POLITICAL ISSUES.

Evening Star, Issue 23015, 21 July 1938, Page 19

POLITICAL ISSUES.

TO THE EDITOE.

Sir Working Man” says his remarks about my letter seem to nave made me a bit sore. I feel no pain so far. I still say, if we were a tax-free country our children would be educated and all the other services we enjoy would be paid for, so what is wrong about that? “ Will the man that can solve all our problems tell us how we could pay for these services without taxation?” 1 have already done that through my letters in the ‘ Star, Have the young people to wait until old age for security if they are physically unfit to earn their living? No. There are millions deprived of their birthright because of our obsolete monetary system, but we can alter that in New Zealand under non-party Government. Capital and Labour working together have built cities. Kept apart we have industrial strife. We do not as a rule, get old heads on young shoulders, but we can get middle-aged heads on old shoulders that can improve on existing conditions. In making a tax-free country we make a care-free people that can pay for all they get and keep out of debt, and) not be at the mercy of the big business heads. There is not any need to be given time to find work for everyone. We have a L7UU,000,000 job staring us in the face lor \ many a year, that will employ tradesmen of every description, without touching any of the work the Government is doing now. To make this country the pride of the Empire is not easy if the people weaken or allow the old order to return. I quite, agree with your correspondent there; it is worse than not easy, it is .impossible, and that is why we have to bring Capital and Labour together and_ build cities to accommodate a few millions of population., These pipe dreams people have of what they would do are all right in theory. Anything that will work out in practice is not theory, so there are no pipe dreams about what I have ■ said. I have as much right as the Prime Minister or anyone else to know whether it is possible either now or in ■ the future to make this a tax-free country or not.—l am,- etc., July 21. J- Campbell.

to TBS BSITOB. Sir,—Mr J; Campbell appears to have the idea that it is possible to begin a new century in New Zealand free of debt .and taxation. How wonderful that would be if it were possible I It appears to me he has not given this matter sufficient before rush- •- mg into print. I would like Mr Campbell to tell us where there is to be found any democratic country where a non-party Government exists that is free of debt and taxation. Mr Sexton put Mr Savage and Mr Hamilton into the .same lobby by a vote on the party question. Independent members also take sides when' entering Parliament. Also, I would ,ask Mr Campbell if he wishes to start the second century with a clean elate w r hat would his non-party-Government do to wipe out our % huge national and local body debt, which possibly amounts to about £300,000,000. Not content, with the accomplishment of this huge task, he proposes to run this country free of taxa- : tion,< which means free social services, : no Customs duties, no postage “ Wonderful.” I wish he would explain how ■ ' these miracles could be brought about. What a blessing it would have been for the .people of this country if Mr Campbell had been born oyer 100 years ago. 'i He could have advised all our past Tory Governments and < local bodies how to carry out their duties without taxation’ instead of piling;, up huge debts which we shall never be able to pay.— I am, etc., . Middle Age. July 20.