“THE OTHER SIDE”

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 July 1939, Page 9

“THE OTHER SIDE”

MR. NASH UNDER FIRE. “Is New Zealand really a modern Utopia?” is the question’ asked in bold type across tho top oE a correspondence feature page in the Daily Sketch, a London journal, of June 20. It draws attention to a letter carrying the signature "The Other Side.” The writer

had apparently not been at all con

vin-ced by Mr. Nash’s broadcast summary of conditions in New Zealand a few evenings previous. In fact, he

disagrees violently with the Dominion’s Minister of Finance. For ex-

amples he says "Mr. Nash speaks only of the wonderful prosperity of New Zealand. How cair it prosper while

the Government, continues its ridiculous and extravagant policy, which is out of all proportion to what, the country can afford?” “Listening to the broadcast the other night by tho Finance Minister for New Zealand (Mr. Nash), and hearing that long list of figures strung together in l defence of the Labour Government’s policy, no one would ever doubt that New Zealand was the most prosperous country in* the world at tho present time, a modern Utopia in which ‘everything in the garden was lovely,’ ” the letter reads.

“No one would dream of tho other side of the picture of which no hint, was made. Of struggling farmers calling together meetings' of protest in a vain effort to stave- off the- ruin that is staring them ini the face; of the low wool prices, of a fat lamb market that is rapidly falling, of high wages and higJi cost of living’ that is making it impossible for the farmer; of farms being sold up and taken over by firriis; of men and women wondering and fearing (what is going to happen next and where the money is going to come from to pay the extravagant public works bill, the social services, and the enormous increase in pensions. • “1 noticed Mr. Nash said that the primary cause of his visit to this country was to discuss defence-measures. When he left New Zealand, it was understood by the people of New Zealand that the primary cause of his visit was to raise a loan to carry on public works. Did he- feel 'that the magic word ‘defence measures’ was more popular in this country at the

moment, and would give him a more sympathetic hearing at the start of his visit and the less 1 attractive word ‘loan’ could come later? "If the Labour Government con-

inues its reckless spending on public-

works and social services, the New Zealand farmer will have to be prepared to face the (worst slump in the

history of the country, signs of which .are already making themselves apparent. Men. employed! in these public works camps- are paid -such high wages that it has forced wages up in every branch of agriculture and farmers car no longer afford to pay the wages and employ the labour that is necessary. All initiative to work, is being crushed, and the youth of New Zealand encouraged in laziness and idleness. “Mr. Nash speaks only of the wonderful prosperity of New Zealand. How can it prosper while the Government continues its ridiculous and extravagant policy, which is out o£ all proportion to what the country can afford.”