a man is a successful station manager, will he be less efficient on a State farm? Does the league insinuate that a stick pulled by, a woman and donkey, of which the latter was the more intelligent, gave better results under the Tsar, than deep ploughing by, a modern tractor under Socialist administration. With reference to the price of milk paid by cheese factories, this information was given me by my brother-in-law, a well-known Southland farmer who is chairman of a Southland cheese factory. His sister informed me recently that the more cows the farmers milked the deeper they got into debt. If the league wishes any further knowledge on the subject I will forward his address to the editor of the ‘ Star.’—l am, etc., Onlooker. November 19.

I TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I would like to point out to the Welfare League a true report of Russia that has not been manufactured in Germany or Japan—the report from the ‘ Manchester Guardian’s ’ Moscow correspondent (August 20, 1934). While official sources estimated that the yield when the drought was broken would be 12 per cent, under that of 1933 foreign exports placed the deficiency mucli higher, some declaring that a decline of one-third in output could be looked for. Now, it is generally conceded that these figures were much too high, and that the actual figures will probably be much nearer the official estimate if the harvesting is properly carried out, and the indications now are that it has been done with satisfactory rapidity. It can he said that there will certainly be no famine in Russia this winter, also the Government will be able to throw on foreign markets in 1934-35 no" less grain than last year, while retaining the normal of consumption within the country at its present level.—l am, etc., H. and C. November 19.